Bunny to lockdown defender: How Brandon Zerk-Thatcher flipped the switch

Brandon Zerk-Thatcher walked into Port Adelaide as the man who’d had the most goals kicked on him in 2023. Five weeks into 2024 and he’s completely flicked the switch.

Brandon Zerk-Thatcher has turned form around this season. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images.

Brandon Zerk-Thatcher conceded the most goals by a defender in 2023 at Essendon.

For Port Adelaide in 2024 he has been a giant killer and the Power’s “beacon” in defence after another performance in which he nullified his direct opponents impact on the match.

The 25-year-old requested a trade home to South Australia, on the back of a breakout 2023 season for the Bombers in which he featured in a career-high 22 games.

The Power were in need of key defenders, and were keen on the 195cm Sturt product – eventually nabbing him in a deal centred around him for wingman Xavier Duursma.

Brandon Zerk-Thatcher of the Power handpasses the ball to Kane Farrell during a game against the Demons. Picture: Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

But Zerk-Thatcher came to Alberton with the unwanted record of having the most goals kicked on him in 2023, which did not go unnoticed by critics of the Power and the move.

Five games into his Power career, Zerk-Thatcher is flipping the switch.

In these five games his direct opponent has just kicked the three goals on him and taken nine marks.

West Coast’s co-captain Oscar Allen went goalless and had four marks on him in Round 1, Richmond’s Tom Lynch restricted to none in both stats in Round 2, Melbourne’s Bailey Fritsch one mark and one goal in Round 3, Essendon’s Kyle Langford two marks and no goals in Round 4 while Fremantle’s Jye Amiss kicked two goals and had two marks on Saturday night.

When it comes to the expected against the actual impact of match-ups, Zerk-Thatcher is winning his match-ups.

Champion Data has for 40 plus minute match-ups, Zerk-Thatcher is conceding 7.4 disposals a game to his opponent, the expected disposals is 9.3.

The expected shots at goal is 3.4, while Zerk-Thatcher has conceded two.

And when it comes to goals, while the expected number is two he has conceded 0.7.

It has Port Adelaide defensive coach Tyson Goldsack conceding he has been somewhat surprised by Zerk-Thatcher’s impact in the Power’s defence so far this season.

“He has been huge,” he said.

“It is those moments, those one v one moments, where if you lose that contest they are out and they are getting that territory game that we know we like to take away from teams.

“He has been a beacon for us down back and others can play off him knowing he is going to get his job done when he is in that contest.

“Has he surprised me? A little bit yeah but he is getting some good assistance around him as well.”

Brandon Zerk-Thatcher has turned form around this season. Picture: Mark Brake/Getty Images.

Zerk-Thatcher’s supporters said that Essendon’s backline was too undersized and he was left out to dry on the best forwards in the league.

But along with 194cm Aliir Aliir and 197cm Esava Ratugolea down back, there’s enough support around Zerk-Thatcher.

“I would like to think it is the support he has around him,” Goldsack said.

“Aliir had a cracking game on the weekend, I think Esava has been playing some good footy and he is good in his contest as well.”

The Power have moved into the top four following its win over Fremantle on Saturday night to go 4-1 to start the season.

It now takes on Collingwood at the MCG, and while the reigning premiers have had a slow start to the season, Goldsack said it was a game circled on the calendar for the Power.

“It is for two reasons, we want to play well on the MCG so we had Richmond early on in the year and we dealt with them pretty well on the bigger ground,” he said.

“So it is about getting used to those surroundings, that’s where you need to play good footy come finals time.

“We also know Collingwood will be there or there abouts.”