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

 

[Bjchan13]

Impressive first 3 weeks. I think he's got another 30% improvement in him too

 

[ant555]

Your stats don't factor in the amount of shots he has that don't make the distance.

Do any of the stats ?

 

[citizen-erased]

Do any of the stats ?

it would be nice if the key forwards had a stat for set shot/snap on goal that misses everything
e.g. Stringer's shot saturday night won't count on the stat sheet as anything but a kick, and i guess a turnover.

but also why you don't just use stats to prove things.
Merrett has a decent peg on him, but i think in his career i've seen him attempt maybe 5 long range (40m+) shots on goal. Think he dobbed a couple from just outside 50 too.

Shiel and Caldwell are proving good goal scoring mids. Parish can def do it too.
Can handle Merrett being more score involvement than scoreboard mid.

 

[faible]

ike a lot of really good field kicks he is very 50/50 with his goal kicking

Can pick a player out in a small pocket of space amongst a number of opposition players from any angle whilst on the run, the giant gap between the giant two white poles though is a tough target.

Why is this so?

Do we need that Melbourne cheer squad guy who carries the bullseye target?

 

[Zach Package]

Have noticed a big improvement in his workrate without the footy, he’s even hitting up at the footy to receive on the lead now, which makes him all the more dangerous.

Less footy, more impact.

 

[frodos gardener]

Good start as captain. I think his kicking has even improved, as solid at it was previously.

 

[Yoda_]

Most under rated player in the comp. period

 

[Schnitzengruben]

Has improved noticeably with his defensive actions this year. Quite a few shepherds and blocks around the contest and a lot of his running went unnoticed, hard to see unless you were at the ground.

I was confident he would take his game to another level under Scott, and as Captain - looking spot on. May not be getting career high touches but just becoming a much more well rounded player.

 

[Lore]

Happy skip

 

[boncer34]

Radio commentary suggested he could be in trouble for a sling?

 

[Pweter]

Radio commentary suggested he could be in trouble for a sling?

Happened directly in front of me, I instantly thought it looked like Day's tackle on Close last week.

Haven't seen a replay so only going on that first impression

 

[Megabattimus]

Radio commentary suggested he could be in trouble for a sling?

Nobody on Fox mentioned it and it didn't get mentioned in the AFL website match report.

 

[Darealrath]

He buried him to the ground but I don't think there was the second sling motion they usually look for.

Been brilliant as captain.

 

[ant555]

Nobody on Fox mentioned it and it didn't get mentioned in the AFL website match report.

Nothing mentioned in any media this morning so far.

 

[Kyptastic]

This is the incident

 

[Old Campaigner]

If he was one of the AFL's protected species he'd be fine but since he wears an Essendon jumper that's probably straight to the tribunal and a couple of months on the sidelines

 

[citizen-erased]

This is the incident

Christian rubbing his hands together
Dons player
Pies up next

 

[citizen-erased]

This is the incident

In seriousness though, arms arent pinned, no swing, no concussion
Shouldn't be cited, that wasnt a dangerous tackle.

 

[Pweter]

No slinging nor double action could be key.

 

[I Remember Bluey]

If he was one of the AFL's protected species he'd be fine but since he wears an Essendon jumper that's probably straight to the tribunal and a couple of months on the sidelines

Don't worry I've got the best lawyers in the business, "Tell a fib - tell a lie - and tell a whopper inc " on 24hr standby if required.

 

[Pleasedonot]

Remember when he got a week for literally patting Silvagni's belly? This is liable to get him 6

 

[Ambrosia]

The Day one looked like he swung him a bit harder but jeez if he got two hard to say Merrett doesn’t get one

 

[quotemokc]

This is the incident

Nothing in that.

All Merrett is doing is pulling a bigger player down from underneath.

 

[craffles]

The Day one looked like he swung him a bit harder but jeez if he got two hard to say Merrett doesn’t get one

I don’t think Day deserved anything nor does this but it’s hard to see him not copping a week based on the precedent that is now set

 

[Yoda_]

Herald Sun running with wanting Zac suspended

Essendon is in danger of losing its best player Zach Merrett for next week’s Anzac Day blockbuster against Collingwood after a dangerous tackle on Saturday.
Merrett tilted Tom Sparrow

32

Tom Sparrow

Age

24

Ht

183cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.0

4star

K

6.0

2star

HB

9.0

5star

M

1.0

1star

T

2.0

4star

CL

3.0

4star

D

15.0

4star

K

6.0

2star

HB

9.0

4star

M

1.0

1star

T

2.0

3star

CL

3.0

4star

D

15.0

4star

K

6.0

3star

HB

9.0

5star

M

1.0

1star

T

2.0

4star

CL

3.0

5star

head-first into the ground in a dangerous tackle and could pay a huge price with the Bombers’ captain in-line to be suspended for one week.

Merrett’s tackle is similar in style to the dangerous tackles which saw Geelong’s Gary Rohan suspended for one match and Hawk Will Day banned for two matches on Easter Monday.

To be consistent, the match review officer Michael Christian must grade the tackle as careless conduct, high contact and medium impact.

Zach Merrett is in danger of missing ANZAC Day. Picture: Michael Klein
If Sparrow has suffered delayed concussion symptoms on Monday, the impact could be upgraded to high which would be a two-match suspension.

Essendon would almost certainly challenge the suspension at the tribunal after Tom Lynch and Harry McKay

10

Harry Mckay

Age

27

Ht

200cm

Wt

106kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.9

3star

K

7.5

3star

HB

2.4

2star

M

5.5

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

1.4

5star

D

6.6

1star

K

4.6

2star

HB

2.0

1star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.4

2star

G

1.4

5star

D

8.8

3star

K

6.8

3star

HB

2.0

2star

M

4.4

4star

T

0.8

3star

G

2.0

5star

were let of for a bump and a strike earlier in the week.

Merrett’s absence would be a massive blow to the Bombers ahead of their biggest game of the season so far at a sold-out MCG next Tuesday.

Essendon captain Merrett has made a sensational start to the season and was enormous again leading Essendon to a huge upset win over premiership favourite Melbourne on Saturday.