AFL Player # 7: Indefatigable Zach Merrett (c) - Baby on the way!

[Beerfish]

Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent 2027
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 10, I Remember Bluey

 

[cAsEy_18]

i don’t want to shoot bambi here or anything but given our shit form and lack of response to shit teams really turning it on of late, is he really that great a captain?

a great player yeah, but does he really inspire his team mates to not be shit?

Can’t carry a midfield while getting tagged with zero assistance and try and motivate 22 other guys to actually try and care.

He’s an incredible captain. If anyone has a different perspective, then they have unrealistic expectations.

 

[mcgrath_truther]

i don’t want to shoot bambi here or anything but given our shit form and lack of response to shit teams really turning it on of late, is he really that great a captain?

a great player yeah, but does he really inspire his team mates to not be shit?

can you inspire a group who's probably uninspirable?

 

[Mercurial89]

i don’t want to shoot bambi here or anything but given our shit form and lack of response to shit teams really turning it on of late, is he really that great a captain?

a great player yeah, but does he really inspire his team mates to not be shit?

I liken it more to if you take a person who has no arms, no legs and throw them into the ocean and expect them to swim.
You can have Zac paddle next to them and show them how as much as you want, the only way they are surviving is if he puts them on his back and carries them.

It's no use asking players that cannot be any good to be good.
We know what they are. It's just cruel at this point.

 

[jmoo wan]

Can’t carry a midfield while getting tagged with zero assistance and try and motivate 22 other guys to actually try and care.

He’s an incredible captain. If anyone has a different perspective, then they have unrealistic expectations.

how is he though?

 

[cAsEy_18]

how is he though?

I’ll answer your question with another question - what is he not doing that you would like/expect him to do?

Because I’m not sure what else he can do at this point.

 

[Vander18]

Who really knows but from a million miles away my instinct is that he’s not the issue. It’s the others.

My sense is that our playing group is still far too comfortable with itself and only a few have a real burning desire to compete and win.

 

[jmoo wan]

I’ll answer your question with another question - what is he not doing that you would like/expect him to do?

Because I’m not sure what else he can do at this point.

i’m not sure, maybe throw over a bowl of pretzels at half time?

everyone is hacking on Brad Scott, and rightly so but Merrett is spoken about as a brilliant leader but aside from playing well, what does he actually do to lead the team when we are 7 goals down against a team 14th on the ladder?

 

[ant555]

Who really knows but from a million miles away my instinct is that he’s not the issue. It’s the others.

My sense is that our playing group is still far too comfortable with itself and only a few have a real burning desire to compete and win.

The question could be how many do we have that are comfortable being AFL players and how many do we have that are players that can win you finals . The answer would be pretty thin as far as part two goes.

 

[cAsEy_18]

i’m not sure, maybe throw over a bowl of pretzels at half time?

everyone is hacking on Brad Scott, and rightly so but Merrett is spoken about as a brilliant leader but aside from playing well, what does he actually do to lead the team when we are 7 goals down against a team 14th on the ladder?

Okay, again different question - who is a better captain than Merrett in the comp, and what do they do better than him?
Yell at players more? Merrett seems a lot more involved in calling players out than say Heppell ever was.
Individual inspired play? Merrett has clearly been our best player across the year, despite being heavily tagged consistently with the entire team refusing to lay a block.

He can’t “inspire” Ben McKay to not handball it straight to the opposition, or our key defenders refusing to fly for aerial ball after aerial ball. Or Scott refusing to play 1 player who could put on any forward pressure. Or motivate Redman to not kick it directly to the opposition from a kickout.

I appreciate that you’re just throwing it out there and asking the question. But I just firmly disagree - there is almost nothing more that you can ask of Merrett as a captain other than what he’s currently doing.

 

[jmoo wan]

Okay, again different question - who is a better captain than Merrett in the comp, and what do they do better than him?
Yell at players more? Merrett seems a lot more involved in calling players out than say Heppell ever was.
Individual inspired play? Merrett has clearly been our best player across the year, despite being heavily tagged consistently with the entire team refusing to lay a block.

He can’t “inspire” Ben McKay to not handball it straight to the opposition, or our key defenders refusing to fly for aerial ball after aerial ball. Or Scott refusing to play 1 player who could put on any forward pressure. Or motivate Redman to not kick it directly to the opposition from a kickout.

I appreciate that you’re just throwing it out there and asking the question. But I just firmly disagree - there is almost nothing more that you can ask of Merrett as a captain other than what he’s currently doing.

okay, i appreciate what you are saying but i’ve got an absolutely 100% related question for you to answer first - why is pluto no longer considered a planet?

 

[ant555]

Dero is not going to like this

 

[Vander18]

The question could be how many do we have that are comfortable being AFL players and how many do we have that are players that can win you finals . The answer would be pretty thin as far as part two goes.

Skipper, Caldwell and Duz…..who else really cracks in when the going gets tough?

 

[brutus76]

Not suprised it wasn't him in the post match interview - could tell he had a gutful ater last week

 

[Donakebab]

i don’t want to shoot bambi here or anything but given our shit form and lack of response to shit teams really turning it on of late, is he really that great a captain?

a great player yeah, but does he really inspire his team mates to not be shit?

An inspired turd is still a turd.

 

[Old Campaigner]

i don’t want to shoot bambi here or anything but given our shit form and lack of response to shit teams really turning it on of late, is he really that great a captain?

a great player yeah, but does he really inspire his team mates to not be shit?

I think the good clubs have the sort of uncompromising leadership Merrett has, the issue is we lack the players who are receptive to that style.

 

[Agronomus]

Skipper, Caldwell and Duz…..who else really cracks in when the going gets tough?

No one

 

[Duckworth]

An inspired turd is still a turd.

I feel sorry for Merrett, having to try and drag this screaming pile of excrement through a season.

 

[DERO]

jmoo wan i think Zach needs to get Archie to move into his place so that they can go for walks.

 

[jmoo wan]

jmoo wan i think Zach needs to get Archie to move into his place so that they can go for walks.

yeah! just so they can talk again. i mean like really talk, like before all this football stuff happened, and go back to how it used to be

 

[MiguelM]

Skipper, Caldwell and Duz…..who else really cracks in when the going gets tough?

Duursma too!

 

[astrowizzle]

No one

Lav always tries

 

[fanuch]

Wouldn’t even blame him if he asked for a trade. Deserves better than this club will ever give him

 

[yodellinhank]

Wouldn’t even blame him if he asked for a trade. Deserves better than this club will ever give him

He did laugh his arse off that time he handballed it to an eagles player, he's not completely blameless.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

He did laugh his arse off that time he handballed it to an eagles player, he's not completely blameless.

Was an ironic laugh and yes he is blameless

 

[Shanghaistu]

I think this guy deserves success more than anyone else on the list - wouldn’t begrudge him seeking a trade to a professional (AFL standard) club that has a chance of reaching and winning finals. It’s no fun being the leader of a bunch of selfish, indulgent passionless spuds