"Old Time Tiger Hero's" Leo Merrett
Leo Merrett
(5 April 1920-18 October 1976)
Leo Merrett played with the Mighty Richmond Tigers between 1940-49, he played 170 games, played in a winning Tigers side 107 times and kicked 53 goals.
Leo came to Richmond from Nhill in 1940 and he won Richmond's BF 1942, 1944 and ran 2nd in 1945-46.
He was vice-captain in 1946. Leo was a member of the 1943 premiership side and the 1942, '44 grand final teams and also represented Victoria 4 times. Captain-coach of Albury, 1950-52, Howlong 1953 he is related to Thorold Merrett (Collingwood), Roger Merrett (Essendon, Brisbane), Glen Hawker (Essendon, Carlton) and is the brother-in-law of David Baxter (Richmond, 47 games). As a wingman Leo Merrett made his VFL debut with the Richmond Tigers as a twenty year old in 1940 in the round 6 clash with Fitzroy, 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, by the time Leo retired in 1949 he had written his name well into the Tigers history books.
In 1943 he 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. 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. – Leo died while playing tennis, on the 18th of October 1976 (aged 56).
