He played a bad game because he was being tagged, despite having some good games whilst being tagged it’s still a weakness of his, hence teams still tagging him. He still played a fair bit of midfield to my eye.
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Yeah I just think he is a bit off in general atm.
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Maybe he’s just had enough of the coach’s frequent idiotic decisions.
Agree that he should be played forward if he’s gonna spend more time out of midfield.
He’s probably trying to engineer his departure seeing we are going nowhere fast
Zerrett, as a leader of the club, bears the same responsibility that Heppell and others have before him.
He isn’t in great form atm and is likely hindered. He doesn’t need to be excused nor should he be.
If, as you say, his poor form is due to not being happy with the coaching even though young players and others are putting in around him then that is a poor reflection on him.
Even though it is extremely unlikely that is the case.
He’s not ‘out of form’, he’s just finding out what a ■■■■ show it is for a half back at Essendon with literally nothing to kick to up field.
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I think he’s just embarrassed to win another Crichton. Trying to give Martin a crack
I have to applaud Merrett over the last couple of weeks. He’s been a real captain — sacrificing his own game due to perceived team needs.
He’s clearly read the Captain Class, it was a key part of his off-season trip to the US. One of its tenets of a championship team is a captain who sacrifices their own game for the good of the team. It helps set the right culture and dynamic.
Independent of whether it was the correct move to half-back (I’m not qualified to judge), this clearly indicates what the captain and coaching staff are trying to set up for future success.
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From Luke Hodge’s HOF speech re his move from mid to half back.
But the move to half-back in late 2008 was the final piece of the puzzle for Hodge and the Hawks.
Clarkson reasoned that while Hodge was doing all that was needed and more, they also had one too many midfielders whereas across half-back he could lead and direct and pierce the opposition with his brilliant field kicking. Add to that his toughness and occasional ‘unsociability’ and he was the complete footballer.
“It opened my eyes to parking your own ego on the side, do the best for the team and success will come,” he said.
Luke Hodge in action during the R11 match between Hawthorn and Essendon at Docklands in 2008. Picture: AFL Photos
“If we had been bundled out straight away that year, I probably would have gone back and told him he was a bloody liar,” he said with a laugh.
“But eventually that worked, and from then, it was always like, well, if it’s me or the team, it’s proven that sometimes you take a backward seat, still play your role and you can have success.”
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Merrett’s greatest strength is to take a split second to see an option out of the corner of his eye, get boot to ball quickly and hit that target. This is taken away in the backline. Play him in the middle pls.
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Has to be because we moved him to HB or the poor bloke has had enough of carrying the side on his back?
Needs the bye to reset and refresh imo
Had a shithouse game with the ball by his standards.
He started getting it back again late in the game. Don’t ruin the one sure thing we have pls Brad.
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The problem with him getting it at HB is that assuming he hits his target, it still needs to go through another few sets of hands before it’s in a dangerous position which at this club means it will be an unforced turnover.
We need him being the one delivering the ball into the forward line
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Has had a few of them this year.
Yeah the poor bloke, I mean the sacrifice he had to make for a TEAM sport, he deserves a pay rise, Oh hang on, didn’t he just get one. The club should ask for its money back, hes been very average, he sulks a little does Zac.
back in the guts please.
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Could be his own decision. Take one for the team development.
Probably ties in with the injury carnage down back