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

 

[Call Me Cake]

Sounds of a man who wants to win a flag.

 

[fairbump_playon]

I don’t think his strategy of taking Shiels away from the contest was a good one. We struggled to win clearances during that period. I would have given Merrett a good chance of influencing even with Shiels hanging off him.

 

[quotemokc]

I don’t think his strategy of taking Shiels away from the contest was a good one. We struggled to win clearances during that period. I would have given Merrett a good chance of influencing even with Shiels hanging off him.

Doubt it was his strategy.

 

[DERO]

Amazing what a few wins and a couple of sound bites will do for how your captaincy is perceived.

 

[Call Me Cake]

few wins lol

How about the players also pulling their finger out and taking their paychecks seriously

No more she'll be right m8's... and thank eff for that

 

[The Devils Advocate]

I can't remember who said it, but Zac as a captain is a follow me player. I loved Hep as a guy but can't remember to many games where he was a clear cut above the rest best player on the ground like Zac has been this year.

I think as a captain you need to be 70% "follow me" and 30% "listen to me". But obviously it depends on the individual.
Heppell has always felt like an assistant coach, who is consistently a good player, but was never elite.
Merrett is elite, is that 70/30 balance, he's unselfish, and he seems to bob up when it matters.

 

[The Devils Advocate]

few wins lol

How about the players also pulling their finger out and taking their paychecks seriously

No more she'll be right m8's... and thank eff for that

And copping criticism on the chin, instead of whining about it.
That whole thing with Heppell calling out fans who upset about players smiling and laughing after heavy losses was something else.

 

[ant555]

I don’t think his strategy of taking Shiels away from the contest was a good one. We struggled to win clearances during that period. I would have given Merrett a good chance of influencing even with Shiels hanging off him.

The theory is you give your teammates the chance to stamp the game . I do not mind it . You find out who can stand up.

 

[ant555]

I can't remember who said it, but Zac as a captain is a follow me player. I loved Hep as a guy but can't remember to many games where he was a clear cut above the rest best player on the ground like Zac has been this year.

You are right as far as Hep never really taking the side on his back as the gun player but there was a period when he was playing inside midfield that he was playing follow me footy by sacrificing his natural game and just playing hard footy.

 

[The Devils Advocate]

The theory is you give your teammates the chance to stamp the game . I do not mind it . You find out who can stand up.

Not to mention backing our rebounding game, which is the highest in the AFL for scoring from rebound 50s.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

The theory is you give your teammates the chance to stamp the game . I do not mind it . You find out who can stand up.

Do you think thats why they havent been throwing shiel and stringer in the middle as much too (even before shiels injury)? Are they giving guys like caldwell, hobbs and to a lesser degree perkins/martin a chance to show what they are capable of?
It does sort of feel like, even though we have a really good chance of making the 8, Scott and team are staying the development course.

Side note, whilst hobbs was great in dreamtime game I think the last 2 weeks have shown why the coaches were happy for him to build form in the 2s at start of year despite all of us wanting him in seniors. Not a knock on him as he is only in his 2nd season.

 

[frodos gardener]

For me the biggest growth hasn’t been his form and leadership alone, but that he copped a hard tag after quarter time and didn’t sook it up. Is that a changed man right there? It gives me confidence he will keep his head up and grind it out in really tough games against strong sides when things are on the line.

 

[Lore]

Do you think thats why they havent been throwing shiel and stringer in the middle as much too (even before shiels injury)? Are they giving guys like caldwell, hobbs and to a lesser degree perkins/martin a chance to show what they are capable of?
It does sort of feel like, even though we have a really good chance of making the 8, Scott and team are staying the development course.

Side note, whilst hobbs was great in dreamtime game I think the last 2 weeks have shown why the coaches were happy for him to build form in the 2s at start of year despite all of us wanting him in seniors. Not a knock on him as he is only in his 2nd season.

Absolutely agree. They keep saying this year is the year to learn about our list and that appears to be exactly what they're doing.

 

[Lore]

For me the biggest growth hasn’t been his form and leadership alone, but that he copped a hard tag after quarter time and didn’t sook it up. Is that a changed man right there? It gives me confidence he will keep his head up and grind it out in really tough games against strong sides when things are on the line.

It's someone who feels the weight of leadership, I think.

In trying to be a role model he has to not be a sook or those around him will look at that as acceptable behaviour in that circumstance.

As a leader he also has other responsibilities beyond maximising his own game, so if he can't maximise his own game, he will maximise the opportunities for those around him... Or to put it in a more self-centred way, he will focus on his leadership instead of his game.


I would also suggest taking Shiels off the ball was a suggestion from the coaches, or his own suggestion agreed to by the coaches, at quarter time. Zach's a good player but he's not untaggable (that's why they do it). So he works within his limitations.

 

[Yoda_]

Won't get the kudos he deserves for it amongst 2MP kicking 5 and Nic Martin being clear cut BOG but his selflessness tonight was genuinely impressive as much as those aforementioned efforts from others.

Reaped rewards with a goal himself and a couple of goal assists himself.

Impressive leadership from Zac

 

[Petrify]

Think he's gonna get suspended for a week again after a tackle near the end of the game... ffs.

 

[citizen-erased]

Think he's gonna get suspended for a week again after a tackle near the end of the game... ffs.

Surprised chrisso hasnt updated the afl website already

 

[BuffDog]

Think he's gonna get suspended for a week again after a tackle near the end of the game... ffs.

Was that the run down on Cincotta(?) with about a minute to go? If so didn’t look that bad

 

[Petrify]

Was that the run down on Cincotta(?) with about a minute to go? If so didn’t look that bad

Yep, the angle I saw looked bad. Cincotta was not concussed at least

 

[andleanback]

Looks like he’ll get suspended again. He needs change his tackling technique, he has so many tackles everywhere that are on the edge of a potential suspension

 

[ghostdog]

Think he's gonna get suspended for a week again after a tackle near the end of the game... ffs.

WTF?

 

[Vindicater]

Think he's gonna get suspended for a week again after a tackle near the end of the game... ffs.

Carbon copy of the Butler tackle but without the concussion...

 

[DERO]

Has he been cited yet?

 

[carnthedons]

Carbon copy of the Butler tackle but without the concussion...

Blakey passed that test though and was subbed out with a toe injury.

 

[Stopher]

I'm just curious what the league believes is a realistic alternative there?