Australian Football

AustralianFootball.com Celebrating the history of the great Australian game

 

Key Facts

Full name
Leonard Merrett

Known as
Leo Merrett

Born
5 April 1920

Died
18 October 1976 (aged 56)

Age at first & last AFL game
First game: 20y 50d
Last game: 29y 144d

Height and weight
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 73 kg

Senior clubs
Richmond

Jumper numbers
Richmond: 22

Family links
Dave Baxter (Brother-in-law)Thorold Merrett (Cousin)Roger Merrett (Cousin)Bailey Smith (Great grandson)

Leo Merrett

Advanced stats
ClubLeagueCareer spanGamesGoalsAvgWin %AKIAHBAMKBV
RichmondV/AFL1940-1949170530.3163%———30
Total1940-1949170530.3163%———30

AFL: 4,802nd player to appear, 960th most games played, 1,940th most goals kickedRichmond: 391st player to appear, 53rd most games played, 143rd most goals kicked

Wingman Leo Merrett made his league debut with Richmond as a 20-year-old in 1940, and it was soon obvious that the Tigers had procured a footballer of rare quality. Boasting exhilarating pace and fine all round skills, he was a star performer throughout the war years and beyond, and had played a total of 170 VFL games and kicked 53 goals by the time he retired in 1949.

In 1943 Merrett was a key contributor to the Tigers' five-point Grand Final victory over Essendon, having been arguably his side's best player in the previous season's loss against the same opposition. He also played in the losing Grand Final of 1944 against Fitzroy. Winner of Richmond's best and fairest award in 1942 and 1944, and a VFL interstate representative on four occasions, Merrett would presumably have been a strong contender for one of the wing positions in the Tigers' official 'Team of the Century', but the selectors, faced with an unenviable task in choosing between such an abundance of noteworthy players, plumped for Dick Clay and Francis Bourke.

Author - John Devaney

Sources

Full Points Footy Publications

Footnotes

* Behinds calculated from the 1965 season on.
+ Score at the end of extra time.