Zach Merrett

Zach Merrett (born 3 October 1995) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited by the Essendon Football Club with the 26th overall selection in the 2013 national draft.

Merrett made his debut in the opening round of the 2014 AFL season against North Melbourne. He was named as the substitute and came on late in the game, replacing Martin Gleeson. He was rewarded with a nomination for the 2014 AFL Rising Star after he collected 22 disposals, three tackles, and two goals in the round 11 win against Richmond.

The 2015 AFL season saw Merrett spend more time in the midfield. In August, following Essendon's 87-point loss to the Western Bulldogs in round 18, it was announced that he would miss the remainder of the season after scans revealed a major stress reaction in his foot.

In round 21, 2016, he became the third youngest match day captain in Essendon history when he led the side against Gold Coast at Etihad Stadium. Under his leadership, they won just their second match for the season, defeating the Suns by six points. In addition, he won the W. S. Crichton Medal as the clubs best and fairest player, becoming the youngest player in 35 years to win the award. A magnificent season was capped off by polling 19 votes in the 2016 Brownlow Medal. This was the 3rd most votes for a player whose team won 3 or less games, and the most for a Bombers player since Jobe Watson polled 30 votes.