Mernda is determined to hold Brad Dimech to his contract
Mernda is ready to stand its ground as best-and-fairest winner Brad Dimech wants out of the club, saying players as well as clubs should be held accountable when it comes to contracts.
Local Footy
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Mernda is committed to holding wantaway best-and-fairest winner Brad Dimech to his contract.
The star midfielder lodged three transfer requests to return to Essendon District league club Roxburgh Park before the Christmas break, which were all denied by the Demons.
Dimech has been a key member of Mernda’s engine room for the past two seasons since crossing from Westmeadows.
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After claiming the club award for the first time, Dimech also finished fourth in the NFL Division 3 best-and-fairest and was named in the Team of the Year.
“He’s either playing footy at Mernda or having a year off footy,” Demons coach Robert Fletcher said.
“I’m big on contracts. At the end of the day the league want us to make sure we honour all our contracts and be professional with it.
“We expect the players to do the same, every Mernda player got paid last year what they were entitled to and he’s signed a two-year contract.
“I did it with a good mate of mine in Cameron Cloke. He wanted to leave, but I made sure he held up his contract at Jacana as well.”
Mernda has recruited heavily in a bid to end a five-year finals drought.
Shannon Smith has crossed from EDFL Division 1 premier Craigieburn after booting 41 goals in 2019, while fellow recruit Bryce Kimuliatis kicked 45 majors for the Eagles’ reserves side.
Jarrod King (Bundoora) and Lane Tucker (Thomastown) have also signed on.
Fletcher was pleased with the club’s pre-Christmas training block and singled out the efforts of Northern Knights graduate Will Crouch, who is returning from a knee reconstruction.
“Young Will Crouch was at the Northern Knights, but he’s a Mernda boy. He’s had two knee reconstructions and he’s flying at the moment,” he said.
“The boys trained really well before Christmas, we flogged them a fair bit.”
Mernda Football Club and Mernda Cricket Club also combined to raise $7000 for those impacted by the bushfires.
A charity Twenty20 match between the clubs, as well as the local CFA, at Waterview Reserve drew a large crowd and proved a fundraising success.
The Demons’ season begins with a road trip to Heidelberg West on April 4.
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