AFL Player # 7: Indefatigable Zach Merrett (c) - 5 time Crichton Medallist! 🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅

[Beerfish]

Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent 2027
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 10, I Remember Bluey

 

[Nifft]

No reason it should be a fine

Watch the footage, Merrett throws the headback

And Pruess is a foot taller and weights around 40 kgs more than Merrett. How can you tell exactly how much contact there was? The fact that Pruess lifted his arm and deliberately initiated contact I'm not surprised Merrett threw himself backwards, I wouldn't want to stand there and just take the contact coming towards me either.

 

[BIGHAWK23]

And Pruess is a foot taller and weights around 40 kgs more than Merrett. How can you tell exactly how much contact there was? The fact that Pruess lifted his arm and deliberately initiated contact I'm not surprised Merrett threw himself backwards, I wouldn't want to stand there and just take the contact coming towards me either.

While your last point makes complete sense, he shouldn't just stand there and take it

He also shouldn't be taking himself out of the contest by going to ground

 

[Nifft]

While your last point makes complete sense, he shouldn't just stand there and take it

He also shouldn't be taking himself out of the contest by going to ground

Given that Pruess is huge the only option is to try to avoid contact. Not sure Merrett had the time to dodge. Maybe he accentuated the contact a bit in the hope of drawing a free, but who can tell what was going through his mind in that split second just before contact. Maybe he threw his head back so it wouldn't be hit by Pruess' shoulder, and if he hadn't done that then we'd currently be discussing how many weeks Pruess should get.

 

[BIGHAWK23]

Given that Pruess is huge the only option is to try to avoid contact. Not sure Merrett had the time to dodge. Maybe he accentuated the contact a bit in the hope of drawing a free, but who can tell what was going through his mind in that split second just before contact. Maybe he threw his head back so it wouldn't be hit by Pruess' shoulder, and if he hadn't done that then we'd currently be discussing how many weeks Pruess should get.

Preuss wasnt exactly flying at him, he may be big, but he isn't exactly quick off the mark

The throwing of the head back would be belivable in regards to your 2nd point, but to "dodge" the shoulder is a bit of a stretch

But correct, if head contact was made, it would be a suspension discussion

 

[DapperDon]

While your last point makes complete sense, he shouldn't just stand there and take it

He also shouldn't be taking himself out of the contest by going to ground

If Pruess barreled into yourself, would you not go to ground?

remember, internet tough guy persona got boring in 2006

 

[BIGHAWK23]

If Pruess barreled into yourself, would you not go to ground?

remember, internet tough guy persona got boring in 2006

I certainly wouldn't add to it

Especially when no head contact was made

 

[DapperDon]

I certainly wouldn't add to it

Especially when no head contact was made

ok bighawk

 

[astrowizzle]

No reason it should be a fine

Watch the footage, Merrett throws the headback

Ther

While your last point makes complete sense, he shouldn't just stand there and take it

He also shouldn't be taking himself out of the contest by going to ground

He was already out of that contest. The ball was 5m away. Last time I heard you weren't allowed to take players out of the ball

 

[I Remember Bluey]

Didn't say it shouldn't be a free kick, but Merrett definitely played up the contact and threw his head back. There was no high contact either so no concussion issues to blame for his s**t performance.

 

[ghostdog]

And Pruess is a foot taller and weights around 40 kgs more than Merrett. How can you tell exactly how much contact there was? The fact that Pruess lifted his arm and deliberately initiated contact I'm not surprised Merrett threw himself backwards, I wouldn't want to stand there and just take the contact coming towards me either.

This. The contact was unreasonable and unnecessary.

 

[ghostdog]

While your last point makes complete sense, he shouldn't just stand there and take it

He also shouldn't be taking himself out of the contest by going to ground

There was no contest. The ball was gone. The contact was late. Preuss is a thug who learned from a thug.

 

[yodellinhank]

No reason it should be a fine

Watch the footage, Merrett throws the headback

Then it should be a fine.

 

[Booplaz]

 

[ghostdog]

Preuss's hit on Merrett going unnoticed by the AFL is exactly the kind of thing Brasher and/or Rutten should be calling out in the media. It seems like Zach cops treatment like this quite a bit. Eddie would have called it out. Scott would have called it out. Clarko would have called it out. Do they think calling this stuff out might galvanise the club a little? Even if it falls on deaf ears, that simple act demonstrates the club's care to the players.

 

[Bjchan13]

And getting his head treated like a speedball

Someone should've retaliated on behalf of Merrett. You obviously dont want a long suspension or to be de registered from the game but a one week for rough conduct (like a head lock on Preuss that you hold on to for just that little bit longer to give him something to think about) or just fines for constantly tieing him up in clinches and peppering him with jumper punches. Do the same to Perryman.

If the boys are serious about wanting to be a good side they need to be respected enough that the opposition know they cant snipe and bash our best player off the ball and get away with it.

The softness of our 22 needs to be address by the coaches and playing group together. And its not about going out there with fake bravado and starting little push and shoves for no reason. We should be hard at the ball and man fairly and leave it at that. But as soon as Pruess or some other dopey prick thinks they can snipe Merrett off the ball, go and start some shit

 

[Eleven 38]

Merett going down that easy is just as soft as the players not going to help him out after.

Its definitely an issue. Its been an issue for a long time and its hard to get tough leaders when all the tough on field leaders we had retired 10+years ago, its hard to teach.

We can only hope some of the under 25s have it already in them.

 

[The Prosecutor]

Preuss's hit on Merrett going unnoticed by the AFL is exactly the kind of thing Brasher and/or Rutten should be calling out in the media. It seems like Zach cops treatment like this quite a bit. Eddie would have called it out. Scott would have called it out. Clarko would have called it out. Do they think calling this stuff out might galvanise the club a little? Even if it falls on deaf ears, that simple act demonstrates the club's care to the players.

Meh, this example seems just a case of Merrett trying to milk a free.

 

[frodos gardener]

Intriguing that certain posters are missing after Zach turns up some disappointing efforts…

But but but but future captain

 

[Lore]

Interesting interview with Merrett about his personal form, position, effort and the team’s poor start to the year, as a sort of oblique rebuttal of the video posted above (he was being tagged, so most of the job is to get away from Perryman), but particularly with the idea that he’s likely as not going to be our captain soon enough and his attitudes should be setting the tone for everyone.

On his own Merrett: Bomber ready to play his part in rebuild

Essendon vice-captain Zach Merrett said his side needed a few years of rebuilding and growing before taking the next step

www.afl.com.au

 

[Call Me Cake]

AFL

"Individual awards come and go like the wind but I feel team success is what you live and die by and what you want to play in so I get extremely jealous and envious of those guys who get to run out in September."

Hand this man the captaincy.

 

[Jobe Watson]

Another tag, another shitful performance.

Vice captain, by the way. How are any of our other players supposed to have standards when the VC can't handle a bit of attention from the opposition?

 

[carloss]

His turnovers early on set the standard.

 

[I Remember Bluey]

Picked a great time to be on players night AFL360 tonight 16/8.

 

[TheGrizz]

‘Sick of words, sick of sorrys’: Zach Merrett’s brutal assessment after Essendon’s horror loss

‘Sick of words, sick of sorrys’: Star Bomber’s brutal assessment after 84-point ‘embarrassment’

www.google.com

Sorry, but to be honest I don't give a damn, Zach. What's happening now is as much on you (and the rest of the players) as it is Truck.

I'll believe you when I see it, until then, don't **t in my hand and tell me it's a present.

 

[andleanback]

‘Sick of words, sick of sorrys’: Zach Merrett’s brutal assessment after Essendon’s horror loss

‘Sick of words, sick of sorrys’: Star Bomber’s brutal assessment after 84-point ‘embarrassment’

www.google.com

Sorry, but to be honest I don't give a damn, Zach. What's happening now is as much on you (and the rest of the players) as it is Truck.

I'll believe you when I see it, until then, don't **t in my hand and tell me it's a present.

Can’t wait for the usually Zach talk tonight. Yawn