View source for Thorold Merrett

{{Short description|Australian rules footballer}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Thorold Merrett
| image = Thorold Merrett.jpg
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1933|9|30|df=y}}
| birth_place = 
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| originalteam = [[Cobden Football Club|Cobden]] ([[Hampden Football Netball League|HFL]])
| height = <!-- ### cm -->
| weight = <!-- ### kg -->
| position = [[Wingman]]
| statsend = 1960
| years1 = 1950–1960
| club1 = [[Collingwood Football Club|Collingwood]]
| games_goals1 = 180 (148)
| careerhighlights = * 2x [[Collingwood Football Club|Collingwood]] [[Copeland Trophy|best and fairest]] 1958, 1959
* [[Collingwood Football Club|Collingwood]] 3rd best and fairest 1952
* [[Collingwood Football Club|Collingwood]] premiership side 1953, 1958
* [[Collingwood Football Club|Collingwood]] Team of the Century (wing)
* [[Collingwood Football Club|Collingwood]] Hall of Fame
| fullname = Thorold Merrett
| heightweight = 168 cm / 62 kg
| nickname = Titch
}}

'''Thorold Merrett''' (born 30 September 1933) is a former [[Australian rules football]]er who played in the [[Victorian Football League (1897–1989)|Victorian Football League]] (VFL) for {{AFL Col}}.

== Footballer ==
From the Victorian country town [[Cobden, Victoria|Cobden]], Merrett, a keen [[Richmond Football Club|Richmond]] fan, was a small footballer who wanted to play league football for the Tigers.

At 16 years of age, Merrett was rejected by Richmond legend [[Jack Dyer]] because of his light frame, but he was given another opportunity at [[Victoria Park, Melbourne|Victoria Park]], where he stood out in a set of practice games for [[Collingwood Football Club|Collingwood]] just before the 1950 season. It was initially thought by followers and players that he would be 'killed' because of his size (168&nbsp;cm, 59&nbsp;kg).

He made his debut for Collingwood in 1950. At the age of 16, he was one of the youngest players in the [[Australian Football League|VFL]]. Merrett played as a [[Winger (sports)|wingman]] and won respect for the accuracy and speed of his stab kick (which he had mastered on his farm as a kid by kicking stab passes through a suspended tyre).<ref>In [[Jack Dyer]]'s opinion, Merrett "could stab kick a footy right up a chook's arse from 50 yards" (Hanlon, 2013).</ref> He became one of the best players in the competition, despite his unusually small stature for a league footballer. In 1952, Merrett came equal sixth in the [[Brownlow Medal]], and won a top three finish in the [[Copeland Trophy]]. A year later he again finished in the top 10 in the [[Brownlow Medal]] and celebrated the 1953 premiership with the [[Collingwood Football Club|Magpies]], when he was one of the best players in the [[AFL Grand Final|Grand Final]].

In years that followed, Merrett performed consistently and he continued to be regarded as one of the best kicks in the league, as well as one of the best wingmen. He played in two losing Grand Finals in 1955 and 1956 (he had also played in the 1952 losing side). In 1958, Merrett changed roles to become a [[Rover (football)|Rover]], and it succeeded. He won the club [[Copeland Trophy|best and fairest]] and the [[Collingwood Football Club|Magpies]] also won the 1958 flag, in addition to being named best on ground. In 1959, he again starred as a rover, winning a second consecutive Copeland Trophy, and finished in the top 10 in the Brownlow Medal for a third time (Merrett ended up with 77 career Brownlow votes).

== Retirement ==
A second broken leg in 1960 saw Merrett miss most of the season and, due to doubts about the strength of his leg (the bone had not knitted perfectly), aged 26, he retired, feeling his best football was past. He played 180 games in 11 seasons and kicked 148 goals. He was also a dual best and fairest winner and premiership player, and Victorian representative on seven occasions.

He was a regular panelist on the [[ABC (Australian TV channel)|ABC's]] Football Round-up, where he and other panellists discussed the Saturday round of VFL football.

In 1997, he was included in the [[Collingwood Football Club]] Hall of Fame and Team of the Century, on the wing.

==Business==
Merrett formed a partnership with former Australian cricket captain [[Lindsay Hassett]]. The Merrett-Hassett sports stores had branches throughout Victoria. With the death of Hassett, Merrett went on to expand the stores. He later worked for [[Rebel (company)|Rebel Sport]], a sporting goods store that later listed on the [[Australian Securities Exchange|Australian Stock Exchange]]. In 2011, the business was taken over by the Super Retail Group.<ref>{{cite web | title=Our Journey | website=Super Retail Group | url=https://www.superretailgroup.com.au/about-us/our-journey/ | access-date=13 May 2023}}</ref>

==Family==
Current {{AFL Ess}} Captain [[Zach Merrett]] and his brother, former {{AFL Ess}} player [[Jackson Merrett|Jackson]] are Thorold's great nephews.<ref>[http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/draft-hopeful-jackson-merretts-worth-a-stab/story-e6frf9jf-1226178983930 Draft Hopeful Jackson Merretts Worth A Stab] ''Herald Sun'' {{dead link|date=May 2023}}</ref>

== Footnotes ==
{{Reflist}}

== References ==
*  Hanlon, P., [http://www.theage.com.au/afl/the-last-men-standing-20130320-2gf8s.html "The Last Men Standing"] ''The Age'', Wednesday, 20 March 2013

== External links ==
*{{AFL Tables | T/Thorold_Merrett }}
* {{AustralianFootball | thorold+merrett/7907 }}
* [http://boylesfootballphotos.net.au/Thorold+Merrett Boyle's Football Photos: Thorold Merrett]

{{1953 Collingwood premiership players}}
{{1958 Collingwood premiership players}}
{{Collingwood Team of The Century}}
{{Copeland Trophy}}
{{VFL/AFL club best and fairest winners in premiership years}}
{{1952 'Sporting Life' Team of the Year}}
{{1955 'Sporting Life' Team of the Year}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merrett, Thorold}}
[[Category:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state)]]
[[Category:Collingwood Football Club players]]
[[Category:Collingwood Football Club premiership players]]
[[Category:Cobden Football Club players]]
[[Category:Copeland Trophy winners]]
[[Category:Australian television personalities]]
[[Category:1933 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:VFL/AFL premiership players]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen]]