Retired Daniel Merrett (2002-2016)

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I couldn't believe how he went forward myself. He still lacks a bit of confidence in that department but his spoiling game is getting much better. Has the potential to be one of the best spoilers in the comp.

Mal who?
 
don vito of fitzroy said:
I couldn't believe how he went forward myself. He still lacks a bit of confidence in that department but his spoiling game is getting much better. Has the potential to be one of the best spoilers in the comp.

Mal who?
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I would argue his is the best spoiler in the comp...leads spoils, etc - however he needs to work on the other areas of his game. Last nights game shows that he is improving there!
 
Forwards are finding it very difficult to score goals against Big Red.

Tredrea - 0 goals
Lynch - 0 goals
Newton - 0 goals
Fevola - 3 goals
Rocca - 1 goal

The commentary said he leads the competition in spoils, 25 ahead of the next bloke. The Merrett fist is starting to gain a bit of a reputation.

Even his composure and offensive play I think is a lot better than earlier in the year.
 

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TheBrownDog said:
God he's good!
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Petrie had kicked 18 goals in the last 5 weeks, but tonight he was pantsed.

520m6wn.jpg
 

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i cant believe it, but i think he had his best game for the season V the Roos.
he has played some crackers but i dont remember ONCE when he could have done any better or not have given a free away, etc.

what a find, and to think if we were winning games last year he probably would never have been thrown back and probably not played a game this year.

Ironic they spent so much time developing him as a forward when the "flukey" defensive move was the most effective :)
 
Does anyone know if there would be any faster Full Backs in the league than Strab? I wonder if the panel that decides on the AA selection will even consider him this year.
 
konstas_87 said:
what a find, and to think if we were winning games last year he probably would never have been thrown back and probably not played a game this year.

Ironic they spent so much time developing him as a forward when the "flukey" defensive move was the most effective :)
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The bigger irony -- if Sargent Grumpy hadn't pulled up stumps and stomped off to Windy Hill, Merrett wouldn't have played fullback for the last 4 games of 2006 -- they clearly tried him there knowing Michael wasn't an ongoing option -- and may very well have been delisted as a failed forward line experiment - ala Black Betty -- just another big athlete without the footy smarts to make it.
 
Link

"Daniel Merrett and Barry Hall they played on each other 15 weeks ago and Hall was just a bit too experienced and a bit too strong but 15 games later I think Daniel Merrett is a much better player." Leigh Matthews
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merrettbq8.jpg
 
Link

The case for the defence

8:48 AM Thu 16 August, 2007
By Simon White,
for lions.com.au

DANIEL Merrett is likely to have the rare luxury of past experience to call upon when the Brisbane Lions take on Sydney at the Gabba on Saturday night.
Merrett’s own inexperience – 43 career games, of which only half have been played in defence – means he often prepares for match-ups he hasn’t previously tackled.
This week, provided star Swans spearhead Barry Hall gets over groin problems, Merrett will do battle against an opponent he knows relatively well.
The emerging 22-year-old has stood Hall twice, including an excellent effort in round 21 of last year, when he kept the Sydney co-captain to two goals in a 57-point loss.
“During the week I find out who my match-up is and then try to look at their video tapes, plus the video of last time I played on them,” Merrett explained.
“But that’s actually been a bit difficult because this has been my first full year in defence and for a lot of the guys, it’s been the first time I’ve played on them.
“Obviously I’ve played on Hall a couple of times and he’s a lot more of a physical player than someone like (last week’s opponent) Lance Franklin.”
One player Merrett is thankful he doesn’t have to square off against come game-day is his teammate Jonathan Brown.
However, he’s grateful for the opportunity to test his defensive skills against the Coleman Medal favourite on the training track.
Merrett’s well-timed spoils and ability to stay with opponents in marking contests have been a feature of the Lions’ play all season, particularly during the five-game winning streak between round 14 and round 18.
“I’m really glad I don’t have to play (Brown) against him in matches – he’s an unbelievable player,” Merrett said.
“But at the same time, I’m very lucky he’s at my club because it means I get to train against the best forward going around.
“As a defender at training you do a fair bit of one-on-one, contest stuff against the forwards, which really helps with your timing.
“The forwards work on their marking and we work on our spoiling and punching the ball away.”
Leigh Matthews went to great lengths earlier in the week to hose down talk of finals qualification, saying the Lions needed to keep their minds on tasks closer to hand for September action to remain a possibility.
Merrett, at the heart of a youthful back six that is letting in only 83 points per game (down from 101 last year), understands where his coach is coming from.
“It’s difficult not to think about finals when you are a chance to make it – but you have to put it out of your mind,” he said.
“In the middle of the year we were playing some pretty stagnant footy, but we managed to turn it around and I think everyone is enjoying being out there at the moment.
“The main thing for us is that we finish the year strongly.
“The last couple of years we had lots of injuries and we dropped off badly in the last few games.”
This year we’re sort of rolling towards the end of the year and we’ve got the chance to finish off well.”
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merrettkf2.jpg
 
The kid is a gun and impressed me greatly on Saturday.

Is the sort of player I hope Dawson will develop into except Dawson is nowhere near as quick and spends most his time thinking he can control the matrix :s

How'd you get him anyway?
 
Cynic said:
You could probably mark that down as a tick.
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His game against you guys last weekend was well below his regular standards since being moved into defence.

Good to see some opposition supporters rate him though, he is chronically underrated by the masses, which admittedly suits us fine. :D
 
Wouldn't be ridiculous for an AA possibility in a couple of years.I think when he becomes more confident of having his man covered we might see more run from him out of the defensive area which will compliment his game-most of the really good full backs can do this
 
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