AFL Player 7: Indefatigable Zach Merrett - Stepping down as captain for 2026

[jannissary]

That would be a very funny use of someone's money

was tempted to get one for a dawks supporting friend, but $200 is possunh away money

 

[Petrify]

It's interesting wondering who we would have selected if we had of got another first round pick after our selections.

Dovaston would have been my preference
Lindsay
O Taylor

Or maybe we may have had enough picks to trade up for Duursma and grabbed him instead of Farrow?

Twomey has said if Richmond took Robey we were taking Sharp + Farrow then Lindsay at 9. So we would've taken Lindsay.

 

[Maxabillions]

That would be a very funny use of someone's money

Surely we could all chip in to get a message for the board

 

[Maxabillions]

List of things to apologise for:

Betrayal
DRYP
Refusing to allow ALFW team to use oval
Pulling down Bryan’s pants
No finals wins
Lamborghini
Other?

 

[Phone]

Um, that’s the point. There were no other clubs because we were only dealing with Hawthorn, who tabled their first offer later in the trade period specifically so we couldn’t ask for a player (to specify a few).

As I said previously, I would have told Zach that if he wanted to leave, he needed to be open to more than just Hawthorn - or see you at “the hanger” next year.

Maybe Hawthorn table the best offer still, but at least it creates some type of bidding pressure, and less smart-arsery and gamesmanship from them.

a) we had a month to try to poach a Hawks player. They're trying to poach our captain but we can only wait until they table an offer before we ask for a player? what a bizarre idea. that would be a massive indictment on the club. luckily, we can dismiss it out of hand. we weren't interested in trading zach and so we weren't interested in putting in the work to actually get a player
b) you need to actually name some other clubs. I thought about it during the trade period and I've thought about it since. the Crows are the only other team that, logically, would have pursued Zach and actually offered something for him. And the Hawks offer would have been better.

 

[boncer34]

a) we had a month to try to poach a Hawks player. They're trying to poach our captain but we can only wait until they table an offer before we ask for a player? what a bizarre idea. that would be a massive indictment on the club. luckily, we can dismiss it out of hand. we weren't interested in trading zach and so we weren't interested in putting in the work to actually get a player
b) you need to actually name some other clubs. I thought about it during the trade period and I've thought about it since. the Crows are the only other team that, logically, would have pursued Zach and actually offered something for him. And the Hawks offer would have been better.

Gold Coast

 

[Phone]

Gold Coast

Petracca was a much more logical player for GC to target given the rest of their team imo, they probably want more of a x-factor player which he offers more than Zach does (and it probably helps that he has finals victories on his resume.....). If the GC didn't get Trac (so presumably the Crows do instead), then perhaps GC go after Zach, but then that takes the Crows out of being the other team so we're still left with the Hawks and one interstate team, and no other Victorian teams because no other Victorian team had both A) resources to spend and B) a need for a player of Zach's age on their list.

 

[Andronicus]

When do they announce the new captain?

 

[yodellinhank]

When do they announce the new captain?

It's Roberts

 

[ghostdog]

...and this observation from CJohns is what I hoped for from old John Kerr. I'm blitzing Blitz! It's turning out to be a pretty good read, unlike Brandon Jack

Brandon Jack

Age

31

Ht

182cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.4

2star

K

4.9

2star

HB

4.5

3star

M

1.9

2star

T

2.8

4star

CL

0.7

3star

No current season stats available

D

9.4

3star

K

5.4

2star

HB

4.0

3star

M

1.6

2star

T

2.8

5star

CL

0.6

3star

's atrocious novel.

Merrett i have to say has been great at training in his attitude and doing the 1%ers. I say this as a fan who has struggled with Merrett situation the last 3 months and was cynical on how he may come back in terms of cohesion with players. But i can genuinely say he has been fully engaged with the players(including younger players) and strangely looks to be enjoying himself at training. Its still a bit bizarre to me in some ways but I sense he is liking Inness impact on standards to the group.

 

[King Patty]

...and this observation from CJohns is what I hoped for from old John Kerr. I'm blitzing Blitz! It's turning out to be a pretty good read, unlike Brandon Jack's atrocious novel.

Merrett i have to say has been great at training in his attitude and doing the 1%ers. I say this as a fan who has struggled with Merrett situation the last 3 months and was cynical on how he may come back in terms of cohesion with players. But i can genuinely say he has been fully engaged with the players(including younger players) and strangely looks to be enjoying himself at training. Its still a bit bizarre to me in some ways but I sense he is liking Inness impact on standards to the group.

it might be nice to sit back and just do the work and not have to be on everyone's back about lifting standards

Inness and Solomon do seem potentially more vocal and harder on the boys to lift standards over the preseason.

 

[ant555]

...and this observation from CJohns is what I hoped for from old John Kerr. I'm blitzing Blitz! It's turning out to be a pretty good read, unlike Brandon Jack's atrocious novel.

Merrett i have to say has been great at training in his attitude and doing the 1%ers. I say this as a fan who has struggled with Merrett situation the last 3 months and was cynical on how he may come back in terms of cohesion with players. But i can genuinely say he has been fully engaged with the players(including younger players) and strangely looks to be enjoying himself at training. Its still a bit bizarre to me in some ways but I sense he is liking Inness impact on standards to the group.

Not shocked. Despite the circus around him leaving he is not the type to just sit back and cruise along. It is the fact that he is so driven that lead to him wanting to chase finals wins. Predicted he would come back and do exactly this. It is how he is wired.

 

[faible]

I think Merrett has always wanted to be the best player he can be. I don't think he was ever likely to rock up and half ass the season. He'll be a good player for us this year, and then he might still ask for a trade at the end of the season.

 

[joey_jo_jo]

I think Merrett has always wanted to be the best player he can be. I don't think he was ever likely to rock up and half ass the season. He'll be a good player for us this year, and then he might still ask for a trade at the end of the season.

will be interesting if he entertains a hawks move again or looks elsewhere like Bobby Hill/Dunkley after our failed trade attempts.

 

[fairbump_playon]

will be interesting if he entertains a hawks move again or looks elsewhere like Bobby Hill/Dunkley after our failed trade attempts.

Imagine how much we would have been able to nearly make the 8 if we had picked up both Dunkley and Hill

 

[joey_jo_jo]

Imagine how much we would have been able to nearly make the 8 if we had picked up both Dunkley and Hill

Ive thought about it alot with the last three grand finals, Hill winning the Norm Smith in 23 and Dunkley being inspirational in all three GFs.
Dodoro has notoriously not traded/drafted in players based on list needs but those two guys bucked the trend and would have been a huge coup for us. Feel like the list holes they were meant to fill have only been addressed in the last two drafts.

 

[Proper Gander]

will be interesting if he entertains a hawks move again or looks elsewhere like Bobby Hill/Dunkley after our failed trade attempts.

If he is keen to move, I wouldn’t say this is impossible.

Petracca wanted to leave Demons (with good reason) end of 2024, but was only looking at Melbourne clubs with limited assets (also forgivable - he was recovering from horrific injury and taking on the stresses of moving was probably too much at the time). With another year to ponder things, he did decide to expand his options.

If Merrett remains open to a move, it’s possible he might think more broadly next time around.

 

[Old Campaigner]

If he is keen to move, I wouldn’t say this is impossible.

Petracca wanted to leave Demons (with good reason) end of 2024, but was only looking at Melbourne clubs with limited assets (also forgivable - he was recovering from horrific injury and taking on the stresses of moving was probably too much at the time). With another year to ponder things, he did decide to expand his options.

If Merrett remains open to a move, it’s possible he might think more broadly next time around.

Yeah, he's had more time to think about it and other clubs have had more time to put forward their case

 

[ghostdog]

will be interesting if he entertains a hawks move again or looks elsewhere like Bobby Hill/Dunkley after our failed trade attempts.

Best case scenario for me is;
1. Merrett falls back in love with the club and wants to be a Bomber for life, win, lose or draw. (Obviously unlikely. I think he requests a trade to a different club)
2. Hawks slide.
3. We improve.

 

[King Patty]

will be interesting if he entertains a hawks move again or looks elsewhere like Bobby Hill/Dunkley after our failed trade attempts.

Merrett probably makes sense at Pies too.
They entertained Jye Simpkin this year.