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

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07 - merrett.jpg
Contract Status: Unrestricted Free Agent 2027
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 10, I Remember Bluey
 
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as deserving as zach is for a brownlow, i reckon that caleb serong is nearly leading the polls with heeny close in areers. heeny will have votes taken off him but gulden, though
 
I Remember Bluey said:

CHAMPION DATA’S BROWNLOW MEDAL PREDICTOR​

1. Isaac Heeney (Syd) 9.6 votes ($4 TAB odds)
2. Patrick Cripps (Carl) 9.2 ($8)
3. Zach Merrett (Ess) 8.8 ($8)
4. Max Gawn (Melb) 8.7 ($34)
5. Caleb Serong (Frem) 8.4 ($11)
6. Nick Daicos (Coll) 8.1 ($11)
7. Errol Gulden (Syd) 7.9 ($21)
8. Marcus Bontempelli (WB) 7.8 ($13)
9. Chad Warner (Syd) 7.2 ($41)
10. Josh Kelly (GWS) 6.6 ($151)
11. Matt Rowell (GC) 6.5 ($21)
12. Jack Steele (St K) 6.5 ($51)
13. Tom Green (GWS) 6.4 ($11)
14. Noah Anderson (GC) 6.4 ($26)
15. Christian Petracca (Melb) 6.4 ($21)
16. Connor Rozee (PA) 6.1 ($26)
17. Nic Martin (Ess) 6.1 ($151)
18. Andrew Brayshaw (Frem) 5.9 ($67)
19. Jason Horne-Francis (PA) 5.9 ($81)
20. Lachie Neale (BL) 5.8 ($34)
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3 Swannies top 10! Hopefully they cost each other and Merrett can swoop on in.
 

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Had a (relatively) quiet game, still broke the game open
 
It is incredulous that he was dumped from the leadership group for Daniher/Fantasia so the club could retain them. He almost walked away from the club.

Now he is our most valuable. More actions than words and others are following.

The arrival of Scott has seen him go to another level.
 

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naraku said:
Amazing to think he "only" 24 touches and seemed quite but really lifted us and is leading the boys magnificently.
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This. When a guy has 24 touches, 6 of them of such high quality they directly lead to scores.. adds another 6 sterling tackles and a huge pressure %.. and stood up when the game was on the line... and you think "eh, it was just a normal Merrett kind of game"

That is the measure of a champion. Their ordinary is top shelf.

Captaincy suits him, Scott suits him, higher team standards suits him. There was a fluff piece about the team now resembling Merrett and I think it holds some truth. Great teams always seem to reflect their leaders. Right now I reckon this team would run through walls if Scott/Merrett asked them too.

As to the weird decision to demote him in favour of Daniher and Fanta. This is why we don't discuss the woosha era. Seriously bad talent identification and management. Was strange at the time and hasn't improved in hindsight.
 
Luke Hodge rates his top 5 captains on SEN with our Zachery his number one in the comp right now. A snippet is below. Full article available on SEN.

Luke Hodge’s top 5 captains:
1. Zach Merrett (Ess)
2. Patrick Cripps (Carl)
3. Marcus Bontempelli (WB)
4. Max Gawn (Mel)
5. Alex Pearce (Fre)

1 - Zach Merrett (Essendon)​

“This may change (by season’s end), but I’ve got Merrett at one.

“I’m sitting there going, ‘How have Essendon jumped to where they are?’. First of all you need two-way runners. In the past he wasn’t a big two-way runner.

“This year he is running as hard defensively as he is offensively. He’s chasing, he’s tackling, he’s finding the ball, he’s averaging 27 disposals, he’s had 59 tackles, he’s kicked goals. So he’s doing everything there.

“Then I look at why is he above Bont and Cripps? I look at Cripps and who he has got around him. He has got Sam Walsh, Charlie Curnow, Harry McKay, he’s got other stars to help.

“Bont has got Adam Treloar, Aaron Naughton, Tom Liberatore in there (when he’s fit), he’s got a lot of other blokes that can turn the table for their sides.

“I look at Merrett who has a lot of role players in and around him, good team players. I think a lot of it has come down to them following their skipper. They’re following Merrett who is willing to do anything for other people, change his game, and they’re following suit.

“I don’t feel like their top end is as talented as other teams around them, but you can’t knock the bloke and his leadership this year.”

- Luke Hodge, SEN
 
It's nice he is getting the acknowledgement, but im sick off the narrative that he's only hecome a defensively minded mid the last 2 years. It's more the team as a whole is supporting him and have embraced him and the younger guys are following his example.
 
joey_jo_jo said:
It's nice he is getting the acknowledgement, but im sick off the narrative that he's only hecome a defensively minded mid the last 2 years. It's more the team as a whole is supporting him and have embraced him and the younger guys are following his example.
Click to expand...

He's always been a good tackler, and not the worst defensive player, but I do think he's really made defensive running a focus in a way he hasn't in the past.
 
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