| Bob Merrick | |
| Fullname: | Robert Merrick |
| Birth Date: | 24 November 1917 |
| Birth Place: | Warragul, Victoria |
| Originalteam: | Pascoe Vale |
| Height: | 182 cm |
| Weight: | 76 kg |
| Position: | Forward |
| Statsend: | 1944 |
| Years1: | 1940, 1944 |
| Club1: | Fitzroy |
| Games Goals1: | 6 (2) |
Robert Merrick (24 November 1917 – 25 May 1991) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Fitzroy in the Victorian Football League (VFL).[1]
He was of no relation to the better-known Fitzroy player of the same name, that played for the club between 1919 and 1926.[2]
Merrick, who was born in Warragul, played his junior football with Don Rovers in the Eastern District Football League, followed by Pascoe Vale.[3] [4] While at Pascoe Vale he was recruited by Richmond scouts and put on their supplementary list for the 1938 VFL season.[4] Residentially tied to Essendon, the club wanted him to play for them so were unwilling to grant him a clearance to go to Richmond.[4] Instead he returned to Pascoe Vale, but later in 1938 made five appearances for the Carlton seconds.[4] In 1939, back at Pascoe Vale, Merrick won the Sub-District League's best and fairest award, the Marcus Clota Trophy, with a record tally of votes.[4]
Merrick starred at centre half-forward for the Sub-District league in the annual combined match against Maryborough in 1939, which caught the attention of Fitzroy club secretary Percy Mitchell.[4] Successful in obtaining a clearance from Carlton, Merrick performed well in practice matches for Fitzroy and was brought into the senior team for the opening round of the 1940 VFL season.[4]
On debut, against St Kilda at Brunswick Street Oval, Merrick played on a half forward flank in an 11-point win.[5] He did not register a goal but hit the top of the post with one shot.[5] The following weekend, in round two, he was in the team that lost to North Melbourne at Arden Street Oval by 55-points. He again started on a flank, but struggled against the pace of Ossy Parks.[4] At the beginning of the second quarter he was moved to centre half-forward, switching places with Alf Clay.[4] Described as having a safe mark, Merrick was said to be more suited to this position.[4]
His career came to a stop after only two games when on 31 May 1940 he enlisted for armed service.[3] During the war he was reported to have been wounded three times, twice in the Middle East and later in Lae.[6] He had just recovered from malaria when he returned to Fitzroy in the 1944 VFL season.[7]
Merrick was again used a forward in his second stint at Fitzroy, starting in a forward pocket for the first two rounds of the season, against St Kilda and Collingwood.[8] [9] He was 19th man in Fitzroy's round three win over North Melbourne and came on in the last quarter to replace and injured Clen Denning.[10] In round four, against Richmond, Merrick played as a centre half-forward, later going to the back pocket to play on Jack Dyer.[11]
His war injuries, which left him with shrapnel in his lungs, however proved to be affecting him too much and he was forced to retire on the advice of doctors.[12]