At just 19 years of age, Matt Merrett became a premiership captain.
The Crows SANFL defender guided his hometown of Penola to a flag in the Kowree-Naracoorte-Tatiara Football League in 2013 - the club’s first in 10 years.
Now, Merrett - a member of Adelaide’s development squad - is lining up alongside AFL talent such as Sam Jacobs, Bryce Gibbs and Josh Jenkins.
“It’s a bit surreal,” Merrett told AFC Media.
“Every senior player who has played SANFL has been so supportive of us - they understand the better we are, the better they play.
“We’ve never been made to feel like its us and them… it’s all just one group trying to get better.”
Merrett has been a stalwart of the SANFL Crows’ defence in 2019 - having played in 12 games, the most of any development squad member.
Working alongside and learning from veteran Andy Otten, 25-year-old Merrett has taken up a leadership role among a young group of defenders - including 2018 draftees Will Hamill (18), Lachlan Sholl (19) and Jordon Butts (19).
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And now, with Otten’s elevation to the senior side in place of injured Alex Keath, the Adelaide accountant has even more on his plate.
“Otten is an absolute guru,” he said.
“He’s been willing to help me from the get go, which helps because we play a similar role.
“I had to step up against Glenelg (in Otten’s absence), which is not easy given how much Otto brings to the table.
“It takes the efforts of the whole backline collectively to pick up what he does.”
Matt isn’t the only Merrett on the Crows’ development list - younger brothers Brad, 23, and Scott, 22, also made the cut.
Scott, the youngest of five in the family, recently won best on ground in the SA Country State game against Western Australia.
Although both his brothers are yet to line up for the SANFL Crows in 2019, Merrett praised the efforts of the development program in promoting country footballers.
“With work and study, I don’t really have the time for training three or four times a week,” Merrett said.
“The way the Crows run the development program, they have it down pat.
“The actual contact time is less, but the way they go about it is simpler and clearer - it’s really efficient.”
Adelaide sit second on the SANFL ladder, behind Glenelg, after 16 rounds - a remarkable turnaround from the side’s last-place finish in 2018.
A shortened injury list has done wonders for results, but young players like Merrett are still a vital cog in the machine, according to backline development coach Brent Reilly.
“Matt had a really good pre-season and understood what we were trying to do here,” Reilly said.
“(Not only) with the team aspect of our defensive principles but also understanding what we have as a backline group, our trademark and how we want to play our footy.
“He embraced what was thrown at him, because he has been a bit of a leader down there.
“It’s been great for him to have Otto to bounce off, but Otto isn’t in anymore, so he has taken that mantle of leading the younger guys.”
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Before joining the Crows in 2019, Merrett tried his hand at SANFL with Glenelg and played 16 reserve games combined in 2016 and 2017 (along with one senior match).
Although the time at the Bays did not quite pan out, Reilly said Merrett left Glenelg with “more to give”.
“He’s built the trust with the players, not only our backline but also the whole group,” Reilly said.
“They trust what he does and can rely on him to win one-on-one contests, but also have that leadership to help these younger guys out.
“We’re rapt to have him on our team.”
Adelaide’s SANFL side will face West Adelaide on Sunday at 1.10pm.
