Zach Merrett from the Essendon Football Club is the Round 11 NAB AFL Rising Star nominee.
The small midfielder/forward booted two goals in his best game for the Bombers against Richmond in the Dreamtime at the G match last Saturday night.
Zach, 18, debuted in Round One and has played seven AFL games. He has found some good form over the past month kicking two goals against the Brisbane Lions and racking up 19 possessions against the Sydney Swans.
Zach Merrett is available for interview tomorrow:
Tuesday June 3 at 8.30am
True Value Solar Centre, 275 Melrose Drive, Melbourne Airport
Essendon coach Mark Thompson said Zach’s hunger to play senior football has seen him earn a regular berth in the Bomber’s forward line.
“We’ve been really pleased with the way Zach has adapted to the rigours and demands of AFL football. We took a gamble and played him in Round One and we’ve been really impressed with the way he attacks the football and takes the game on,” Thompson said.
“Zach is a terrific young man who comes from a great family. His brother Jackson is also at the club and they are two very competitive individuals. If Zach continues to work hard, if he trains and plays with the same enthusiasm and hunger, then he could have a very successful career at Essendon.”
Zach was Essendon’s first selection in the 2013 NAB AFL Draft (section 26 overall). Hailing from Cobden in regional Victoria, he was a talented cricketer and made his senior football debut for the Cobden Football Club aged just 16.
He relocated to Melbourne after receiving a scholarship from Melbourne Grammar and played with the Sandringham Dragons in the TAC Cup last year. He averaged 18.4 disposals playing every game for Vic Country in the 2013 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships.
Zach also proved he has great awareness at the 2013 NAB AFL Draft Combine when he topped the decision-making test.
Zach is the first Essendon player to be nominated since Jake Carlisle in Round Nine 2012.
Following each round of the home and away season, a panel of judges will select a NAB AFL Rising Star nominee. At the completion of the season, one of these nominees will be chosen as the 2014 NAB AFL Rising Star.
The 2014 NAB AFL Rising Star winner will be awarded the Ron Evans Medal and a $20,000 personal investment folio and a dedicated personal banker, courtesy of NAB.
NAB continues to grow the game by recognising the junior clubs that helped foster the early careers of the nominated players. Each of the 23 clubs will receive a NAB Club Recognition Award valued at $2,500, comprising financial and practical resources. Since supporting the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, NAB has donated over $660,000 worth of resources to junior football clubs through this initiative.
The NAB AFL Rising Star is part of the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, which supports grassroots players and football communities and helps young Australians fulfil their dream of playing in the AFL.
NAB has been Footifying Australia since 2002 through the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program which comprises the following elements:
- NAB AFL Rising Star
- NAB AFL Draft
- NAB AFL Draft Combine
- NAB AFL Under-18 Championships
- AFL National Academies
- NAB AFL Under-16 Championships
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