Gary Merrington
Footscray
AFL career
174 games46 goals
- Debut
- R3 1966 v GEE7 May 1966
- Most recent
- R19 1975 v STK9 Aug 1975
Stats
1975 | FSC | 17 | 6.4 | 1.1 | 7.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
1974 | FSC | 21 | 8.6 | 2.2 | 10.9 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
1973 | FSC | 20 | 8.5 | 0.9 | 9.3 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 0.6 |
1972 | FSC | 20 | 8.4 | 1.2 | 9.6 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
1971 | FSC | 18 | 8.8 | 1.9 | 10.8 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 0.2 |
1970 | FSC | 22 | 12.3 | 1.3 | 13.6 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
1969 | FSC | 17 | 10.9 | 1.4 | 12.3 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 1.9 | 0.2 | 0.4 |
1968 | FSC | 17 | 11.0 | 1.4 | 12.4 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
1967 | FSC | 9 | 5.7 | 0.4 | 6.1 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 0.9 |
1966 | FSC | 13 | 7.6 | 0.8 | 8.4 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.9 |
STK | WO | R19 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
ESS | WH | R18 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0.0 |
NTH | WO | R17 | 12 | 2 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.1 |
COL | VP | R16 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
GEE | WO | R15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
RCH | MCG | R14 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
CAR | PP | R11 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.? |
SME | WP | R10 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 5 | - | 0.0 |
HAW | WO | R9 | 14 | 1 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 1 | - | 0.1 |
STK | MO | R8 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | - | 0.0 |
ESS | WO | R7 | 9 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 0 | - | 0.0 |
NTH | AS | R6 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | - | 0.0 |
COL | WP | R5 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | - | 0.0 |
RCH | WO | R4 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | 0.0 |
GEE | KP | R3 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | 0.0 |
FIT | WO | R2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | - | 0.0 |
MEL | MCG | R1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | 0.0 |
Bio
Recruited from local side West Footscray, Gary Merrington developed into a stalwart defender for the Bulldogs across a decade of service at the elite level. Debuting in 1966, he quickly found his niche in the backline, where his discipline and close-checking style made him a reliable option at fullback or in the back pocket. While he occasionally drifted forward to contribute on the scoreboard—managing 46 majors over his career—his primary value lay in his ability to quell opposition attacks during a period where the club often struggled for consistency.
Merrington remained a loyal one-club player throughout his tenure at the Western Oval, culminating in a significant role during the 1974 season where Footscray broke a long finals drought to reach the elimination final. He retired at the end of 1975 with 174 games to his name, leaving a legacy as a durable and understated defender who held the fort during a challenging era for the club.
Profile
- Born
- 19 Nov 1946
- Died
- 10 Dec 2024 (aged 78y 21d)
- Height
- 187 cm
- Weight
- 85 kg
Teams
Family
Bio
1 revisionRecruited from local side West Footscray, Gary Merrington developed into a stalwart defender for the Bulldogs across a decade of service at the elite level. Debuting in 1966, he quickly found his niche in the backline, where his discipline and close-checking style made him a reliable option at fullback or in the back pocket. While he occasionally drifted forward to contribute on the scoreboard—managing 46 majors over his career—his primary value lay in his ability to quell opposition attacks during a period where the club often struggled for consistency.
Merrington remained a loyal one-club player throughout his tenure at the Western Oval, culminating in a significant role during the 1974 season where Footscray broke a long finals drought to reach the elimination final. He retired at the end of 1975 with 174 games to his name, leaving a legacy as a durable and understated defender who held the fort during a challenging era for the club.