Captain Zach Merrett has etched his name further into Essendon’s history books after collecting a fifth Crichton Medal.

After claiming back-to-back Crichton Medals, Merrett now sits alongside club greats James Hird with five medals, with only Dick Reynolds and Bill Hutchison ahead with seven.

The award capped off another fantastic season for the second-year Captain, who finished with 212 votes ahead of Nic Martin (197) in second and Sam Durham (184) in third place.

Merrett led the way through the Bombers’ midfield with an average of 28.2 disposals, 15.7 kicks and 12.5 handballs per match, while also hitting the scoreboard with 14 majors.

The Bombers’ ball magnet also stood out on Brownlow night, collecting 18 votes, including four-straight best-on performances between rounds five and eight.

The club’s highest individual honour solidified the 28-year-old’s impressive year, which included claiming a maiden Anzac Day Medal for a 30-disposal outing. Merrett was also awarded the McCracken Medal, as the player who best embodied the club’s values in 2024, voted on by the playing group after every match.

After a positional change to the backline, Martin’s consistent season saw him finish second and in the top three for the first time.

Consistency was key to Martin’s year, with the utility having 25 or more disposals on 18 occasions, with a career-high 44 disposals collected in round three against St Kilda.

Despite moving down back, Martin still managed to have an impact in attack, scoring 15 majors, including a haul of four in round 18 against Melbourne.

Rounding out the Crichton top three was fourth-year young gun Durham, who had a breakout season after moving into an inside midfielder role.

Across his 22 games this season, Durham averaged 21.4 disposals, 4.4 tackles and 4.1 clearances, while also hitting the board with 10 majors.

Durham had a career-best performance in round 15 against West Coast, where he collected 29 disposals and a goal in the Bombers’ 30-point victory.

The 23-year-old also claimed the Most Improved Player for his impressive season.

Vice-Captain Andrew McGrath finished behind Durham in fourth place, after also claiming the Bruce Heymanson Best Clubman Award.

Midfielder Jye Caldwell was named the Adam Ramanauskas Most Courageous Player for his competitive and tough nature on the field.

Playing a career-high 23 games, Caldwell also polled well in the Crichton count, rounding out the top five.

Forward Kyle Langford won the Matthew Lloyd Leading Goal Kicker Award with 43 majors, while fellow forward Nate Caddy was named the Lindsay Griffiths Rising Star after impressing in his 10 outings.

For the third time in his career, Dyson Heppell was awarded the John Kilby Trainers and Staff Award.

Heppell and fellow retiree Jake Kelly were also acknowledged on the night for their service and commitment to the club during their time in the red and black.

Essendon also presented four new Life Members, with current players Merrett, Langford, and McGrath receiving their awards.

Coterie group member and club volunteer Kevin Dale was also named a Life Member for his 32 years of service to Essendon, including his contribution to the First Eighteen, the Coleman Club and Collins Street Dons.

The Bombers’ VWFL Team were also celebrated throughout the night, with Ben Milton claiming the Clifford Denise Wise Medal for the VWFL Community Best and Fairest and Caleb Logan taking home the Louis Rowe Seniors Medal.

Essendon also celebrated their longest-serving commercial partner, Yakult, who has further extended their commitment to the club.

The world leading probiotic beverage brand recently celebrated 20 years of supporting the Bombers, and will continue as the training ball sponsor, and the official partner of the annual Tackling Childhood Cancer match.

2024 Crichton Medal top 10

Awards

Crichton Medal – Zach Merrett
Runner Up – Nic Martin
Third Place – Sam Durham
McCracken Medal – Zach Merrett
Most Improved Player – Sam Durham
Adam Ramanauskas Most Courageous Player – Jye Caldwell
Bruce Heymanson Best Clubman – Andrew McGrath
Matthew Lloyd Leading Goal Kicker Award – Kyle Langford
Lindsay Griffiths Rising Star – Nate Caddy
John Kilby Trainers and Staff Award – Dyson Heppell
Life Membership - Zach Merrett, Kyle Langford, Andy McGrath and Kevin Dale
Retirement – Jake Kelly and Dyson Heppell

VWFL Clifford Denise Wise Medal – Ben Milton
VWFL Louis Rowe Seniors Medal - Caleb Logan