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

 

[jannissary]

as deserving as zach is for a brownlow, i reckon that caleb serong

3

Caleb Serong

Age

23

Ht

180cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.0

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

6.0

4star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.6

5star

CL

2.6

4star

D

13.0

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

6.0

3star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.6

4star

CL

2.6

4star

D

13.0

4star

K

7.0

3star

HB

6.0

4star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.6

5star

CL

2.6

5star

is nearly leading the polls with heeny close in areers. heeny will have votes taken off him but gulden, though

 

[bombreys]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/champion-data-brownlow-tracker-max-gawn-surges-into-contention-see-the-top-20/news-story/2bdf38c07bdec076e5b68e8cdcf0db33

CHAMPION DATA’S BROWNLOW MEDAL PREDICTOR​

1. Isaac Heeney (Syd) 9.6 votes ($4 TAB odds)
2. Patrick Cripps (Carl) 9.2 ($8)
3. Zach Merrett (Ess) 8.8 ($8)
4. Max Gawn (Melb) 8.7 ($34)
5. Caleb Serong (Frem) 8.4 ($11)
6. Nick Daicos (Coll) 8.1 ($11)
7. Errol Gulden (Syd) 7.9 ($21)
8. Marcus Bontempelli (WB) 7.8 ($13)
9. Chad Warner (Syd) 7.2 ($41)
10. Josh Kelly (GWS) 6.6 ($151)
11. Matt Rowell (GC) 6.5 ($21)
12. Jack Steele (St K) 6.5 ($51)
13. Tom Green (GWS) 6.4 ($11)
14. Noah Anderson (GC) 6.4 ($26)
15. Christian Petracca (Melb) 6.4 ($21)
16. Connor Rozee (PA) 6.1 ($26)
17. Nic Martin (Ess) 6.1 ($151)
18. Andrew Brayshaw (Frem) 5.9 ($67)
19. Jason Horne-Francis (PA) 5.9 ($81)
20. Lachie Neale (BL) 5.8 ($34)

3 Swannies top 10! Hopefully they cost each other and Merrett can swoop on in.

 

[rumply]

 

[faible]

Reckon the Liberty Player of the Month award sits in pride of place next to the BigFooty Player of the Year award?

 

[Maddogm]

Had a (relatively) quiet game, still broke the game open

 

[bommer16]

24 possessions tonight.

 

[Highly Evolved]

I think Zach Merrett is pretty good at footy.

 

[naraku]

Amazing to think he "only" 24 touches and seemed quite but really lifted us and is leading the boys magnificently.

 

[jannissary]

best player in the comp

 

[andleanback]

The 4 efforts when there was a minute to go should be the first clip shown in review. He’s a different man with the captaincy.

 

[Call Me Cake]

Wow.

 

[VelvetSledge]

 

[MiguelM]

It is incredulous that he was dumped from the leadership group for Daniher/Fantasia so the club could retain them. He almost walked away from the club.

Now he is our most valuable. More actions than words and others are following.

The arrival of Scott has seen him go to another level.

 

[outersanctum]

Amazing to think he "only" 24 touches and seemed quite but really lifted us and is leading the boys magnificently.

This. When a guy has 24 touches, 6 of them of such high quality they directly lead to scores.. adds another 6 sterling tackles and a huge pressure %.. and stood up when the game was on the line... and you think "eh, it was just a normal Merrett kind of game"

That is the measure of a champion. Their ordinary is top shelf.

Captaincy suits him, Scott suits him, higher team standards suits him. There was a fluff piece about the team now resembling Merrett and I think it holds some truth. Great teams always seem to reflect their leaders. Right now I reckon this team would run through walls if Scott/Merrett asked them too.

As to the weird decision to demote him in favour of Daniher and Fanta. This is why we don't discuss the woosha era. Seriously bad talent identification and management. Was strange at the time and hasn't improved in hindsight.

 

[yodellinhank]

Probably the AA Captain?

 

[gillon]

He’s probably my favourite Bomber of all time and is the heart and soul of this club but geez he is not a good kick at goal.

 

[bommer16]

He might be a tad off with this virus.

 

[I Remember Bluey]

I'm amazed how well Zach polls in the Brownlow, considering he get no love from the umpirates during games.
He get pushed, scragged, held, ect, ect but very rarely gets a free.

 

[bommer16]

Should have been 50m penalty for ball knocked out of hands imo.

 

[bombreys]

I'm amazed how well Zach polls in the Brownlow, considering he get no love from the umpirates during games.
He get pushed, scragged, held, ect, ect but very rarely gets a free.

Rowell and Anderson get the 3 & 2 but any chance Zachy could sneak in for 1?

 

[faible]

Rowell and Anderson get the 3 & 2 but any chance Zachy could sneak in for 1?

Long & King both with 4 goals a chance to snag that 1 too.

 

[I Remember Bluey]

Rowell and Anderson get the 3 & 2 but any chance Zachy could sneak in for 1?

If I had my way yes -yes he would

 

[bommer16]

Luke Hodge rates his top 5 captains on SEN with our Zachery his number one in the comp right now. A snippet is below. Full article available on SEN.

Luke Hodge’s top 5 captains:
1. Zach Merrett (Ess)
2. Patrick Cripps

9

Patrick Cripps

Age

29

Ht

195cm

Wt

93kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

25.9

5star

K

9.8

4star

HB

16.1

5star

M

3.4

3star

T

5.8

5star

CL

7.4

5star

D

21.0

5star

K

10.1

4star

HB

10.9

5star

M

2.5

3star

T

3.8

4star

CL

6.3

5star

D

12.6

4star

K

4.8

2star

HB

7.8

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.2

5star

CL

1.4

4star

(Carl)
3. Marcus Bontempelli

4

Marcus Bontempelli

Age

28

Ht

194cm

Wt

96kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.5

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

10.3

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

4.8

5star

CL

4.4

5star

D

18.4

4star

K

9.7

4star

HB

8.8

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

4.1

5star

CL

4.0

5star

D

12.0

3star

K

5.8

3star

HB

6.2

4star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.8

5star

CL

1.8

4star

(WB)
4. Max Gawn

11

Max Gawn

Age

32

Ht

209cm

Wt

110kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.1

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

6.7

4star

CL

2.8

4star

HO

35.3

5star

D

18.5

4star

K

11.5

4star

HB

7.0

4star

CL

3.5

4star

HO

29.2

5star

D

8.4

3star

K

3.6

2star

HB

4.8

4star

CL

1.0

3star

HO

15.6

5star

(Mel)
5. Alex Pearce

25

Alex Pearce

Age

29

Ht

201cm

Wt

98kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.6

3star

K

5.2

2star

HB

5.4

4star

M

3.4

3star

T

1.8

4star

MG

106.3

2star

No current season stats available

D

11.0

3star

K

5.0

2star

HB

6.0

4star

M

4.4

4star

T

0.8

3star

MG

103.2

2star

(Fre)

1 - Zach Merrett (Essendon)​

“This may change (by season’s end), but I’ve got Merrett at one.

“I’m sitting there going, ‘How have Essendon jumped to where they are?’. First of all you need two-way runners. In the past he wasn’t a big two-way runner.

“This year he is running as hard defensively as he is offensively. He’s chasing, he’s tackling, he’s finding the ball, he’s averaging 27 disposals, he’s had 59 tackles, he’s kicked goals. So he’s doing everything there.

“Then I look at why is he above Bont and Cripps? I look at Cripps and who he has got around him. He has got Sam Walsh

18

Sam Walsh

Age

24

Ht

184cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

25.1

5star

K

13.5

5star

HB

11.6

5star

M

5.1

5star

T

3.2

5star

CL

3.4

5star

No current season stats available

D

26.2

5star

K

15.4

5star

HB

10.8

5star

M

6.0

5star

T

3.2

5star

CL

4.8

5star

, Charlie Curnow

30

Charlie Curnow

Age

27

Ht

194cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.3

3star

K

9.7

4star

HB

3.6

3star

M

5.3

5star

T

2.2

4star

G

1.3

5star

No current season stats available

D

10.8

3star

K

6.4

3star

HB

4.4

4star

M

3.2

4star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.8

4star

, Harry McKay

10

Harry Mckay

Age

26

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

, he’s got other stars to help.

“Bont has got Adam Treloar

1

Adam Treloar

Age

31

Ht

185cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

28.2

5star

K

12.9

5star

HB

15.3

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

4.9

5star

CL

4.6

5star

D

30.3

5star

K

16.3

5star

HB

14.0

5star

M

2.0

2star

T

3.3

4star

CL

5.8

5star

D

18.0

5star

K

11.2

4star

HB

6.8

5star

M

4.2

4star

T

2.6

4star

CL

1.6

4star

, Aaron Naughton

33

Aaron Naughton

Age

24

Ht

196cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.7

3star

K

7.0

3star

HB

3.7

3star

M

4.9

5star

T

1.8

4star

G

0.8

4star

D

6.3

1star

K

4.0

1star

HB

2.3

2star

M

2.5

3star

T

0.8

1star

G

0.5

4star

D

12.8

4star

K

8.8

4star

HB

4.0

3star

M

4.8

5star

T

1.2

3star

G

0.0

1star

, Tom Liberatore in there (when he’s fit), he’s got a lot of other blokes that can turn the table for their sides.

“I look at Merrett who has a lot of role players in and around him, good team players. I think a lot of it has come down to them following their skipper. They’re following Merrett who is willing to do anything for other people, change his game, and they’re following suit.

“I don’t feel like their top end is as talented as other teams around them, but you can’t knock the bloke and his leadership this year.”

- Luke Hodge, SEN

 

[joey_jo_jo]

It's nice he is getting the acknowledgement, but im sick off the narrative that he's only hecome a defensively minded mid the last 2 years. It's more the team as a whole is supporting him and have embraced him and the younger guys are following his example.

 

[faible]

It's nice he is getting the acknowledgement, but im sick off the narrative that he's only hecome a defensively minded mid the last 2 years. It's more the team as a whole is supporting him and have embraced him and the younger guys are following his example.

He's always been a good tackler, and not the worst defensive player, but I do think he's really made defensive running a focus in a way he hasn't in the past.