The Merrett-Murray Medal, awarded to the Brisbane Lions’ best and fairest player at the annual Club Champion dinner, is named after Roger Merrett and Kevin Murray who were icons of the Bears and Fitzroy respectively.
Merrett, who was inducted into the Lions Hall of Fame earlier this year, is not only the Bears’ games and goals record-holder, but his seven seasons as Brisbane’s Captain is the equal third longest rein in the Club’s combined history – behind only Legends Michael Voss (10 years) and Murray (eight years).
Murray is one of only three official Lions Legends – along with Voss and Haydn Bunton – and holds the all-time Club record for most senior matches played with 333.
Murray also boasts an equal VFL/AFL record nine best and fairest awards with Fitzroy – which is three times the amount won by recently retired Lions champions (and future Hall of Fame Legends) Simon Black and Jonathan Brown.
Brown’s mid-season retirement means there are only two active players on the Lions’ list who have previously taken home the Club’s highest individual honour – Tom Rockliff (in 2011) and Joel Patfull (in 2012 and 2013).
Not surprisingly, both Rockliff and Patfull will be among the leading contenders heading into the 2014 Merrett-Murray Medal count.
First-year Senior Coach Justin Leppitsch hinted earlier this season that the voting system from previous years would be amended slightly, so it remains to be seen how this potential change could affect how players and their roles are viewed by the Match Committee.
But for now, there’s no reason why we can’t begin to speculate on who might be in with a chance to claim the Medal in September.
Rockliff would be a strong contender to claim his second Club Championship, considering he leads the Lions in a number of key statistics and boasts career-best averages in disposals (29.3 per game), tackles (9.1), and clearances (6.1).
On the other hand, the Lions Vice-Captain has also missed three senior matches due to a combination of suspension and illness.
It might not sound like much in the context of an entire season, but history suggests that a player’s chances of winning lessen considerably with each game that he misses.
In fact, no player in the history of the Merrett-Murray Medal (17 years) has won the award after playing less than 20 matches.
So Rockliff, who can only reach a maximum of 19 games should he stay fit and healthy in the final six rounds, will re-write history if he proves successful on the night.
He will have some stiff competition in Patfull, who will be eyeing off a remarkable hat-trick of Medals.
The no-fuss defender probably started the season off a little slowly, but has recaptured his best form in recent months.
Statistics might not do justice the 29-year-old’s considerable impact on games, but his importance isn’t lost on his teammates, coaches, and the fans.
If Patfull reigns supreme once again, he will become just the sixth player in the Club’s combined history to win a hat-trick of best and fairest awards – joining Kevin Murray, Jonathan Brown, Norm Brown, Garry Wilson, and Allan Ruthven.
There is also a genuine chance that the Lions could be crowning a first-time Club Champion, with Dayne Zorko, Pearce Hanley, and Jed Adcock all staking their claim for a maiden title.
Zorko hasn’t missed a match so far this season and, like Rockliff, is averaging career-best numbers – with the exception being in front of goals where he hasn’t been quite as productive in 2014.
And with top 10 finishes in each of his first two seasons (including an equal fourth placing last year) you would expect ‘The Zork’ will be right in the mix.
Captain Adcock is another Lion who has played every match in 2014, and continues to be a rock in the team’s relatively inexperienced defence.
He is no stranger to Club Champion night with a couple of podium finishes (in 2007 and 2005).
Another player with a good best and fairest history is Hanley, who has gradually climbed the Merrett-Murray leaderboard in recent years.
The Irishman finished fourth in 2011, third in 2012, and was Runner-Up to Patfull last year. If the sequence continues as it has over the past three years, he might finally get the chocolates in 2014.
Hanley has been a bit hot and cold this season, but when he’s ‘on’, he can be one of the most damaging players in the competition.
He has collected 30 or more disposals four times this season and has twice equalled his personal best possession tally of 34 over the past month.
On the other hand, he has also been held to an equal career-low total of just nine touches twice this season.
Or will the team’s leading goal-kicker, Josh Green, poll enough votes to take home the Merrett-Murray Medal?
Green is on track for his best AFL season, and has remained supremely consistent throughout. A couple of games missed due to a hamstring strain early in the season might not help his cause, but it’s nothing a few big bags of goals in the final six rounds won’t fix.
It’s also not out of the question that the Medal finishes up around the neck of a player who’s still in the early stages of his AFL development.
Justin Clarke, Lewy Taylor, and Marco Paparone have all featured in every match so far this season and regularly perform their role for the team, while South Australian pair Sam Mayes and James Aish could secure the honour well ahead of their time.
Even if the Medal eludes the young players mentioned above in 2014, you would expect their names will regularly feature high on the leaderboard for many years to come.
Meanwhile, Jack Redden’s untimely leg injury not only broke his streak of 112 consecutive games from debut, but it will probably also limit his chances of a fifth straight top five finish in the Merrett-Murray Medal.
There’s no doubt Redden would have again been vying for one of the top spots at the Lions’ ‘night of nights’ had he remained healthy, but 14 matches simply won’t be enough for him to mount a serious challenge.
The Brisbane Lions’ Club Champion Dinner will be held on Friday 5 September at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. For further information or bookings, please call 07 3335 1717 or email sales@lions.com.au
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