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Essendon's chief destroyer in the first quarter was Crameri who bamboozled Lions vice-captain Daniel Merrett with his mobility.
But Crameri was in the wars from then on as he was slammed into the ground on two occasions through tackles by Lions defender Daniel Merrett, with both incidents possible attracting the attention of the match review panel come Monday.
But it was an innocuous clash between Merrett and Crameri early in the last quarter that will have Bombers' fans sweating as the Essendon key forward went down in a tangle of legs with his opponent before immediately clutching at his knee and being helped from the field.
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Before injuring his back last year, Daniel Merrett was the equal of any full-back in the competition. He started 2012 as a pinch-hitting forward and ruckman and struggled in the opening quarter against when pushed back against Stewart Crameri last week. The Lions are at their best when their No. 1 defender is in form, and Merrett will need to be in peak condition to curtail Travis Cloke and Chris Dawes.
An ongoing question for Voss is where to play Daniel Merrett. With Matt Maguire having a strong season at fullback, Merrett has been preferred forward. Against Collingwood he struggled to get involved, finishing with six disposals, and getting the best out of the rock-solid Merrett is a key to the Lions succeeding.
BRISBANE Lion defender-turned-forward Daniel Merrett has kicked a career-best seven goals to spearhead his team back into the winner's circle with a 92-point drubbing of Greater Western Sydney at the Gabba. Merrett kicked five of his goals in a staggering first quarter display - and missed a sixth after the siren - to pave the way for the 19.18 (132) to 5.10 (40) victory.
Merrett was moved from his usual full-back post this season by coach Michael Voss and repaid the faith, racking up 23 disposals and 12 marks in his day out. His first quarter was sublime, snapping his first goal from a pack, then leading onto precise passes from captain Jonathan Brown (twice), Simon Black and Jed Adcock and finishing set shots from all angles.
Sauce unbottled - DANIEL Merrett's struggles as a forward in 2012 were forgotten in an incredible first term that netted five goals (he ended with seven). A vindication of Michael Voss's refusal to send his vice-captain to more familiar territory in defence? Perhaps. The proviso to Merrett's heroics is that they came against an under-strength Giants. Unkind to point out, perhaps, but the Lions will want more goals against better opposition before the tactic can be said to have paid off.
Big ranga Merrett finally answered the critics calling for him to return to his regular position at fullback by kicking five goals in the opening term - and seven for the match. Merrett's previous best was three goals in 2005.
Voss said although moving the 27-year-old to the forward line was originally a short-term move, he was now re-considering his options.
"We've been tested a bit to try and change it but we've stuck with it because we think it offers something," Voss said.
"It's probably taken a few weeks to adjust but he (Merrett) was on fire in that first quarter and kicked a bag himself, which was good for his form."
Voss said he was not concerned by criticism for taking Merrett away from his favoured position and praised the red-haired powerhouse on his team-first focus.
"His value to our team has always been as a full-back but as a leader to be able to step up and take that role when in reality he has a preference to play somewhere else … but ask him today whether he wants to be a back or forward."
“Brisbane, whose first quarters haven’t been that good, they really got out of the box and to think Merrett was going to kick six or seven goals, wow, he’s had a big day out, hasn’t he,” he said.
“He did very well in the early part of the game.
“I was going to take Tim Mohr off Merrett, but he wanted to stay on him, so I thought, well that’s pretty good. A young guy who’s played no games before this season and he’s going to play on about a 130-140-game player and he’s just been smacked around the ears and he said I want to beat this. And I like that attitude to be honest.”
"Rodge will get a lot of confidence out of that," Brown said after the victory. "The injury to (ruckman) Matty Leuenberger has brought this on and, with Rodge helping out in the ruck, he's got to play forward. I'm sure he'd love to be back in defence, but he is doing well up there and was rewarded with a bag."
Question: Hi Ash, great game against GWS. How about big Rog! Does he have a big head after his bag of seven?
It was a good game. Always good to get a win, but we need to keep that consistency up. Big Rog did play well and kicked his seven - it was nice after a few weeks of getting bagged and copping a bit from the media that he was able to kick a bag. He hasn’t got a big head. Well, he already has a big head, but I doubt it’ll get any bigger.
The most pleasing aspect has to be Daniel Merrett's seven goals. Not only his goals but just his authority that he stamped on the game. When he went into the ruck he had some really good marks around the ground as well. So for him to do that and kick straight, he'll take a lot of confidence out of the game heading into this week.
