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

 

[frodos gardener]

Well I was saying one real issue and not limitation
Not sure you can pot 180cm players for not being strong overhead. As far as hitting the scoreboard goes you can say that about 80% of midfielders.

Not potting him. Everyone has their shortcomings. Just think he has those few areas that he could round out a bit more and that are realistic to improve upon on top of the defensive stuff.

 

[yodellinhank]

For me, I don’t think (the fitness findings) is a big issue.
I get that it’s a part of the review and it’s pretty strong feedback that we aren’t fit enough but I’ve got no doubt as well that we’ll fix that up pretty quickly.

‘Everyone can grab data’: Young Bomber shrugs off ‘alarming’ fitness concerns

‘Everyone can grab data’: Young Bomber shrugs off ‘alarming’ fitness concerns

www.foxsports.com.au

Future captain Zach Merrett pissing on the review.

 

[Doss]

‘Everyone can grab data’: Young Bomber shrugs off ‘alarming’ fitness concerns

‘Everyone can grab data’: Young Bomber shrugs off ‘alarming’ fitness concerns

www.foxsports.com.au

Future captain Zach Merrett pissing on the review.

Describing a bloke with 180-odd games in nine years who is 27 as a youngster is an interesting strategy from Fox Footy.

 

[yodellinhank]

Describing a bloke with 180-odd games in nine years who is 27 as a youngster is an interesting strategy from Fox Footy.

Might be confusing youth with immaturity.

 

[Kong]

Or stature?

 

[brain taylor]

 

[Happyskeret]

‘Everyone can grab data’: Young Bomber shrugs off ‘alarming’ fitness concerns

‘Everyone can grab data’: Young Bomber shrugs off ‘alarming’ fitness concerns

www.foxsports.com.au

Future captain Zach Merrett pissing on the review.

He didn’t piss on it he just said it’s not a big deal because it’s an easy fix. No problem easy done……. yep.

 

[I Remember Bluey]

Don't give a s**t. He can do no wrong in your eyes.

Still loves ya ETH

 

[ant555]

I am going to call it.
Will make a Cotchin transformation as captain. !

 

[DapperDon]

Love ya Zach, but if was an easy fix it wouldn't be an issue, shut the **** up and train properly rather than shutting down any feedback.

 

[ant555]

Love ya Zach, but if was an easy fix it wouldn't be an issue, shut the * up and train properly rather than shutting down any feedback.

I think Zach is one of a few who do train properly The rest just have to get on board.

 

[DapperDon]

I think Zach is one of a few who do train properly The rest just have to get on board.

Fair play, but still, the comments weren't great. Fitness has been an issue for over a decade, probably best not to shoot it down as "We'll just train harder, easy done"

 

[andleanback]

I think Zach is one of a few who do train properly The rest just have to get on board.

But it’s not an easy fix to get everyone to train at maximum level. If it was such an easy fix we wouldn’t be consistently one of the worst teams fitness wise year after year.

 

[ant555]

But it’s not an easy fix to get everyone to train at maximum level. If it was such an easy fix we wouldn’t be consistently one of the worst teams fitness wise year after year.

Agree. It is going to take some work by the whole footy department although a lot of the fix is in playing better team defense and not running the same forward line as last year. You always look unfit when you are chasing the opposition all day. If they have more forward half pressure then there is less running the other way. It will be up to Scott to make some calls at seasons end.
The other issue is more long term. Start making endurance running a point of difference in our recruiting. Get the balance right.

 

[thepokey]

I think it feels a little unfair to say the players are embarrassing etc. They can be held to account if they're not following instructions either on field or at training, but the review made it seem like it was the program that was the issue? If the players are following the program and aren't fit enough it isn't really their fault. Especially because if they deviated from the program in order to increase their fitness they'd probably get in trouble for that since its such a regimented thing.

 

[MiguelM]

Agree. It is going to take some work by the whole footy department although a lot of the fix is in playing better team defense and not running the same forward line as last year. You always look unfit when you are chasing the opposition all day. If they have more forward half pressure then there is less running the other way. It will be up to Scott to make some calls at seasons end.
The other issue is more long term. Start making endurance running a point of difference in our recruiting. Get the balance right.

Yeah, if there is no forward pressure and the ball rebounds at light speed, there is no team in the comp that can defend that.

For mine, lack of forward pressure AND forward entry turnovers is our biggest issue. I suppose a defensive mindset will help in that area but we do need a genuine small forward with pace (hopefully the draft will sort that).

Losing a Tippa from our forward line was huge in our downfall and we had nothing in reserve in this area.

Question: How far off senior footy are the Davey twins?

 

[Don Won]

Agree. It is going to take some work by the whole footy department although a lot of the fix is in playing better team defense and not running the same forward line as last year. You always look unfit when you are chasing the opposition all day. If they have more forward half pressure then there is less running the other way. It will be up to Scott to make some calls at seasons end.
The other issue is more long term. Start making endurance running a point of difference in our recruiting. Get the balance right.

I agree about the chasing tail part. Saying we are unfit is really oversimplifying the problem. When you look at the tracker data we seem to run about 280kms a week as a team (it’s amazing how many times it was at that distance), which is near about what most teams were running - in fact other teams often they ran less. The one are that might back up the fitness area was that sometimes we were beaten on the total sprint efforts tracking in the low 220s where some teams were up at the 250s, but in flicking through other games (very un-scientifically) we stacked up pretty well against other teams in most of the tracker stats.

But my eyes did tell me that we spent a lot of energy chasing tail, or running hard one way only to turn it over and have to run hard back the other way.

Of course there could be a big discrepancy in fitness across the list, so the running load is covered by half the list and the other half just jog.

I guess I’m not convinced that flogging them on the track is going to deliver as much as better gameplan and better disposal.

 

[yodellinhank]

I agree about the chasing tail part. Saying we are unfit is really oversimplifying the problem. When you look at the tracker data we seem to run about 280kms a week as a team (it’s amazing how many times it was at that distance), which is near about what most teams were running - in fact other teams often they ran less. The one are that might back up the fitness area was that sometimes we were beaten on the total sprint efforts tracking in the low 220s where some teams were up at the 250s, but in flicking through other games (very un-scientifically) we stacked up pretty well against other teams in most of the tracker stats.

But my eyes did tell me that we spent a lot of energy chasing tail, or running hard one way only to turn it over and have to run hard back the other way.

Of course there could be a big discrepancy in fitness across the list, so the running load is covered by half the list and the other half just jog.

I guess I’m not convinced that flogging them on the track is going to deliver as much as better gameplan and better disposal.

Everyone can grab data.

 

[ant555]

Yeah, if there is no forward pressure and the ball rebounds at light speed, there is no team in the comp that can defend that.

For mine, lack of forward pressure AND forward entry turnovers is our biggest issue. I suppose a defensive mindset will help in that area but we do need a genuine small forward with pace (hopefully the draft will sort that).

Losing a Tippa from our forward line was huge in our downfall and we had nothing in reserve in this area.

Question: How far off senior footy are the Davey twins?

Agree . Turnovers inside 50 really hurt as well.

I suspect Alwyn JNR will play some footy as a forward but Jayden most likely VFL for the majority of the season. Maybe late in the year for him.
Would hope Wanganeen can play a bit of a role with another pre season under his belt.

 

[fishardansin]

Well I was saying one real issue and not limitation
Not sure you can pot 180cm players for not being strong overhead. As far as hitting the scoreboard goes you can say that about 80% of midfielders.

I'm 180 cm and the top of his head is my eye level at best.

 

[ant555]

I'm 180 cm and the top of his head is my eye level at best.

So ? 178 - 180 - 182 . Not going to make much difference to marking ability.

 

[fishardansin]

So ? 178 - 180 - 182 . Not going to make much difference to marking ability.

Oh, I'm not agreeing with your point. I don't need Zach to be strong overhead. He runs all day and hits the target by foot. Job done. Sorry for chipping in, just gets me how these short arses lie about their height!

 

[ghostdog]

Yeah, if there is no forward pressure and the ball rebounds at light speed, there is no team in the comp that can defend that.

For mine, lack of forward pressure AND forward entry turnovers is our biggest issue. I suppose a defensive mindset will help in that area but we do need a genuine small forward with pace (hopefully the draft will sort that).

Losing a Tippa from our forward line was huge in our downfall and we had nothing in reserve in this area.

Question: How far off senior footy are the Davey twins?

Alwyn Davey at least is not defensively strong, if you believe EFC Central.

 

[Nifft]

Oh, I'm not agreeing with your point. I don't need Zach to be strong overhead. He runs all day and hits the target by foot. Job done. Sorry for chipping in, just gets me how these short arses lie about their height!

 

[ant555]

Alwyn Davey at least is not defensively strong, if you believe EFC Central.

I would argue he is switched on from what I have seen live . He may not make 10 tackles a game but his positioning in the last champ game was good and when he played VFL for us he was very good in the last quarter with his chase and pressure. His pressure was enough to effect several rebounds even though he was not nailing tackles.