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

 

[LukeParkerno1]

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.

A smaller Chapman was the one that I originally compared him to, little quicker though, really rate this selection. Has things to work on but should play a bit next year

 

[The Bomb]

A smaller Chapman was the one that I originally compared him to, little quicker though, really rate this selection. Has things to work on but should play a bit next year

With his stats in the Tac cup, finishing 3rd in their B&F with just 6 games, i just can't understand how he was still available at pick #26, the only thing I can think of is if he tested poorly or his under18 champs games were below average, do you have any idea why?

 

[Old Campaigner]

Not sure, from Knightmare's thread I gathered that his endurance was a bit suspect (having done no preseasons due to cricket what do we expect?) and that maybe his kicking and decision making we the only really elite aspects of his game, making him a little one dimensional. A lot of the guys picked ahead of him had some sort of really outstanding aspects to their games such as massive endurance, freakish speed, or averaging 30+ disposals in the TAC. Add into the mix the clubs like Freo that were obliged to get players to fill a specific role such as talls rather than the best available and I think it is pretty reasonable to have a guy like Merrett slide.

Maybe he refused to be interviewed by teams his brother didn't play for too, who knows...

 

[billy hutch]

Well, if he's half as good as Thorold I'll be wrapped. He was one of the most skilled Pie players I ever saw. Running stab pass unbelievable. Good stuff comes out of Cobden.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

With his stats in the Tac cup, finishing 3rd in their B&F with just 6 games, i just can't understand how he was still available at pick #26, the only thing I can think of is if he tested poorly or his under18 champs games were below average, do you have any idea why?

No idea how he was available but I guess with so many mids someone had to slide, and luckily it was Merrett! EFC couldn't call his name out quick enough when he was available!

 

[VelvetSledge]

No idea how he was available but I guess with so many mids someone had to slide, and luckily it was Merrett! EFC couldn't call his name out quick enough when he was available!

But they took a good 20 minutes

 

[LukeParkerno1]

But they took a good 20 minutes

Just taking the mickey and laughing at the other 25 picks lol!

 

[Andronicus]

Just taking the mickey and laughing at the other 25 picks lol!

I thought they were just giving bigfooty a chance to load before they announced it.

Traffic was pretty heavy then.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

I thought they were just giving bigfooty a chance to load before they announced it.

Traffic was pretty heavy then.

What a nice group we are at EFC, I tell you!

On a serious note Efficiency >>>>> Disposals. Give me a Merrett at 25 disposals over Kelly at 25 disposals.

 

[BrunoV]

A smaller Chapman was the one that I originally compared him to, little quicker though, really rate this selection. Has things to work on but should play a bit next year

I've read this post a few times now and I can't get my head around the Z Merrett - Chapman comparison.

 

[Rack Watts]

I've read this post a few times now and I can't get my head around the Z Merrett - Chapman comparison.

It's the long torso, small legs, small arms, manlett who has good foot skills and vision thing I guess.
He reminds me more of Sam Mitchell though, mostly the way he moves.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

I've read this post a few times now and I can't get my head around the Z Merrett - Chapman comparison.

More talking of his ability with elite foot skills up forward more than anything

 

[Rack Watts]

More talking of his ability with elite foot skills up forward more than anything

and his underdeveloped limbs?

I shall call him "Z-Rex".

 

[The Bomb]

It's the long torso, small legs, small arms, manlett who has good foot skills and vision thing I guess.
He reminds me more of Sam Mitchell though, mostly the way he moves.

Didak has this body shape.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Zach Merrett wanted to be like his big brother so badly when Jackson got a new pair of footy boots or runners, he would ask for the same pair. At least that's how Jackson remembers it. ''I wouldn't say that's fully true,'' says Zach, after Jackson tells the story, before remembering he wore the exact same pair of boots this year. ''That wasn't copying,'' he says, smiling. ''They were comfy.''

On the night he was drafted to Essendon two years ago, Jackson wasn't as nervous as he might have been. He warned himself against getting his hopes up in the weeks and days leading up to it. Watching the draft last month, and waiting for his brother's name to be called, was a much more stressful experience.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/brothers-zach-and-jackson-merrett-to-play-with-the-bombers-20131208-2yzf1.html#ixzz2mwweGqUS​

 

[van peebles]

great pick up for your club
the merrett family of cobden are honest and good people
the boys have typical cobden bomber traits
hard at the ball,tuff as 10 men and never give up
good luck with him at your club for the next 10 years
hope he takes after tony merrett,local ledge

 

[The Bomb]

Do these 2 have the same father?

 

[Zach Package]

Like him, like him a lot. Poise, pace, efficiency, plus that tackle to set up Jake's second goal on the snap was ferocious, almost Jackson-esque!

he's basically Travis Colyer without any of Travis Colyer's weaknesses

 

[Loonerty]

Yep, looked really promising.

Looking forward to having the Merrett brothers roaming the forward line in future.

 

[VelvetSledge]

Would like him to be a Round 1 starter.

 

[eth-dog]

That left peg

 

[AlexEss]

Would like him to be a Round 1 starter.

straight onto my super coach bench!

 

[The Bomb]

Am i the only one who didn't rate his game tonight? fair enough he got a lot of the ball 17 touches but his Effective Disposal was very poor 41.2 DE% worst of any bomber player tonight. fail to see his "ELITE" skills. , in fact he had the worst Effective Disposal Percentage for the game. (inc suns players)

I guess you never seen his forward pressure, he laid 6 tackles, had 17 possessions and only played 56% game time, all this in his 1st hit out at AFL level.
I say it was a bloody good game for a 1st up performance.

 

[Zach Package]

that would also be his 9th or 10th game of real proper competitive footy.

Most of last year was him playing school footy for Melbourne grammar instead of playing at the Dragons, he played 6-7 TAC games (with the most votes per game played by a stretch) and then a couple in the champs. and he didn't play any sort of proper footy in 2012 as a lead in.

If this is the platform, then the upside is enormous

 

[dnbassador]

Gonna be a star the poise he had against the bigger bodies was great