With a second All-Australian selection and third Crichton Medal added to his list of honours, the ultra-consistent Zach Merrett produced yet another outstanding campaign on the field in 2021.

Off the field, however, the joint vice-captain's growth has made the biggest impression on senior coach Ben Rutten. 

Reinstated to the Bombers' leadership group this season, Merrett's influence on his teammates beyond the confines of the football field has grown substantially, according to Rutten.

And with the 25-year-old pledging his future to the club with a seven-year contract extension in June, Rutten said Merrett would be a key pillar in the club's quest for sustained success.

"The development and evolution of Zach Merrett ... we’ve always known he’s a great player, but this year in particular, I think the way he’s starting to influence others and bring people along the journey, he’s taken his leadership and influence on the group to a new level," Rutten told SEN 1116 on Monday.

"Zach is such a professional and driven leader. The fact he’s committed to the club for a long period of time and hopefully until the end of his career was just a really important decision for our playing group.

"It (Merrett's future at Essendon) was something I was never really concerned about. I’d been working really closely with Zach, having strong, honest conversations from this time last year about the footy club, where we can take it forward, how he can grow his game and continue to evolve into a bigger, better, stronger leader.

"His desire and intent is never questioned. I knew I had a really special person to work with there, and a really strong ally that I needed to make sure I bring on the journey with me."

There's been no better example of Merrett's growing influence on his teammates than the rise of Darcy Parish.

Having challenged Parish to become a consistent performer ahead of the 2021 season, Merrett spent much of the off-season training closely with Parish at Preston City Oval.

The pair's growing bond saw them form a lethal partnership in midfield, with Parish joining the competition's elite midfielders to earn his first All-Australian blazer, finish fifth in the Brownlow Medal and earn three best-on-ground medals in the Bombers' feature matches.

While Merrett has been a valuable mentor to Parish, he's been a long-time mentee to captain Dyson Heppell.

Rutten said Merrett was one of several Bombers who had grown their leadership skills under Heppell, who this year put recent injury troubles behind him to play 19 games in a new role across half-back.

He praised Heppell for his ability to foster Essendon's next generation of leaders, as the 29-year-old prepares for a smooth pre-season and potential sixth season as skipper.

"Hepp’s such a strong leader for us. He has consistency and stability, and he’s always looking to improve. He’s a great role model for our group at the moment," Rutten said.

"I was really pleased that Dys could get his game back this season. After missing a couple of years of footy, in his own head he was thinking, ‘How am I going to get back to playing how I was before?’ I was just so pleased that he could play as many games as he did and get his body sound.

"He’s going to now hit a pre-season without any of those doubts or fears that he’s not going to play. He’s hitting the ground running with a clean bill of health."