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

 

[Kong]

Really like this pick.

As others have said, you can't have too many skilled, smart decision makers.

I think we've got a couple of very useful flankers in the Merrett brothers; I could see them turning out similarly to Caracella and Blumfield.

 

[VelvetSledge]

Really like this pick.

As others have said, you can't have too many skilled, smart decision makers.

I think we've got a couple of very useful flankers in the Merrett brothers; I could see them turning out similarly to Caracella and Blumfield.

 

[Runk]

Kid will lead one day. One day.

 

[BrunoV]

Actually, that's a good point.

When and what was the last brother pairing at Essendon? When Chris and Anthony Daniher were both still playing?

Anyone who says "what about Jason and Mark Johnson" leaves themselves open to a permaban. The number of people who still refer to them as the 'Johnson brothers' is alarming.

Irony is that the Johnson boys looked more like brothers than the Merretts.

 

[carnthedons]

Irony is that the Johnson boys looked more like brothers than the Merretts.

I believe we did have Mark Johnson's brother as a rookie before we sent him to geelong

 

[The Bomb]

HERE for more

National Championships Stats

• Round 1 – 24 disposals, 6 marks, 9 inside 50′s and 3 goals
• Round 3 – 19 disposals, 4 clearances and 4 inside 50’s
• Round 4 – 10 disposals and 2 marks
• Round 5 – 18 disposals, 5 marks and 3 inside 50′s
• Averaged 18 disposals, 5 marks, 3 clearances, 4 tackles, 2 score assits, 4 inside 50′s and just under 1 goal per game in the National Championships
• Currently averaging 25 disposals, 5 marks, 4 clearances, 6 tackles, 2 score assists and 6 inside 50′s per game in the TAC Cup.

HERE for more
During November and December, Merrett trained three nights a week with Sandringham.
Since January, he has trained with the club two nights a week.
The coming year won’t be easy for the talented 17-year-old, who has already had to balance football training with cricket commitments, playing on the Melbourne Grammar’s first XI team.
“It’s been pretty tough, (but) both coaches have been pretty understanding and helped me work with that,” Merrett said.

 

[Rack Watts]

I swear, we need to play some cricket games against other sides!
Winderlich, Stanton, eKav, Carlisle and The Merrret Brothers were all big cricket prospects.

 

[Rack Watts]

http://www.essendonfc.com.au/video/2013-11-21/btv-adrian-dodoro-post-draft

That Dodoro pun.

 

[Tommy08]

I just saw his highlights package. Has an absolute cannon of a left foot

 

[JD11]

glad he pins the arm in that tackle in his highlights, it's annoying when players don't do that.

 

[Loonerty]

I swear, we need to play some cricket games against other sides!
Winderlich, Stanton, eKav, Carlisle and The Merrret Brothers were all big cricket prospects.

And Nobby.

 

[Shane Mead]

Passing on Taylor is going to bite us. He had the potential to be elite. A higher ceiling than Merrett.

With that being said we need a dangerous small forward and Merrett has all of those attributes. Footy brain, dangerous by foot...LEFTY! I am higher on Zach compared to Jackson. He could compliment Chapman and Kommer well.

 

[Rack Watts]

Passing on Taylor is going to bite us. He had the potential to be elite. A higher ceiling than Merrett.

Instead of getting the best out of one player, we might just get the best out of two with this pick.

 

[Ess_don]

Actually, that's a good point.

When and what was the last brother pairing at Essendon? When Chris and Anthony Daniher were both still playing?

Anyone who says "what about Jason and Mark Johnson" leaves themselves open to a permaban. The number of people who still refer to them as the 'Johnson brothers' is alarming.

What about the Slattery brothers Henry and Tyson? #jets

 

[windyhill]

Go Zacka, his family would be rapt, very happy for them.

 

[Kong]

http://www.news.com.au/national/afl...hamp/story-e6frfkp9-1226204098386#mm-breached

Might be worth posting that again.

 

[monty1104]

Actually, that's a good point.

When and what was the last brother pairing at Essendon? When Chris and Anthony Daniher were both still playing?

Anyone who says "what about Jason and Mark Johnson" leaves themselves open to a permaban. The number of people who still refer to them as the 'Johnson brothers' is alarming.

The Johnson Bros. Mark and David.

Come at me bro.

 

[Burzum]

Is he a better prospect than Jackson was for his draft year?

 

[Zach Package]

Is he a better prospect than Jackson was for his draft year?

yep, not by a lot though, Zach has that kick which is a genuine weapon which jacko didn't

It's difficult to pin down a comparison on Zach, but i'm gonna go with Sam Mitchell, but it's your 2013 vintage Mitchell who mostly floats around and burns sides with his foot skill and decision making on both sides of his body.

A very handy cricketer as well, which means (by his own admission) that he hasn't really done a substantial pre-season, which leads me to think there's still a fair bit of upside there.

7 tac games, 6 times in the best, playing in a midfield that includes Kelly (no. 2), Salem (9) and Freeman (10) as well as a couple of handy overagers including Langdon who went to the pies at 60 something.

he is more than handy, has tons of ability

 

[CourtzMajora]

A very handy cricketer as well, which means (by his own admission) that he hasn't really done a substantial pre-season, which leads me to think there's still a fair bit of upside there.

This. Wait till he gets a couple of full preseasons into him. Exciting.

 

[Doss]

The Johnson Bros. Mark and David.

Come at me bro.

Ah yes, quite correct. David was at Essendon in 2000 and 2001 while Mark also was.

David never played a game for us, which is probably why I forgot about him.

 

[monty1104]

Ah yes, quite correct. David was at Essendon in 2000 and 2001 while Mark also was.

David never played a game for us, which is probably why I forgot about him.

I thought he did. Maybe I just remember watching him in a rezzies game.

 

[Shane Mead]

Instead of getting the best out of one player, we might just get the best out of two with this pick.

That doesn't make sense. If we took Merrett or someone else we would still have 2 players. We got 2 for 1 with pick 48 via trade but not with this draft pick.

 

[Andronicus]

That doesn't make sense. If we took Merrett or someone else we would still have 2 players. We got 2 for 1 with pick 48 via trade but not with this draft pick.

I think he meant that the brothers playing together may just get a little more out of each of them than 2 unrelated players.

 

[longdaveyjetta]

Kickett? If so, he isn't the brother of Derek. I think their dads are cousins or one is the uncle of the other. Pretty sure he is the first cousin of Buddy though.

Derek and Dale are cousins, so nope,

I remember seeing the following brothers at the club in my time, not all played senior footy though,

Watson..

Besanko

Daniher

Madden

Mark Fraser and his bro who never played 1's.

Mark Johnson and his bro who never played 1's.

Joe and Darcy we're a year away from being on the list together due to Darcy's injuries..

Looking forward to seeing the Fletchers, Hirds, and Davey boys...