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

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

I love Zach the player, but find him an uninspiring choice for captain. Nevertheless what do I know...so congrats Zach, hope you go well.

 

[eth-dog]

Absolute no brainer, he’s our best player. He’s not a big bloke but he’s our best tackler as well. Keeping the seat warm for Hobbs. Congratulations Zach, huge club = huge honour.

Best tackler? Really? His predecessor is better in that regard and I don't think Heppell was that good a tackler either.

 

[Call Me Cake]

I find him an uninspiring choice for captain.

The only player on our list that I believe genuinely wants the #17 more than the fans. Had to he him.

 

[windyhill]

Best tackler? Really? His predecessor is better in that regard and I don't think Heppell was that good a tackler either.

He’s not a huge man, his technique is close to perfect. Opposistion look at him and either look to brush him off or run over the top of him,happens many times. Looks can be deceiving with Zach, hard as a cats head and better tackler than Heppell.

 

[citizen-erased]

Best tackler? Really? His predecessor is better in that regard and I don't think Heppell was that good a tackler either.

Deceiving, but he's pretty good. Even without accounting for the fact he's smaller than a lot out there.

Averages 5 a game over his career, vs. Heppell's 3.4
Goes backwards for Heppell if you go back to when he was a pure mid too.

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

The only player on our list that I believe genuinely wants the #17 more than the fans. Had to he him.

I wanted Redman who I believe has zero issue looking someone in the eye and delivering feedback, whether it be good or bad. However I really couldn't see the club or the players going in that direction sadly.

Something about Zach has always had me querying his aptitude to be captain. But again, I don't really have much idea from the outside, so I hope Zach does well.

 

[ghostdog]

I wanted Redman who I believe has zero issue looking someone in the eye and delivering feedback, whether it be good or bad. However I really couldn't see the club or the players going in that direction sadly.

Something about Zach has always had me querying his aptitude to be captain. But again, I don't really have much idea from the outside, so I hope Zach does well.

Agreed. I can't see Zach delivering hard truths.

That said, he is our skipper. Congratulations Zach. Speak up.

 

[fairbump_playon]

He’s always seemed from the outside as someone who would be happier to think to himself “FFS who are these clowns” than give feedback

But the outside is not the place these decisions are made

 

[windyhill]

I wanted Redman who I believe has zero issue looking someone in the eye and delivering feedback, whether it be good or bad. However I really couldn't see the club or the players going in that direction sadly.

Something about Zach has always had me querying his aptitude to be captain. But again, I don't really have much idea from the outside, so I hope Zach does well.

Not being captain won’t stop Redman giving honest feedback. He was pointing a few thing out to Stringer the other week.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Copy and paste job from me.

"
Congrats to Zac Merrett on his ascension to Essendon's captaincy.

He joins distant cousin Roger Merrett in being captain of a VFL/AFL team.

Though it was an inevitability 6 years ago, to see Zac's ascension to the Essendon's men's captaincy was nothing more than a formality but this shouldn't take away from how deserving Merrett is of the privilege of captaining an AFL side.

In Merrett, Stephanie Cain and Bonnie Toogood, Essendon's senior lists have 3 meritorious and well deserving young adults who can ably lead their respective teams.

Thank you for the last 6 seasons Dyson Heppell.

Thought it's not by much, Heppell's leadership in 2017 was badly needed and it helped to somewhat rehabilitate my once waning fandom for the team after the previous 4 years/seasons.

In Merrett, the men have its first captain who wasn't around when the supplements bollocks reared its head.

I hope Zac realises how privileged he is to be the captain of a sporting team and how his future directives can help shape the trajectory of the Essendon Football Club men's team.

He mustn't lose sight of this privilege.
He also must have an understanding of the fans and members' frustrations at the men's consistently disappointing moments and a regularly visible lack of effort during games.

There is a ruthless if he wants it and a willingness to not only load the wagons but hitch the horsey's ride to each wagon.

Publicly and privately, Merrett is to preach passion and urgency instead of passivism.
At least that's how it should look optically.

Self preservation seems to have been a hallmark of Essendon for as long as I can remember and should only be reserved for when the lead is an unassailable lead such as 90 points later in games.

We, as Essendon fans, are banking on you Zac to lift the team, the spirits, the expectations and the perceptions out of the doldrums.

It might seem miniscule when compared to the early Saints teams but we're also banking on you Zac to put an everlasting and overdue full stop on the gap between finals wins.

In terms of an Essendon team, almost 20 years since the last final's win isn't even in the ballpark of good enough.

There is a need to shorten the gap between what's perceptually being observed and what the reality is.

Please accept my congratulations and get the %##^$ job done."

 

[Bjchan13]

Already a star and his best is yet to come. We're about to see him level up again as captain.

 

[bombers16]

Nil poster but I felt the need to contribute.

Having known current and past players the feedback was that Merrett couldn't understand why other didn't work as hard as he did. Finding that balance was initially hard but he has over the last 12-24 months.

We don't need a vocal and passionate captain. We need a bloke that demonstrates shut the f**k up and just get the job done. Merrett is all that and he's done that year after year.

Go well son, much deserved.

 

[Call Me Cake]

I wanted Redman who I believe has zero issue looking someone in the eye and delivering feedback, whether it be good or bad. However I really couldn't see the club or the players going in that direction sadly.

Redman literally has one good year and people fall for the Reddog captaincy meme. 1 year in BnF contention does not a captaincy make.

And delivering hard truths isnt the only trait of a captain.

 

[bombers16]

Redman literally has one good year and people fall for the Reddog captaincy meme. 1 year in BnF contentions does a captaincy make.

And delivering hard truths isnt the only trait of a captain.

Completely agree. Redman displayed potential leadership least year but hasn't experienced a tenth of what Merrett has.

 

[eth-dog]

He’s not a huge man, his technique is close to perfect. Opposistion look at him and either look to brush him off or run over the top of him,happens many times. Looks can be deceiving with Zach, hard as a cats head and better tackler than Heppell.

And I've seen them do that plenty of times too. I'm not saying he's bad but I wouldn't have him close to top 5 honestly. Fringe top 10 at best.

 

[DERO]

My boy.

 

[windyhill]

And I've seen them do that plenty of times too. I'm not saying he's bad but I wouldn't have him close to top 5 honestly. Fringe top 10 at best.

We’ll agree to disagree. I just love the way, as a bloke with a small stature he steels himself against bigger opponents.

 

[jmoo wan]

i’m going to start delivering feedback to all the shit posters on this forum that your shit posts are shitty, and then I will be made captain of this board.

 

[eth-dog]

i’m going to start delivering feedback to all the s**t posters on this forum that your s**t posts are shitty, and then I will be made captain of this board.

I tried that. It doesn't work

 

[supportyourteam]

A captain or Merret. If he and Great Scott have the wright relationship, they could drape the club doesn't matter. Happy

 

[carnthedons]

Good stuff, seems like a ripper fella.

I’m eagerly awaiting the best meme/content from this though, will need to go some way to top the “I’m the captain now” from Heppell’s announcement

 

[carnthedons]

Love this kid will captain the club one day.

Smart poster

 

[jmoo wan]

Smart poster

yes! get him in!

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

Not being captain won’t stop Redman giving honest feedback. He was pointing a few thing out to Stringer the other week.

It holds more weight if coming from the captain. Anyway, facts are Zach is captain and I hope my doubts are resoundingly proven unfounded.

 

[Mr Mojo Risin]

Redman literally has one good year and people fall for the Reddog captaincy meme. 1 year in BnF contention does not a captaincy make.

And delivering hard truths isnt the only trait of a captain.

In my book he's had more than one good year and has other traits. Other than being our best player I don't see much of what Zach has TBH. Hopefully he shows them now.