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

 

[I Remember Bluey]

Zach is a guest on O T Couch tonight

 

[rumply]

 

[citizen-erased]

Love him as captain.

That was a good segment.
Impatience and patience at the same time

 

[Lore]

Watched the segment, it’s a good one.

That clip that’s been posted, Garry is describing what Bucks was like as a leader and asking Zach if he’s similar (I think the first sentence is cut off).

Watching it a couple of times it’s interesting how when he’s asked what he changed about his leadership to get back in the leadership group, Zach points to a big change in the playing group with 25-30 guys being changed over since he missed the leadership group. It’s implicit but it’s sort of saying that the group we have now wants to be pushed and want a leader that demands performance and wants to win, whereas the previous playing group valued more care and connection and didn’t vote for him on that? Which probably goes back to Worsfold and reintegrating players from the saga etc.

So it’s not so much that his leadership style changed, it’s that the new coach and new playing group value his style a bit more.

Also an interesting comment about backing him in to lead on field and not trying to influence off-field so much. Which I guess is a product of a coach who has sufficient influence that he can manage it and it’s not leaking through to the players who then feel like they need to speak out and push for change?

Also talks about stability at the club, Scott has “seen everything in football” and knows how to handle not just players but also the staff. Commands respect when he walks into a room. The best thing about that part of the interview is the clips of Scott emoting in the Essendon coaches box he’s starting to really care y’all!

Talks about the tackle, the learning being “if the head hits the ground you are responsible, even though the guidelines haven’t changed the way it is being judged has changed”.

 

[frodos gardener]

He's subtly a stubborn bastard - if he's anything like Bucks then that will have its pros and cons, and is unlikely to shift much over time. I didn't like his comments at the review ("anyone can grab data") when he was clearly wrong about the team's fitness levels, and the proof of his leadership development will be how he plays if and when we're ready to hit finals.

Having said that, he has been great so far this year - very consistent on field and has not sooked when things are going against us. That's very encouraging. He's doing a really good job as captain to this point in time. Big upgrade for us.

 

[Lore]

He's subtly a stubborn bastard - if he's anything like Bucks then that will have its pros and cons, and is unlikely to shift much over time. I didn't like his comments at the review ("anyone can grab data") when he was clearly wrong about the team's fitness levels, and the proof of his leadership development will be how he plays if and when we're ready to hit finals.

Having said that, he has been great so far this year - very consistent on field and has not sooked when things are going against us. That's very encouraging. He's doing a really good job as captain to this point in time. Big upgrade for us.

I think the thing about him is that while his personality won’t change, his beliefs do.

He’s a sponge and will seek out whoever is best qualified to give him advice and teach him whatever he wants to know more about. I’m sure there’s been articles in the past about him acquiring contact info for Selwood and Ablett and picking their brains about stuff.

And he’s never satisfied, never good enough, always looking to learn more.


Reminds me of another bit of that segment actually; he mentioned that with a lot of talented youth there is this easy pattern to fall into of wanting to play them because they’ll naturally make the team better. But what Scott has done is look at some of the more senior players and tried to maximise them as well; “turning talent into capability into performance”. Merrett gave examples of Shiel, McGrath, Laverde, Langford. (Can see it also with 2MP, Setterfield, Weideman.)

He also said something about system over personnel, “Merrett, Stringer, Parish” - it really brought it home when he missed Anzac Day and it was like “oh well” next man comes in.

That’s actual development at work. Not just throw everyone in the deep end and see if they learn dog paddle by osmosis, then put the best dog paddlers in the relay team.

Instead actually going okay you older blokes know how to dog paddle a bit, but you have to keep improving too. So here is how you swim faster and how you work together in a team relay to make a quick change over so we all win.

And sometimes that means Stringer takes the first leg of the relay to get us a head start, Martin retains the lead in the second, then McGrath protects in the third and Shiel brings it home in the last, instead of everyone fighting over the first spot. Another day it’s Parish Merrett Setterfield Stringer.

 

[I Remember Bluey]

Did really enjoy him saying he took feedback on board but in some respects, he doubled down on certain elements. He wasn’t going to cave in completely.

 

[I Remember Bluey]

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

suspended for getting "my boy" suspended, that will learn ya

MELBOURNE midfielder 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

has been banned for the Demons' clash with Port Adelaide over a dangerous tackle.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Tracking toward being an all time Essendon great. Massive.

 

[Schnitzengruben]

Next level performance.

 

[Vander18]

Two things:

1) Some of his kicking is ridiculous. The ones where he pulls it last moment and drags it across his body to some bloke out wide nobody else can see….almost nobody can do that.

2) I was sceptical of his his appointment to the captaincy. I am very close to saying I was wrong.

 

[Jobe Watson]

I think that might be his best ever game. Absolutely immense.

 

[DERO]

Imagine how much we’d get if we traded him now!

 

[naraku]

I've re-watched that kick he delivered to Jake who then unloaded from 50M.
While it was Jake's goal that gave us momentum, Zach looked like he had all the time in the world with the kick.

A man in form and looking to be in career form actually.

 

[Petrify]

I've re-watched that kick he delivered to Jake who then unloaded from 50M.
While it was Jake's goal that gave us momentum, Zach looked like he had all the time in the world with the kick.

A man in form and looking to be in career form actually.

Rewatch it and observe how ****ing insane the handball that Draper gave was to Zerrett in that play. That entire play was globe trotters stuff

 

[Happyskeret]

I don’t want to give myself an Obama medal but if you check earlier threads after Brad got appointed I thought it was Zachs time to be the captain and I also thought Andy didn’t have enough runs on the board and Heppell was well intentioned but passed his prime and a little bit to good cop.
A lot of my endorsement was not just because I thought Zach was superior but I believed he would have a good dynamic with Brad because they are both competitive and truthful.
Respect to Brad thought that he didn’t want to be the source of upheaval and gave Dyson the Grace of choosing his own destiny. Dyson himself incredibly humble in the handover of the captaincy.
I heard Brad say too the reason he kept selecting Dyson was because of endorsements from both Merritt and McGrath as they stated he has a calming influence across the whole team.
Heppell payed that back in spades tonight. McGrath looks AA Merritt looks a better version of himself. Heppell steadied the ship many times tonight. A club that was bereft of leaders last year suddenly has a sense of direction and purpose.
You can hear now too Brad has extra respect for Zach now.

 

[Happyskeret]

Two things:

1) Some of his kicking is ridiculous. The ones where he pulls it last moment and drags it across his body to some bloke out wide nobody else can see….almost nobody can do that.

2) I was sceptical of his his appointment to the captaincy. I am very close to saying I was wrong.

The first point you make is spot on this ability puts him in the top 20 of the comp for about 6 consecutive years now. I’ve always wondered why he can’t convert it to goal kicking but I’ve always thought too that Buddy Franklins field kicking is far superior to his goal kicking so field kicking and goal kicking are two different things. Ones in motion and if on a set shot the other is static. When I think of Zach he is always fluid in motion never static.

 

[eth-dog]

Just. Love him. So much.

 

[MiguelM]

His defence was outstanding. He is now a complete player under Scott.

To think we nearly lost him when he was dropped out of the leadership group for Daniher & Fantasia is criminal.

 

[The Devils Advocate]

Some of his kicking is ridiculous. The ones where he pulls it last moment and drags it across his body to some bloke out wide nobody else can see….almost nobody can do that.

I too have always been fascinated by this.
I point it out all the time, it never seems to get any air time. It's like his trade mark. I think it's from his cricketing background. It's like he sees a gap in the fielding once the play unfolds, so he changes his shot to hit it to the space.

 

[Lore]

I too have always been fascinated by this.
I point it out all the time, it never seems to get any air time. It's like his trade mark. I think it's from his cricketing background. It's like he sees a gap in the fielding once the play unfolds, so he changes his shot to hit it to the space.

That’s probably exactly where it comes from. Nice observation, hadn’t thought of it like that.

So if a basketball background makes you a better player in close and by hand, being a batsman gives you better awareness of the whole field (still need the footskills to capitalise on it).

 

[The Devils Advocate]

That’s probably exactly where it comes from. Nice observation, hadn’t thought of it like that.

So if a basketball background makes you a better player in close and by hand, being a batsman gives you better awareness of the whole field (still need the footskills to capitalise on it).

You're giving me more ideas on helping to raise my sons to be the first Brownlow and Norm Smith medallists for Tassie.

 

[Zach Package]

I too have always been fascinated by this.
I point it out all the time, it never seems to get any air time. It's like his trade mark. I think it's from his cricketing background. It's like he sees a gap in the fielding once the play unfolds, so he changes his shot to hit it to the space.

Massages the footy, Zach and Walla are the two best kicks of the footy I’ve seen in my time watching Essendon.

With AMT it comes from playing games of footy on basketball courts with hoops instead of goals but they just drop the thing on a dime with unbelievable regularity.

 

[TheUnicorn]

That’s probably exactly where it comes from. Nice observation, hadn’t thought of it like that.

So if a basketball background makes you a better player in close and by hand, being a batsman gives you better awareness of the whole field (still need the footskills to capitalise on it).

Next off season our team plays cricket and basketball instead!

 

[I Remember Bluey]

Just. Love him. So much.

Not as much as me