MERRETT, Jackson

Jackson Merrett was recruited by Essendon with pick 31 at the 2011 National Draft and made his senior debut against Collingwood at the MCG in Round 23 of the 2012 season.

The speedy half-foward/midfielder played 13 games in his second season and 14 in his third where he racked up a career-high 35 disposals and gained two Brownlow votes in a great performance against Carlton in Round 3. He won the Club's Lindsay Griffiths Rising Star award as the Best First Year Player in 2013.

His best season was 2015 when he played 15 games and kicked eight goals, but he began to find opportunities harder to come by. He won the Sir Doug Nicholls award in 2016 as the best player in the Sir Doug Nicholls Cup, a game played each year between the Essendon and Richmond VFL teams.

2017 was a forgettable year for him. He played no senior games and broke his leg against Collingwood in a VFL game in August, putting him on the long-term injury list.

He returned for two games in 2018, but spent most of the year in the VFL team where he finished fourth in the Best and Fairest award.

Merrett was delisted at the end of the 2018 season. He played for Peel Thunder in the WAFL until 2021 when he returned to Victoria to play for Ballarat.

His younger brother, Zach, made his Essendon debut in 2014 and became captain in 2023.