Retired Daniel Merrett (2002-2016)

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Lady Lawrence

Lady Lawrence

Premiership Player
Veteran
Apr 28, 2002
3,999
9
Brisbane
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Pick 30 in the 2002 National Draft

danielmerrett.jpg


Twitter

Summary:

* 'Mal Who' t-shirt (#10)
* not interested in testing his market value (#80)
* 2007 review (#92)
* only player to play every minute of the 2007 season (#107)
* 50th game (#136)
* pinch hitting in the ruck (#166)
* playing with broken hand (#169)
* 2008 review (#174)
* added to leadership group (#175)
* 2009 review (#232)
* hamstring injuries (#266)
* 100th game (#306)
* Hall leaves mental scars (#311)
* dominated by Tippett (#322)
* 2010 review (#347)
* breaks record for most spoils in a game (#372)
* Voss criticised for trying Merrett at full forward (#391)
* AFL investigates betting plunge on being the first goal kicker (#401)
* Merrett dominates Tippett (#403)
* not subtle enough in taking the ball out of bounds (#416)
* All Australian form (#450)
* acute stress fracture in his back (#428)
* placed on long term injury list (#462)
* 2011 review (#478)
* moved to the forward line (#521)
* five goals in a quarter (#590)
* 2012 review (#645)

Contract status:

2010 - 2013
-> 2012

Merrett-Murray Medal results:

2003: -
2004: -
2005: 24th (13.5 votes)
2006: 26th (9 votes)
2007: 8th (44 votes)
2008: 12th (27 votes)
2009: 15th (22.5 votes)
2010: 13th (21 votes)
2011: =9th (20.5 votes)
2012: =7th (25 votes)
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Coach's votes:

2010: 1
2011: 18
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Tribunal record:

* round 2, 2008 - engaging in rough conduct (125 demerit points reduced to 93.75)
* round 9, 2012 - first offence for engaging in a melee ($1600 reduced to $1200)
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Lion's bio
2002 AFL draft
footwire stats
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Merrett steps up down back

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Merrett steps up down back
10:42:29 PM Sat 2 September, 2006
Simon White
Exclusive to lions.com.au

Strange as he realises it sounds, Brisbane Lions youngster Daniel Merrett says he feels less pressure playing on the likes of Nick Riewoldt and Barry Hall than he did previously when lining up as a key forward.

As a forward, Merrett was something of a conundrum - his raw potential was there for all to see but the marks didn't always stick and the goals did not always arrive.

But as a defender he has been a revelation recently, neutralising Sydney powerhouse Hall last week and keeping Riewoldt quiet at the Gabba in the loss to St Kilda on Saturday night.

Statistics show Riewoldt had 17 possessions, but he rarely got to the football without Merrett in close attendance and did not make any real impact in contested marking situations.

"Before games, I thought there was a bit more pressure on me to perform (as a forward). It sounds a bit weird but I don't feel as much pressure in defence," Merrett explained.

"I know I've got a task to do down back - stop my man getting the ball. I try and keep things pretty simple. I think I've started to enjoy my footy, started to believe in myself a bit more and have a bit more confidence and back myself in a bit."

Not that Merrett believes he has made the grade as a top-line defender just yet. He realises he has much to learn - his late arrival to football from a touch rugby and volleyball background is well-known - and he plans on picking up a few tricks of the trade from Riewoldt and company, perhaps with a view to one day putting them to use in a return to the forward line.

"It's a major learning experience," he said.

"Playing on those guys, hopefully down the line I can use that for my forward line work as well. It's another step for me and I just keep learning."

Merrett's progress has not gone unnoticed by coach Leigh Matthews, who floated the idea of playing the 21-year-old in the defensive half of the ground several weeks back as the Lions tinkered with their line-up in the wake of champion centre-half-back Justin Leppitsch's retirement.

"Daniel Merrett has had a couple of good weeks as a big defender, so that is a really optimistic sign," Matthews told media after the St Kilda clash.

"He's relishing it and he's showing really good signs in a spot where we needed someone to come up - someone who is big and quick and has a chance of staying with the big fellas and then actually being strong in the contest when you do."

Having missed much of the 2004 season with glandular fever, Merrett's last two pre-seasons have had to be carefully monitored, let he become worn down and again fall ill.

He is now confident those worries are behind him and he looks forward to using the summer to build up his aerobic fitness, so that he can chase elite opposing forwards all over the ground in 2007.

"A major thing is my fitness. I need to get it up if I am going to be playing down there on a regular basis," Merrett admitted.

"It will be a big pre-season and I'll try and get some run in the legs so that I can play on those guys and stay with them when they get right up field. (In previous years) I tended to get sick when I got worn down and the body was under stress. But it's been a couple of years now and I think if I do all the right things off the field and look after myself, then I can have a big pre-season."
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Article

Matthews admitted he was greatly encouraged by two late-season performances from Merrett.
"Daniel played on Barry Hall and then Nick Riewoldt and in a well beaten side he did a very good job. As a defender they don't get any tougher than those two," Matthews said.
"He has the weight and size to match the big forwards and has remarkable speed off the mark for a player of his size. He's not far off the fastest players in the club over 20 metres."
Merrett is seen to be in the mould of the departed Michael but he has a long way to go to become one of the best fullbacks in the competition.
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I had been wondering if Merrett might have had a run at CHB like the end of last year given his athletic ability. Leigh however pretty much confirmed in the interview posted on the Lions main board that he is our new FB. Rates him as likely to be a "very, very good fullback". Big wrap for Strawb I hope he lives up to it. He was the guy I was expecting big things from last year up forward and he never delivered. Hopefully he doesn't do the same down back this year.
 
Quigley said:
I had been wondering if Merrett might have had a run at CHB like the end of last year given his athletic ability. Leigh however pretty much confirmed in the interview posted on the Lions main board that he is our new FB. Rates him as likely to be a "very, very good fullback". Big wrap for Strawb I hope he lives up to it. He was the guy I was expecting big things from last year up forward and he never delivered. Hopefully he doesn't do the same down back this year.
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Longer term, perhaps next year.

Frankly, I think we're putting out fires in various positions, so is we could put a line through FB for a while I think we're doing ok.

Strawb is a blend of brittle confidence and phenomenal athlete. If you keep giving him little, easy to understand tasks (body contact, punch from behind) his body will usually to the job without his head having to much to think about.

Move him up the ground and he's got blokes running left and right and back and forward. Much more likely to test his nerve than his body.
 
xplo said:
Longer term, perhaps next year.

Frankly, I think we're putting out fires in various positions, so is we could put a line through FB for a while I think we're doing ok.

Strawb is a blend of brittle confidence and phenomenal athlete. If you keep giving him little, easy to understand tasks (body contact, punch from behind) his body will usually to the job without his head having to much to think about.

Move him up the ground and he's got blokes running left and right and back and forward. Much more likely to test his nerve than his body.
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Spot on.
 
http://lions.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/5085/Default.aspx?newsId=40749

Dan the man relishes the challenge

By Simon White, for Brisbane Lions Football Club

News

LIFE as an AFL player doesn't get any easier week-to-week for Daniel Merrett, but the young Brisbane Lions full-back says he wouldn't have it any other way.

Having just kept St Kilda's ace forward Fraser Gehrig goalless and to only six possessions in Easter Thursday's 52-point Lions victory, Merrett was turning this thoughts to a renewal of acquaintances with Barry Hall and the Swans on Sunday week.

And it was with eager anticipation, rather than anxiousness, that he regarded the awaiting challenge.

"I actually look forward to the challenge every week and I'm thriving on it," Merrett explained.

"I get excited to know I'm taking the opposition's best forward and I'm really pumped on game days to do it.

"It's no good doubting yourself - you have to back yourself."

Merrett already has one personal victory to his credit over Hall, having outpointed the Sydney spearhead in Round 21 of last year. That match represented something of a watershed moment for the 22-year-old, who was a latecomer to AFL and had previously battled to nail down a spot in the Lions forward line, where he admitted to feeling some pressure.

"It was a little bit frustrating when I was playing up forward and you looked at Bradshaw and Brown - you were never going to knock those guys out of their positions because they are guns," Merrett said.

"It was a little bit frustrating being in and out of the team so it is satisfying to find a niche and have a role and play every week. The move down back was firstly done in reserves and I kind of felt like a duck to water - it's been great."

Last year Mal Michael was around to help out with some on-field tuition and in 2007 Merrett has the know-how of Justin Leppitsch to call upon, with the former All-Australian defender joining the Lions coaching staff.

Merrett was also quick to pay tribute to the club's sprint program and the Lions' midfielders and forwards, who he said made his job easier by applying pressure up the ground.

"I was always quickish but I think since getting to the club and doing the sprint work with a guy named Cliff Mallet, I've improved," he said.

"Getting my speed right up there has meant I can close those extra couple of metres when otherwise I might be out of the contest.

"Probably half the reason why the defence is doing so well has been the pressure the forwards and midfield are putting on the opposition. It's not coming down lace-out and they are under pressure when they are kicking it in. So 'ups' to the midfield and forwards because otherwise our job would be a lot harder."

That said, Merrett realises that there will come a match when an opponent gets the better of him. All he can do, he says, is make sure that forward is made to earn it.

"Leppa has talked to me about that. The day will happen when I get eight kicked on me," Merrett said.

"But as long as I'm trying and not giving up and I'm making them work for marks, that's the most important thing. It's like the NAB Cup Final against Brendan Fevola - he took some good grabs but I felt I made him earn his marks and that's all I can do."
 

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he's gonna be all-australian in his new role in the very near future. just has everything and will only get better.
 
Against St Kilda Merrett showed what he is capable at fullback. He is a big powerful man who is very quick for his size. He is not intimidated, does not get rattled by cheap shots or niggle and is very disciplined. As a consequence he is an incredibly hard match up for power forwards like Gehrig.

As with Michael I am not sure that Dan will ever get the number of stats to push him into an AA side but at the moment he looks like he has all the tools to be a premier fullback. That being said this week against the Saints he managed to pick up 16 possessions and 14 marks which are about as good a numbers as a fullback is likely to get. I must admit though most of these were in the last quarter whilst the Saints were in full flood to try and minimise the damage and the backs from Brisbane were padding out their own stats.

I want to start a count on goals kicked against Merret this year:

Week 1 - 0 goals kicked by his opponent.
Week 2 - 0 goals kicked by his opponent.

For me you can't ask much more of your fullback than that.
 
Quigley said:
I want to start a count on goals kicked against Merret this year:

Week 1 - 0 goals kicked by his opponent.
Week 2 - 0 goals kicked by his opponent.
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Yep, good call. As far as his year goes, it is the only stat I'm really interested in.
 
Goals scored on Strawb update:

Week 1 - 0
Week 2 - 0
Week 3 - 3

I am giving the 4th goal to Mills. Given that two of the goals were gifted by the umps Merrett didn't do too bad this week although there is no getting around the fact that Hall came back ahead.
 
Check out the date on this article. Today is 27th. It must be QLD daylight saving time. 24 hours ahead :D

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/sport/merrett-backing-himself/2007/04/27/1177459915226.html

Merrett relishes 'Mission Impossible'
Phil Lutton | April 28, 2007

When Leigh Matthews hands out his weekly assignments to the Brisbane Lions, Daniel Merrett is resigned to the fact his could well read 'Mission Impossible'.

The towering defender has the task of powering down some of AFL's biggest names week-in, week-out, already facing Barry Hall and Lance Franklin this season and likely to find himself shadowing Blues forward Brendan Fevola at the Telstra Dome on Saturday night.

But Merrett, all 196cm of him, says despite his lack of experience in senior footy, a growing feeling of self-belief means he's not a man to be intimidated - no matter whom he butts heads with.

"I think a lot of the time you can't go into the game doubting yourself. I think each week I'll back myself to put the pressure on and beat them in the contest," Merrett said.

"I know weeks are going to happen when it's not always going to go my way, and all I have to do is compete hard, make them earn their mark and make them beat me in the contest."

With only 19 games at the top level, Merrett has become a revelation at the back for the Lions and his burly physique and surprising speed makes him one of Leigh Matthews' most indispensable players.

Gold Coaster Merrett, 22, has been the rock on which Brisbane's impressive and youthful back six has been built, setting a defensive benchmark for the rest of the team.

"I think the reason why it gets brought up a lot is because we're such a young group. There wasn't much expectation put on us but it's surprised a few people that we're doing well down there," he said.

"I think we're all young and really enthusiastic and work well together and we all want to achieve.

"I think the communication, the camaraderie - we're all young and just the will to beat our opponents, it's very strong."

Merrett played almost of his junior football in the forward line or ruck and only shifted to the back last season in the reserves - a move he says was the best he ever made.

"When I was playing up forward I had guys like Daniel Bradshaw and Jonathan Brown in the positions I wanted to play in, and I was never going to knock them out of position. Since I moved down back I really feel like I belong.

"There's a spot there in the team where they kind of depend on me to beat my opponent each week so the team can succeed."

Merrett's presence at the back is deja vu for Lions fans who became accustomed to the presence of another flame-haired defender, Justin Leppitsch, now Brisbane's assistant coach.


Merrett said Leppitsch's tutelage had taken his game to new levels and enabled him to step up in the absence of defensive veteran Mal Michael, who controversially retired last season only to sign with Essendon.

"When I was playing down there with Mal last year, I felt like I needed someone down there to get me through a couple of seasons.

"But when Mal moved on I was really happy to hear that Lepper was on board and he's helped the whole defensive group massively."

In spite of his imposing frame, Merrett is one of the Lions quickest players over 20m and that pace gives him the ability to reel in opposing forwards on the lead.

"It's probably one of the main reasons why I can keep up with a full forward. He might slip in with a push and get an early lead on me, but because of my pace I might be able to catch up," he said.

"I was quickish but not lightning fast. Ever since I got to the club my first year was OK. It's only been in the last couple of years I've started to pick my speed up to be one of the better guys over 20m at the club."

Merrett says he thrives on the physical push-and-shove in the trenches, but keeps his thoughts to himself, even when opposing forwards start throwing some verbals in his direction.

"I'm not much of a talker myself. I tend to find if I start to talk things up it comes back to bite me in the arse.

"But if someone gets physical, I don't mind the physical part of it. I'm all for it. You've just got to adapt to the situation."
 
They can't seem to get it through their head that he played on Roughead, not Franklin... And wouldn't you mention holding Gehrig goalless in round 2 ???

With only 19 games at the top level, Merrett has become a revelation at the back for the Lions and his burly physique and surprising speed makes him one of Leigh Matthews' most indispensable players.
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He's played 28 games 'at the top level'.

Check your facts before you hit 'SUBMIT', Phil. It's not hard.
 
Grimreepah said:
Fev made the most of his opportunities early, but Big Red stuck with him, and in the end Fev was getting very frustrated.
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He is playing the old fashioned Fullback role to perfection isn't he ? He is doing a great job.
 
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