Harvey Merrigan
Fitzroy
AFL career
197 games18 goals
- Debut
- R6 1969 v ESS10 May 1969
- Most recent
- R19 1981 v GEE8 Aug 1981
Stats
1981 | FIT | 2 | 5.0 | 0.5 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 1.0 |
1980 | FIT | 2 | 6.5 | 4.0 | 10.5 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
1979 | FIT | 19 | 9.5 | 2.7 | 12.2 | 3.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 |
1978 | FIT | 20 | 7.3 | 2.0 | 9.2 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
1977 | FIT | 15 | 8.9 | 2.8 | 11.7 | 4.6 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
1976 | FIT | 18 | 8.7 | 2.5 | 11.2 | 3.4 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.1 |
1975 | FIT | 16 | 6.5 | 1.9 | 8.3 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
1974 | FIT | 21 | 9.8 | 2.6 | 12.4 | 3.6 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
1973 | FIT | 21 | 8.5 | 1.4 | 9.9 | 3.2 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
1972 | FIT | 21 | 9.1 | 1.6 | 10.8 | 3.2 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
1971 | FIT | 21 | 9.7 | 1.0 | 10.7 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
1970 | FIT | 14 | 8.9 | 1.9 | 10.7 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.7 |
1969 | FIT | 7 | 6.4 | 0.7 | 7.1 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
Bio
Recruited from Hampton Park, Harvey Merrigan became the defensive anchor of the Fitzroy side throughout the 1970s. A barrel-chested and uncompromising full-back, he was renowned for his ability to quell the influence of the era's most dangerous forwards, regularly matching up against the likes of Peter Hudson and Peter McKenna. His reliability and close-checking style saw him crowned the club's Best and Fairest in 1974, a rare feat for a deep defender, and he was later honoured with selection on the interchange bench in Fitzroy's Team of the Century.
Merrigan's standing at the Lions was further cemented when he was appointed captain for the 1978 season, although injury unfortunately ruled him out of the club's night premiership victory that year. While primarily known for his defensive grimness, he owns a unique slice of VFL history; in 1979, he drifted forward to kick the goal that saw Fitzroy eclipse the league's all-time highest score record against Melbourne. Despite the club's desperate efforts to get their stalwart to the 200-game milestone, recurring injuries forced him into retirement on 197 games, leaving him as one of the most respected figures of the "Roys" during a tough competitive era.
Profile
- Born
- 04 Dec 1949 (age 76y 321d)
- Height
- 189 cm
- Weight
- 90 kg
Teams
Honours
- Fitzroy B&F1974
- Fitzroy captain1978
Bio
1 revisionRecruited from Hampton Park, Harvey Merrigan became the defensive anchor of the Fitzroy side throughout the 1970s. A barrel-chested and uncompromising full-back, he was renowned for his ability to quell the influence of the era's most dangerous forwards, regularly matching up against the likes of Peter Hudson and Peter McKenna. His reliability and close-checking style saw him crowned the club's Best and Fairest in 1974, a rare feat for a deep defender, and he was later honoured with selection on the interchange bench in Fitzroy's Team of the Century.
Merrigan's standing at the Lions was further cemented when he was appointed captain for the 1978 season, although injury unfortunately ruled him out of the club's night premiership victory that year. While primarily known for his defensive grimness, he owns a unique slice of VFL history; in 1979, he drifted forward to kick the goal that saw Fitzroy eclipse the league's all-time highest score record against Melbourne. Despite the club's desperate efforts to get their stalwart to the 200-game milestone, recurring injuries forced him into retirement on 197 games, leaving him as one of the most respected figures of the "Roys" during a tough competitive era.