AFL Player # 7: Indefatigable Zach Merrett (c) - Your ANZAC Day Medallist - 25/4

[Beerfish]

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

 

[RedmanWasHere]

Not bad for a guy selected in the 20's in 2013.

 

[faible]

We're incredibly lucky he's more Kobe than LeBron.

 

[mcgrath_truther]

quite literally the only thing Zach doesn't have in his game is goal kicking.

was great to see him snag 3 on a game.

guys just a weapon.

nah, i reckon his goalkicking is good, he often times goes for the unselfish option, which is a rarity. he kicked 3 on the weekend, two of which were unbelievable. i think his problem is is just the accuracy, as he rarely has a problem hitting the scoreboard to some degree.

he's a team player through and through, i love him

 

[bombreys]

From being voted out of the team leadership group to AA skip - get around him

 

[HirdsTheWord]

nah, i reckon his goalkicking is good, he often times goes for the unselfish option, which is a rarity. he kicked 3 on the weekend, two of which were unbelievable. i think his problem is is just the accuracy, as he rarely has a problem hitting the scoreboard to some degree.

he's a team player through and through, i love him

dont get me wrong, i love him also but he avg's 0.3 goals per game for his career.

on the lower side of other elite Mids.

 

[mcgrath_truther]

dont get me wrong, i love him also but he avg's 0.3 goals per game for his career.

on the lower side of other elite Mids.

yeah you're not wrong, i just think that he's never been bad at goal kicking, just doesn't slot too many

 

[Lance Uppercut]

goal kicking is pretty much the only thing that he isn't now completely elite at. It's been more than a bit frustrating to see someone who is such a good field kick not get the goals he often should. Was saying that to my boy early on Sat night. To then see him get the 3 goals was just magic and if he could do something approaching that somewhat regularly... heck me dead... Zach Merrett as a goal scoring mid on top of everything else would be absolutely outrageous

 

[doug85]

Another 10 coaches votes for Zach. 8 behind Heeney. Must be close to leading the Brownlow

 

[Zach Package]

Heeney had a 27 vote lead at one stage and Merrett has mown him down at warp speed

 

[VelvetSledge]

Heeney had a 27 vote lead at one stage and Merrett has mown him down at warp speed

That is a ridiculous stat, considering Heeney is still polling most games

 

[Zach Package]

That is a ridiculous stat, considering Heeney is still polling most games

A month ago Merrett was on 13 and Heeney was on 41.

Merrett is now on 47 and in clear second place and Heeney is on 55.

 

[jmoo wan]

Heeney is a knob though

 

[Mr Bultitude]

From being voted out of the team leadership group to AA skip - get around him

Reckon that says more about those around him than it does for Zach.

It always struck me as a good thing how he gravitated towards Goddard.

 

[Kong]

Reckon that says more about those around him than it does for Zach.

It always struck me as a good thing how he gravitated towards Goddard.

I maintain Goddard was a hypocritical leader.

Not unlike the way McGrath and co. lead last year, in being quick to direct but didn't defend themselves.

Goddard would make a great coach, in my view, because he was good at barking orders.

 

[faible]

I maintain Goddard was a hypocritical leader.

Not unlike the way McGrath and co. lead last year, in being quick to direct but didn't defend themselves.

Goddard would make a great coach, in my view, because he was good at barking orders.

I felt we played the most hard-working team first football in 2016 out of pretty much any season in the last decade while he was Captain.

Maybe it was because they were top-ups desperate to get on a list, maybe it was Goddard, who knows.

 

[fairbump_playon]

im still in disbelief that he was turfed out of the leadership group for joey and Raz, just shows where the club was then and how much work was required to change the culture.
Side note: also think the way woosh was not fussed with pushing goddard out was a sign of the poor culture. Goddard and Zach were great for the club during the 2016 season and they both have a high expectation of themselves as well as others which can rub some the wrong way, we needed people like that around the club holding others accountable.

Not a knock on Dys who I think has also helped the club a lot in his own way, I just think the two style complimented each other (as we are seeing this year).

Well another way to see it is that getting kicked out of the leadership group was the making of him as a better leader and footballer.

He was always very hungry but maybe needed to refine his methods a bit to get where he is now.

 

[faible]

Well another way to see it is that getting kicked out of the leadership group was the making of him as a better leader and footballer.

He was always very hungry but maybe needed to refine his methods a bit to get where he is now.

It's probably worked out ok, but kicking him out was a real weird time. Daniher & Fantasia in the leadership group was also a real weird time looking back.

 

[Don Won]

It's probably worked out ok, but kicking him out was a real weird time. Daniher & Fantasia in the leadership group was also a real weird time looking back.

I think Zach has acknowledged that he wasn’t going about it the right way. Like most failures, if you learn from it you come back better - and he has.

 

[JayJ20]

For the sake of having a laugh, Champion Data has Bailey Dale

31

Bailey Dale

Age

27

Ht

188cm

Wt

85kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.2

3star

K

7.6

3star

HB

5.6

4star

M

3.1

3star

T

1.6

4star

MG

117.4

2star

D

9.0

2star

K

5.1

2star

HB

3.9

3star

M

2.3

2star

T

1.7

3star

MG

117.4

2star

D

8.0

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

3.0

3star

M

1.4

2star

T

2.0

4star

rated 3rd in the competition this year and Zach Merrett is rated 70th.

 

[DERO]

3

He was blinded

 

[cAsEy_18]

I genuinely don’t think Merrett could care less about the fact that he’ll have to be sober when giving his Brownlow acceptance speech this year.

 

[DERO]

Not bad for a guy selected in the 20's in 2013.

Another Dodoro win! Can’t believe people want him out of the club!

 

[ant555]

The part I like the best is his physical game in the midfield has also gone next level. Durham and Caldwell have added something for sure but Zach has also stepped it up .

 

[bombreys]

Another 10 coaches votes for Zach. 8 behind Heeney. Must be close to leading the Brownlow

I think he could be leading.

Heeney is competing with Warner and Gulden, proven pollers.

Parish has only really come good the past fortnight, and even then hasn’t been as good as Merrett (imo). If I had to guess, I’d say the B&F would be Merrett, McKay, Durham & Martin - I personally would have them top 4 - with McGrath, Caldwell and maybe Langford and Stringer in the level below those first four. Obviously that’s just a guess. But I don’t think any of those guys are going to steal votes from Zachy. Durham might pinch a few (and don’t get me wrong, he’s been unreal), but in past years it’s taken the umps a season to notice most players (meaning I think Durham’s more likely to start polling votes next year).

I think he’s a genuin shot.

 

[I Remember Bluey]

I think he could be leading.

Heeney is competing with Warner and Gulden, proven pollers.

Parish has only really come good the past fortnight, and even then hasn’t been as good as Merrett (imo). If I had to guess, I’d say the B&F would be Merrett, McKay, Durham & Martin - I personally would have them top 4 - with McGrath, Caldwell and maybe Langford and Stringer in the level below those first four. Obviously that’s just a guess. But I don’t think any of those guys are going to steal votes from Zachy. Durham might pinch a few (and don’t get me wrong, he’s been unreal), but in past years it’s taken the umps a season to notice most players (meaning I think Durham’s more likely to start polling votes next year).

I think he’s a genuin shot.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/champion-data-brownlow-tracker-max-gawn-surges-into-contention-see-the-top-20/news-story/2bdf38c07bdec076e5b68e8cdcf0db33

CHAMPION DATA’S BROWNLOW MEDAL PREDICTOR​

1. Isaac Heeney (Syd) 9.6 votes ($4 TAB odds)
2. Patrick Cripps (Carl) 9.2 ($8)
3. Zach Merrett (Ess) 8.8 ($8)
4. Max Gawn (Melb) 8.7 ($34)
5. Caleb Serong (Frem) 8.4 ($11)
6. Nick Daicos (Coll) 8.1 ($11)
7. Errol Gulden (Syd) 7.9 ($21)
8. Marcus Bontempelli (WB) 7.8 ($13)
9. Chad Warner (Syd) 7.2 ($41)
10. Josh Kelly (GWS) 6.6 ($151)
11. Matt Rowell (GC) 6.5 ($21)
12. Jack Steele (St K) 6.5 ($51)
13. Tom Green (GWS) 6.4 ($11)
14. Noah Anderson (GC) 6.4 ($26)
15. Christian Petracca (Melb) 6.4 ($21)
16. Connor Rozee (PA) 6.1 ($26)
17. Nic Martin (Ess) 6.1 ($151)
18. Andrew Brayshaw (Frem) 5.9 ($67)
19. Jason Horne-Francis (PA) 5.9 ($81)
20. Lachie Neale (BL) 5.8 ($34)