Opinion Men's 2023 Leadership Group - Merrett/McGrath captain/vice

[andleanback]

Actually, it's both. He was only appointed because he got voted onto the short-list.


Essendon undertook a leadership process under new Senior Coach Brad Scott that provided players the opportunity to identify the key values and qualities they want in their leaders. The squad and football staff then voted on candidates who best demonstrated these values before a recommendation was presented by the football department.

You can watch on the little doco north released clubs dont always make their players vote for an actual captain. Rather just players they think of as leaders, then the captain is chosen later.

I’ve also been told that Scott wanted heppell to stay on but he chose to stand down.

 

[Lore]

No leadership group? That’s a very strange decision

They said there’ll be no leadership group this season in the statement.

That’s heaps of pressure on just 2 blokes in their first season in the role.

Both have been leadership group for a couple of years now, so they should have a pretty solid idea of what that looks like, and Merrett doesn't seem shy of asking literally anyone and everyone for advice if he's uncertain about anything.

If you're able to log into the club website with your membership you can watch the video where it's announced to the playing group and Scott talking a bit about why there's not a big leadership group.

He points to some key words on the whiteboard (which are out of frame so idk what they were) and was saying that there'll be a captain and vice captain, but "the responsibility for all these different things falls to a whole range of guys". "There will be others who will emerge throughout the year. Just as important as the official leaders in 2023, is the program that we'll put underneath to really develop our emerging leaders and so the club is set up for the long term and we do have succession for that leadership".

After Merrett does his speech there's a bit more talking and Scott calls it a "shared leadership model", says Merrett and McGrath will play to their strengths and the other guys will play to their own strengths.

Basically throwing down the gauntlet for those guys gunning for an official role to put some effort into developing the requisite traits so that when they get it, they deserve it.

 

[Lore]

bigger question is the lack of viable alternatives.

It's our biggest issue. We lack onfield leadership. Merrett was the obvious choice. Anyone else would have been left-field.
This is not ideal for us across the board.

The hard part about making a role player captain is that you need to be an established role player with job security.

With Essendon’s current list age there aren’t too many role players with runs on the board and Job security.

Who else was a legitimate choice?

Redman has only just established himself at AFL level, McGrath is VC and is changing roles to hopefully see him fulfil his draft position, Draper?

Merrett is the clear and obvious choice because there's simply a lack of choices right now. The hope would be in 2 years we have multiple viable options, my preference would be Hobbs. But Hobbs isn't ready now.

This is the exact issue though isn't it?

There are no leaders in the group - you only need to watch them on the weekend to realise that they've been rudderless for years.

We haven't recruited for it, and even if they would like to pretend they have, they certainly haven't developed it. It's plain to see with the revolving door leadership group they've had for however many years that there wasn't any standout candidates.

What I wouldn't give for a Cripps, Miller, Greene or Sicily type of character to emerge from our group.

On McGrath, people need to get over his draft position. The day after he was drafted that number became irrelevant. He has to live up to his own potential and the expectations on him are the same as every other player on the list. Pick 1 or SSP doesn't matter.

As I said on the trade board;

The problem Essendon has is we lost those picks in 2013/2014, and right before that we had two pretty awful drafts in 2011/2012 that produced Jackson Merrett (50 games & injuries), Mark Baguley (mature age rookie, 134 games, retired), and then Daniher and Gleeson as long-term players, both of whom had pretty bad injury issues (Gleeson retired from injury, while Daniher obviously ran away).

Those draft cohorts represent the 26-30 age bracket, and we don't have anyone older than 31 on our list.

Sum result is that the players who have played more than 50 games at Essendon, who were originally drafted by Essendon, are:

Heppell 30 years old, 213 games
Merrett 27, 184 games
Parish 25, 132 games
McDonald-Tipungwuti 29, 126 games
McGrath 24, 111 games
Langford 26, 107 games
Laverde 26, 91 games
Guelfi 25, 83 games
Redman 25, 80 games
Ridley 24, 68 games

Only a couple of those are over 25, and none bar Heppell, Merrett and McGrath have ever been in the leadership group.

We don't often have recycled players as captain or VC, Goddard in exceptional circumstances in 2016, and previously Terry Daniher and Des Tuddenham started their careers elsewhere (cbf going back further, there might be more).

As far as that's concerned, Wright and Shiel are probably the best acquisitions that could hold leadership roles... Weideman or Setterfield maybe down the track but they've only been here for five minutes.

 

[BomberManU]

Really think this will take his game up a level. In 12 months time I expect to be thinking yes, it was a great choice. And I'm not a massive fan of his, in general.

 

[citizen-erased]

As I said on the trade board;

The problem Essendon has is we lost those picks in 2013/2014, and right before that we had two pretty awful drafts in 2011/2012 that produced Jackson Merrett (50 games & injuries), Mark Baguley (mature age rookie, 134 games, retired), and then Daniher and Gleeson as long-term players, both of whom had pretty bad injury issues (Gleeson retired from injury, while Daniher obviously ran away).

Those draft cohorts represent the 26-30 age bracket, and we don't have anyone older than 31 on our list.

Sum result is that the players who have played more than 50 games at Essendon, who were originally drafted by Essendon, are:

Heppell 30 years old, 213 games
Merrett 27, 184 games
Parish 25, 132 games
McDonald-Tipungwuti 29, 126 games
McGrath 24, 111 games
Langford 26, 107 games
Laverde 26, 91 games
Guelfi 25, 83 games
Redman 25, 80 games
Ridley 24, 68 games

Only a couple of those are over 25, and none bar Heppell, Merrett and McGrath have ever been in the leadership group.

We don't often have recycled players as captain or VC, Goddard in exceptional circumstances in 2016, and previously Terry Daniher and Des Tuddenham started their careers elsewhere (cbf going back further, there might be more).

As far as that's concerned, Wright and Shiel are probably the best acquisitions that could hold leadership roles... Weideman or Setterfield maybe down the track but they've only been here for five minutes.

Pinch was always gonna come 10 years down the line.
That 2010-12 run of drafting then the lost picks, then forking over picks for players trying to jag something for the returning players

For all the "nice, young men" we draft, the dearth of leadership is quite the indictment on recruiting imo

 

[yodellinhank]

Essendon Bigfooty board: Heppell must be captain, we have no other leaders

Also Essendon Bigfooty board: Why haven't we got a leadership group?! Where's the leadership group?!

 

[Beerfish]

Essendon Bigfooty board: Heppell must be captain, we have no other leaders

Also Essendon Bigfooty board: Why haven't we got a leadership group?! Where's the leadership group?!

You do realise the board isn't one person yeah?

 

[eth-dog]

Good to know that our club is at the forefront of realising that having a leadership group is pointless. Leaders will lead regardless of whether or not they're in a specialised "group"

 

[faible]

You do realise the board isn't one person yeah?

No. The board is one amorphous entity.

 

[Lore]

No. The board is one amorphous entity.

A hive mind with group think

 

[Lore]

Good to know that our club is at the forefront of realising that having a leadership group is pointless. Leaders will lead regardless of whether or not they're in a specialised "group"

It doesn't sound like it..

 

[citizen-erased]

Good to know that our club is at the forefront of realising that having a leadership group is pointless. Leaders will lead regardless of whether or not they're in a specialised "group"

Agree

I think having the program to nurture leadership is a better outcome for the club. Group or not, get leaders on the pitch

We just need the bodies now

 

[eth-dog]

It doesn't sound like it..

I'm choosing to think of it as a positive.

 

[Milanista28]

It's a positive for me, the leadership group was basically a photo with 5 people standing in a V shape in pre season and then never referenced for the season again.

Captain, VC and then the whole group on equal footing getting the job done.

 

[Lore]

I'm choosing to think of it as a positive.

I don't think positive is the word I would use

From what Scott was saying it doesn't sound like it's a permanent change based on conviction, it's a temporary change based on necessity while they explicitly teach what leadership is, what traits they need to develop, and wait to see who actually exemplifies those traits over the course of the season.

 

[andleanback]

It's a positive for me, the leadership group was basically a photo with 5 people standing in a V shape in pre season and then never referenced for the season again.

Captain, VC and then the whole group on equal footing getting the job done.

Just because they’re never referenced again doesn’t mean they aren’t doing a role. Leadership group have weekly meeting where all issues are discussed, if any player gets into trouble they’re the ones first consulted, more people involved means a fuller perspective on how things are tracking from different sets of eyes. Some players within the playing group might be only comfortable approaching and divulging information to certain players, a leadership group of 5-6 achieves this.

 

[Chambo]

Great to see the club ditch the leadership group, they are pointless. As the video shows, Scott has a list of things that others have to step up and lead...this is the correct approach.

 

[I Remember Bluey]

“That’s the type of person that he is”: Watson's text exchange with Merrett that proved leadership growth

Zach Merrett’s path to the Essendon captaincy has not been a linear one.

www.sen.com.au

“THAT’S THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT HE IS”: WATSON'S TEXT EXCHANGE WITH MERRETT THAT PROVED LEADERSHIP GROWTH​

Zach Merrett’s path to the Essendon captaincy has not been a linear one.

After being named vice-captain in 2017 and serving in the role for a few years, Merrett was removed from the leadership group in 2020 – a move that turned into a large news story, particularly with the midfielder’s contract expiring in 2021.

Merrett would obviously re-sign with the club, earn his spot back in the leadership group and now in 2023 will take Dyson Heppell’s place as skipper of the Bombers.

A fellow Essendon captain, Tim Watson is proud of the 27-year-old’s journey.

Watson spoke glowingly about Merrett’s desire to learn and become a better leader after 2020, giving an example of an exchange they shared.

“I really like him. He’s very, very committed and he’s had a really interesting journey in football too,” Watson told SEN Breakfast.

“For somebody to have been put into a leadership group and then taken out so publicly. That stings. It does. It’s a public humiliation in some ways about your ability to perform the duties of leadership. He was voted in and then he was voted out by the players.

“He’s one of those people who is meticulous about his preparation and seeks answers for ways of getting better as a player.

“He wants to be a great player and it was probably thought at the time that he didn’t think enough about the broader aspect of leadership and the people around him.

“So he’s gone back and he’s worked on that. He wasn’t ready for that leadership responsibility, which was fine.

“The way that he has handled it since, which is the point that I’m making, he went back and thought, ‘what does it take to be a great leader. I’ll observe people and their behaviours and the empathy they show people and the group, but what are the other things I need to add to my own personality to enable myself to be a better leader’.

“I’ll give you a practical example. I’m sure he won’t mind me saying this. I listened to a podcast with Steph Curry on ‘All the Smoke’ and Curry was talking about the way he sees himself as a player, but also the leadership he sees within the Golden State Warriors.

“I just sent Zach a text and said, ‘have a listen to this’ – I know he likes listening to all this stuff – and he sent me back a text. It was a full page of notes.

“He’d already listened to it, but these were the notes he had taken out of it in terms of what Steph Curry had said about leadership and playing and that type of thing.

“That’s the type of person that he is.”

Andrew McGrath

1

Andrew Mcgrath

Age

26

Ht

180cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

22.7

5star

K

11.6

4star

HB

11.1

5star

M

1.6

2star

T

6.4

5star

MG

252.9

4star

D

22.7

5star

K

11.6

4star

HB

11.1

5star

M

1.6

2star

T

6.4

5star

MG

252.9

4star

D

22.0

5star

K

11.0

4star

HB

11.0

5star

M

1.2

2star

T

6.4

5star

MG

219.0

4star

will serve as Merrett’s vice-captain, but will not appoint an official leadership group underneath them this year.

 

[Yoda_]

Some years ago the club sent a group of players overseas for leadership courses. I think it was to Japan and can’t remember who they were. It is certainly time for this again as we need to develop our young leaders.

Watched the leadership announcement video (finally) and one of my biggest takeaways was that Scott is putting the onus on the playing group as a whole to lift.

Players at all points of there careers will naturally evolve now. I really like it. Guys who previously expected to be in a 'leadership' group don't need that title to showcase that burning desire to be a leader.


Fully expecting guys to step up this year and express themselves, really like this direction Scott is taking us in. We haven't chased that Lions model of getting leaders in but building from within first

 

[Vindicater]

Zach doing well so far.

 

[Yoda_]

In Scott's first meeting with the players announcing Zac as skipper, he said we weren't naming a leadership group, instead putting the onus back onto the players to help out Zac and Andy McGrath.

I have loved seeing so many guys just putting there bum down and doing there own job. The natural leaders are standing up, the older wiser heads appear to be doing them.

Could not be happier with Zac Merret as skipper. A few people said he may be too hard on his team mates, I think we've been too easy on each other for too long. Zac being as driven as he is, is holding team mates to account now and good on him.

 

[eth-dog]

In Scott's first meeting with the players announcing Zac as skipper, he said we weren't naming a leadership group, instead putting the onus back onto the players to help out Zac and Andy McGrath.

I have loved seeing so many guys just putting there bum down and doing there own job. The natural leaders are standing up, the older wiser heads appear to be doing them.

Could not be happier with Zac Merret as skipper. A few people said he may be too hard on his team mates, I think we've been too easy on each other for too long. Zac being as driven as he is, is holding team mates to account now and good on him.

Thus proving that leadership groups are a pointless concept at AFL level. Captain, vice captain is all that's needed

 

[Yoda_]

Thus proving that leadership groups are a pointless concept at AFL level. Captain, vice captain is all that's needed

here here eth

I loved the idea to put the leadership back onto the whole group where no one is above the next guy

 

[Yoda_]

With almost 2/3 of the season goes, the leaders have really stood up this season. Without the title guys like Laverde. Langford, Wright have grown in confidence and standing up in big moments. Even the younger guys like Martin, Caldwell, Hobbs, BZT are growing into leaders.

Genuinely love the development this group still has in it. Could grow another 2 steps and genuinely push the best teams in it

 

[outersanctum]

With almost 2/3 of the season goes, the leaders have really stood up this season. Without the title guys like Laverde. Langford, Wright have grown in confidence and standing up in big moments. Even the younger guys like Martin, Caldwell, Hobbs, BZT are growing into leaders.

Genuinely love the development this group still has in it. Could grow another 2 steps and genuinely push the best teams in it

I think Merrett is proving a great choice of Captain.. and it is interesting to see that BF wanted Merrett and Redman.. I probably feel we got it right and Redman would make a better VC than McGrath..

Merrett would have to be in contention for best captain of the year thus far.. has just done everything in his power to make us a ruthless, winning footy team. Love watching him lead from the front and set the tone.

Not knocking Hepp.. but I never felt like he was that type of leader.. and it is so good to see a captain that really seems to drive others to be better. Really feel Zach could be the one to lift the cup in the next few years.