Daniel Merrett is an Australian rules football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

er in the Australian Football League

Australian Football League

The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

 and fullback

Fullback (Australian rules football)

In Australian rules football, the fullback position has traditionally been a purely defensive role, with the aim of preventing the full-forward from marking the ball and scoring. However, in recent times, where the ability to move the ball out of defence and down the field quickly has become a more...

  for Brisbane Lions.

Merrett was born in Adelaide

Adelaide

Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...

, but moved to the Gold Coast

Gold Coast, Queensland

Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...

 with his family at a young age. A talented schoolboy rugby

Rugby football

Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...

 player, he was identified as a potential Australian rules footballer by AFL Queensland

AFL Queensland

AFL Queensland is the governing body of Australian rules football in Queensland. It was formed in 2000 after the previous governing body for the sport in Queensland, the Queensland Australian Football League , went into voluntary liquidation...

 junior development scouts due to his imposing frame and ball-handling skills, and was groomed as a key forward with the Southport Sharks. He was recruited by the Brisbane Lions

Brisbane Lions

The Brisbane Lions is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Brisbane, Queensland. The club was formed from the merger of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions in 1996...

 with the number 30 draft pick in the 2002 AFL Draft

2002 AFL Draft

The 2002 AFL Draft consisted of a pre-season draft, a national draft, a trade period and the elevation of rookies. The AFL Draft is the annual draft of talented players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League.In 2002...

 but took several years to develop sufficiently to make his debut in Round 2, 2005 against Port Adelaide

Port Adelaide Football Club

The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...

.

Daniel Merrett is well known for his trade mark spoils and his long hand ball.
He is often compared to Brisbane Lions champion Justin Leppitsch

Justin Leppitsch

Justin "Leppa" Leppitsch is a former Australian rules footballer who was a key defender for the Brisbane Lions.Leppitsch played with the Hawthorn Under 19s as a 16-year old in 1991, however did not make the Hawks' senior list...

.

He is no relation to former Essendon and Brisbane full forward Roger Merrett.

Positions

Daniel Merrett used to play as a full forward, centre half forward or half forward flank in his early career but now he regularly plays as a fullback. He was the defender with the most spoils in the 2007 season.

External links