AFL Player # 7: Indefatigable Zach Merrett (c) - Your ANZAC Day Medallist - 25/4

[Beerfish]

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

 

[Zach Package]

Walking, talking, living, breathing hoochie mama

 

[TheGrizz]

What. A. Game.

That was a performance that SCREAMS future captain. A genuine chance for AA this year surely?

 

[JT_the_Man]

What. A. Game.

That was a performance that SCREAMS future captain. A genuine chance for AA this year surely?

A lock surely.

 

[Skipper_]

A lock surely.

Sealed up his spot on the wing today.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

* what a game probably could have lost if it wasn't for him.

 

[ScrappyCoCo]

interesting to see if he gets 3 brownlow votes today being ineligible...and belly doing well also

 

[calyam]

A lock surely.

He is not a 'lock but he is a good chance.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Walking, talking, living, breathing hoochie mama

Ok. POTY

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Holy s**t if this guy adds goal kicking to his bag look da * out

 

[jmoo wan]

Goal kicking midfielder!

 

[goal kicking wingman]

On of the main reasons we are actually in the finals along with Joey, McGrath and Hurls.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Kid is hungry for success will lead us to a flag.

 

[Zach Package]

Holy s**t if this guy adds goal kicking to his bag look da **** out

Look out if we add 1 or 2 first possession guys that can shovel it out to him consistently, ideally he's not at the bottom of the pack, he's skirting it, grabbing the ball and hitting forwards lace out between the ****.

 

[citizen-erased]

Elite mid/small fwd?

 

[eth-dog]

AA Squad

 

[JDavey]

Our midfield is missing two things imo:
1. Inside mids
2. Goal kicking

Merrett and Heppell have both taken steps this year to address #2. Lets hope that keeps improving

 

[Skipper_]

Our midfield is missing two things imo:
1. Inside mids
2. Goal kicking

Merrett and Heppell have both taken steps this year to address #2. Lets hope that keeps improving

Merrett, Heppell, Zaharakis and Parish have all hit the scoreboard regularly in the second half of the season. Our contested possession and clearance differential have improved significantly but we still need an inside mid or two to complete our midfield.

 

[JDavey]

Merrett, Heppell, Zaharakis and Parish have all hit the scoreboard regularly in the second half of the season. Our contested possession and clearance differential have improved significantly but we still need an inside mid or two to complete our midfield.

Just had a look at the stats, since the bye:

• Parish has kicked 3 in 9 games
• Zaka has kicked 6 in in 10 games
• Merrett has kicked 6 in 9 games (with 4 from the last round)
• Heppell has kicked 4 in 10 games

(17 goals ~ 10 games - 1.7 goals per game)

Zaka and Heppells I guess I remember more because they were key in winning games - but really none of those are good enough to consider that hitting the scoreboard often enough, more improvement required if our team wants to progress.

Compare that to say Richmond:

• Dusty has kicked 16 in 11 games (as much as Merrett Zaka and Heppell combined)
• Cotch has kicked 8 in 11 games (still more then any midfielder of ours)
• Grigg has kicked 5 from 11 games
• Prestia has kicked 4 from 10 games

(33 goals ~ 11 games - 3 goals per game)

 

[JayJ20]

Just had a look at the stats, since the bye:

• Parish has kicked 3 in 9 games
• Zaka has kicked 6 in in 10 games
• Merrett has kicked 6 in 9 games (with 4 from the last round)
• Heppell has kicked 4 in 10 games

(17 goals ~ 10 games - 1.7 goals per game)

Zaka and Heppells I guess I remember more because they were key in winning games - but really none of those are good enough to consider that hitting the scoreboard often enough, more improvement required if our team wants to progress.

Compare that to say Richmond:

• Dusty has kicked 16 in 11 games (as much as Merrett Zaka and Heppell combined)
• Cotch has kicked 8 in 11 games (still more then any midfielder of ours)
• Grigg has kicked 5 from 11 games
• Prestia has kicked 4 from 10 games

(33 goals ~ 11 games - 3 goals per game)

I think a better comparison is Adelaide. Both of our forward 6 have kicked the most goals out of any team. I think we may have even kicked more than them.

The huge difference is our midfield compared to theirs.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

If you have forwards like we have does it really matter?

 

[Killer_Mike]

Can't really compare our midfielders to Richmond because they all press up into the forward 50 create their goals which renders their forwards pretty much useless. Hence the low scores.

We allow our forwards space to operate in so the mids rarely go inside 50.

 

[calyam]

I think a better comparison is Adelaide. Both of our forward 6 have kicked the most goals out of any team. I think we may have even kicked more than them.

The huge difference is our midfield compared to theirs.

Correct.

Sloane hits the scoreboard often (18 goals for the season). But most of their other midfielders are not prominent goalkickers.

 

[TheGrizz]

Just had a look at the stats, since the bye:

• Parish has kicked 3 in 9 games
• Zaka has kicked 6 in in 10 games
• Merrett has kicked 6 in 9 games (with 4 from the last round)
• Heppell has kicked 4 in 10 games

(17 goals ~ 10 games - 1.7 goals per game)

Zaka and Heppells I guess I remember more because they were key in winning games - but really none of those are good enough to consider that hitting the scoreboard often enough, more improvement required if our team wants to progress.

Compare that to say Richmond:

• Dusty has kicked 16 in 11 games (as much as Merrett Zaka and Heppell combined)
• Cotch has kicked 8 in 11 games (still more then any midfielder of ours)
• Grigg has kicked 5 from 11 games
• Prestia has kicked 4 from 10 games

(33 goals ~ 11 games - 3 goals per game)

Thats not a fair comparison. Both martin and cotchin spend fair chunks of the game playinf out of the goal square.
Martin especially spends probably 30-35% of his time down there. None of our mids spend that much time as a permanent forward. Richmond also has no where near as potent a forward line as we do and so we dont have to rely on mids to kick goals like the tigers rely on martin/cotchin.

Adelaide is a better comparison. Our mids stack up pretty well goal wise with them (with a potent forwardline). In saying that adelaide and richmond are both top 4 and we have made finals. So there seems to be no minimum for goals to be kicked by your midfield to be successful.

 

[daffo]

I would love for him to make the AA team. He was stiff last year to not make the top 40 (much like Oliver this year)

 

[Dons4days]

I would love for him to make the AA team. He was stiff last year to not make the top 40 (much like Oliver this year)

I wouldn't be surprised if he missed based on the reputation favouritism this year with the inclusion of players like the Bont & Selwood while many more deserving players were overlooked.