AFL Player # 7: Indefatigable Zach Merrett (c) - 3x AA 🏅🏅🏅 4x Crichton Medallist 🥇🥇🥇🥇

[Beerfish]

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

 

[Duckworth]

A girlfriend does wonders for curing being homesick.

 

[JR95]

This guy is right next to my man EKav now.

EKav and Z.Merrett are my boys!

 

[Loonerty]

This guy is right next to my man EKav now.

EKav and Z.Merrett are my boys!

V

 

[animal ritz]

Being home sick doesn't mean you necessarily want to leave. He just misses his family.

I went away to boarding school, loved it to bits. Still got quite homesick at times.

Thank you, more what I was trying to get at - you don't have to be a long way from home to get homesick

 

[The Bomb]

HERE

ZACH Merrett causes headaches on sporting fields the year round.
Bowlers can’t get the ball past his blazing bat and football opponents can’t keep the ball out of his hands.
One day after he belted 89 for Melbourne Grammar in an APS match, Merrett backed up with a standout performance for the Sandringham Dragons in the TAC Cup season opener.
Merrett said he thoroughly enjoyed the cricket season, but now can’t wait to immerse himself in football.
Merrett kicked two goals as the Dragons defeated Western Jets and he’s been made a quick and seamless transition from cricket to football.
Sandringham coach Justin Plapp described as “scintillating” the opening to the football season by Merrett.
It followed on from an APS XI season where he scored 487 runs and that was just from 10 games!
Initially, Merrett was in Geelong Falcons’ squad last year, but when he began to board at Melbourne Grammar he switched over to the Dragons as the travelling made it impossible for him to commute to and from Geelong for training.
What particularly impresses Plapp is the high efficiency rate Merrett runs at with his disposals. “It’s somewhere in the 90s,” enthused the Dragons coach.
“He’s a highly talented left footer. He’s been playing half forward and rolling through the midfield,” Plapp said.
“Zach has explosive speed, has really good lateral vision and makes really good decisions. He’s pretty exciting.”
As the Dragons slugged out a draw, Merrett emerged as the recipient of the most votes in the TAC Cup Coaches Award votes.
Merrett collected 17 possessions, took seven handballs received, grabbed six marks and affected four tackles.
And, by his own admission, Merrett said he’s not near his peak fitness.
“I’m hoping to run out the season better this year,” Merrett said.
“I didn’t really have a pre-season last year and I ran out of puff.”
While he plays with the Dragons, Merrett, whose family comes from Cobden, is eligible to play with Vic Country in the NAB AFL U18 Championships.
It’s a driving force for Merrett, who must return to school commitments later this month.
“I’d love to play for Vic Country and really just enjoy my footy,” Merrett said.
And, we’ve seen what happens when Merrett enjoys his sport.

 

[The Bomb]

HERE

COBDEN fans can look forward to enterprising teenager Zac Merrett featuring in the run towards finals.
The 16-year-old revealed the red-and-black faithful will have more opportunities to see him in action as the Bombers strive to cement their top-five position.
The start of school holidays allowed Merrett, a Melbourne Grammar School student, to play a role in Saturday's triumph against North Warrnambool Eagles.
He'll play again, pending selection, against Koroit in a fortnight and potentially after the Associated Private Schools (APS) season wraps up on August 4.
Merrett has a cricket scholarship at MGS and has just started trials for the Victorian under 17 side.
His cricket commitments will step up when he returns to Melbourne, handing the versatile sportsman a tricky training schedule.
"I'm playing footy at the minute, and cricket will take over when I get back to school," he said.
"I'll have to juggle a bit of both training, not falling behind but hopefully I'll be able to do that."
Merrett said he relished playing just his second Hampden league game of the season, and the Bombers were glad to have him back.
He set up the first goal of the game, scored one himself and was handy, without being damaging, when he found the football.
The teenager, however, represented the difference between Cobden and North on Saturday speed through the middle of the ground.
"I was all right in the first half, but then the third quarter I went out of it a little bit and it was a bit hard to get back into the game," he said.
"We've got a young team, and a fast team. Our game style is run and carry, quick handballs, handball receives, which we did today."
Merrett said the physical test that Hampden football provides would hold him in good stead when he returns to APS football.
"It's a pretty high standard, most of (APS) is TAC Cup players at the private schools," he said.
"It's pretty quick but obviously not as physical as Hampden league seniors.
"It's not as quick as Hampden but definitely nowhere near as strong.
"Definitely coming back here you have to adjust to the bigger bodies and understand where you're going."
Cobden coach Wayne Robertson said he was pleased Merrett could feature in a win, after he played in a loss against Terang Mortlake. "He's a great kid, great talent, it's fantastic," he said.
"We fully support kids going away Zac's gone away for cricket but is playing firsts footy down there.
"He's a sensational user of the footy, very smart, very clean skills."

 

[The Bomb]

HERE

Merrett said seeing his elder brother Jackson forge an AFL career with Essendon had encouraged him to tackle TAC Cup football.
“I got a letter for the (Geelong) Falcons for under 16s but, because I was in Melbourne, I didn’t get to training and decided not to worry about it for two years,” he said.
“Because I am now top age, I decided to have a go at it at Sandy.
“It was a big decision because my brother Jackson went through the Falcons.”
Sandringham talent manager Ryan O’Connor said Merrett was a “natural athlete”.
“He has fitted in really well and we are excited by the potential he is showing,” he said.
“At this stage we see Zach as a forward. His best attributes are reading of the play.
“He’s a natural mover, a kicker of the ball.
“It’s his first year in an elite program, so he is picking up his base fitness and conditioning.”

 

[The Bomb]

HERE
averaged - 125 super coach points - 5 tackles - 6 inside 50s - 26 possessions - 90% efficiency
won most consistent player of the year award.

 

[Ess_don]

HERE
averaged - 125 super coach points - 5 tackles - 6 inside 50s - 26 possessions - 90% efficiency
won most consistent player of the year award.

me likey.

 

[Schopp]

The lack of pre-season's/hence fitness means there must be further scope for improvement. My gut feel is that we have a very good player on our hands here. There is so much excitement and hope this time of the year especially given the astuteness of our recent recruiting, hopefully everything clicks for us next year after a diabolical 12 years where something has always gone wrong, be it injury curses to gun players, poor footy admin on and off the field, and the debacle of 2013.

 

[The Bomb]

The lack of pre-season's/hence fitness means there must be further scope for improvement. My gut feel is that we have a very good player on our hands here.

I'm actually very excited by this pick, a player who has elite kicking skills, can find plenty of the footy and bursts out of packs, just from the articles i have been digging up yet he still has not focused 100% on footy, Gee sounds like Plapp has nothing but praise for this kid, when he uses the word “scintillating” and says with the ball he is as good as Kelly and Merrett gets as much of it as Kelly, Just not so good at the contested stuff, it sounds pretty bloody good for us.

 

[Zach Package]

better kick than Kelly, gets more on the ball, both in distance and force, gets it there quicker

 

[The Bomb]

Sandringham Dragons Best and Fairest, top 10:
1. Taylor Grace, 24 votes
2. Brayden Maynard, 23
3. Zach Merrett, 22
=4. Aaron Hodges, 21
=4. James Munro, 21
=6. Tom Langdon, 20
=6. Haydon Whitehead, 20
8. Josh Kelly, 19
=9. Luke Marchetti, 18
=9. Luke Daidone, 18

Games played
Grace 14, Maynard 14, Merrett 6, Hodge 14, Munro 12, Langdon 9, Kelly 6, Whitehead 13, Marchetti 15, Daidone 11.

 

[Carlo]

HERE
averaged - 125 super coach points - 5 tackles - 6 inside 50s - 26 possessions - 90% efficiency
won most consistent player of the year award.

WOW!!! His kick is deadly, Elite at 18 can't wait to see him after a few pre seasons, After all he hasn't even been taking footy seriously.

 

[Old Campaigner]

Sandringham Dragons Best and Fairest, top 10:
1. Taylor Grace, 24 votes
2. Brayden Maynard, 23
3. Zach Merrett, 22
=4. Aaron Hodges, 21
=4. James Munro, 21
=6. Tom Langdon, 20
=6. Haydon Whitehead, 20
8. Josh Kelly, 19
=9. Luke Marchetti, 18
=9. Luke Daidone, 18

Games played
Grace 14, Maynard 14, Merrett 6, Hodge 14, Munro 12, Langdon 9, Kelly 6, Whitehead 13, Marchetti 15, Daidone 11.

For a guy to have not done a preseason and come third in the B&F with half the games of the top 2 is pretty damn special. We got a ******* steal with this guy.

 

[eth-dog]

For a guy to have not done a preseason and come third in the B&F with half the games of the top 2 is pretty damn special. We got a ******* steal with this guy.

Votes/game of the top 10:

Merrett 3.7
Kelly 3.2
Langdon 2.2
Munro 1.8
Grace 1.7
Daidone 1.6
Maynard 1.6
Whitehead 1.5
Hodge 1.5
Marchetti 1.2

 

[Old Campaigner]

Votes/game of the top 10:

Merrett 3.7
Kelly 3.2
Langdon 2.2
Munro 1.8
Grace 1.7
Daidone 1.6
Maynard 1.6
Whitehead 1.5
Hodge 1.5
Marchetti 1.2

That's awesome. If he's heads screwed on right and he's happy to put in the hard work he could be star for us. The thought of a guy with his decision-making ability and that cannon left boot replacing Stanton as the go-to outside mid in a few years makes me hnnnnnnnngggggh

 

[LukeParkerno1]

The one thing that is very difficult to coach is kicking ability with a few exceptions. We have got a guy that goes at 90% efficiency both short and long. What he must do is increase the 17-18 disposals to 28-30 disposals. That will come with a few pre seasons. Amazed we got him at 26.

 

[yaco55]

The one thing that is very difficult to coach is kicking ability with a few exceptions. We have got a guy that goes at 90% efficiency both short and long. What he must do is increase the 17-18 disposals to 28-30 disposals. That will come with a few pre seasons. Amazed we got him at 26.

Even on the assumption that his DE drops from 90%, a lazy 17-18 possessions is enough.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Even on the assumption that his DE drops from 90%, a lazy 17-18 possessions is enough.

Yes and no. I would want 25 minimum, but that will come with time, no need to rush

 

[yaco55]

Yes and no. I would want 25 minimum, but that will come with time, no need to rush

Few of our midfielders average 25 possessions. You have big expectations.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Few of our midfielders average 25 possessions. You have big expectations.

Which is why we are coming 4th-8th. To go from there to a flag you need a couple in the Pendles/Swan/Beams area where they can get 30+ disposals. Look at Hawthorm, they have a similar trait. We need players with high disposal numbers and it helps if that number is on the back of a bloke that goes at 85-90% efficiency!

 

[The Bomb]

The one thing that is very difficult to coach is kicking ability with a few exceptions. We have got a guy that goes at 90% efficiency both short and long. What he must do is increase the 17-18 disposals to 28-30 disposals. That will come with a few pre seasons. Amazed we got him at 26.

In the Tac cup he averaged 26 possessions a game, this kid can find plenty of the ball.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

In the Tac cup he averaged 26 possessions a game, this kid can find plenty of the ball.

Which is a good starting point, realistically that is probably a 15 disposal in the VFL/AFL. Which is sort of what I am saying. He must increase his endurance to get that number to the 25-35 disposal area in an AFL setting. I feel we have an absolute gun in the making!

 

[The Bomb]

Which is a good starting point, realistically that is probably a 15 disposal in the VFL/AFL. Which is sort of what I am saying. He must increase his endurance to get that number to the 25-35 disposal area in an AFL setting. I feel we have an absolute gun in the making!

thing with Merrett is 20 possessions forward of centre could be quiet dangerous, 25+ that would be like having another Chapman on our hands.
The more I dig up on this kid as he was fairly unknown to me the more I like him, it will be fantastic watching his career unfold.