IT might have been a day off, but Essendon youngster Zach Merrett didn’t mind when his phone beeped and woke him up yesterday.

On the other end was Bombers assistant coach Nathan Bassett, who was texting to alert the crafty goalsneak he was the Round 11 Rising Star nominee.

“He just said congratulations you’ve won and you’ve had a good start to the year, you’re fitting in well and continue getting better,” Merrett said yesterday.

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“It got me pretty excited and I jumped out of bed, so it was a good start to the week.

“I was expecting, or hoping, to play one game this year and to play seven already is very exciting and very surreal as well.”

Merrett joined brother Jackson at Essendon with its first pick in last year’s draft, the selection acquired for losing goalkicker Stewart Crameri.

And while Crameri’s loss has hurt the Dons attack, they are thrilled with their No. 26 pick, who’s speed, goalsense and deft left foot were critical in stitching up Richmond on Saturday night.

media_camera Merrett joined the Bombers this season. Picture: Michael Klein

Merrett put the icing on the Dreamtime win with the last two Bomber goals to finish with 22 disposals, 19 of which hit the target.

He might have grown up a Dogs fan idolising Shaun Higgins, but the Cobden kid who is working on his aerobic capacity was elated to join his brother at Essendon.

Merrett said he was learning from stars Paul Chapman and Dyson Heppell and wanted to consolidate his place in coach Mark Thompson’s side in the second half of the season.

“I’ve probably bugged (Chapman) a bit too much asking questions and probably annoyed him a couple of times,” Merrett said.

“I’ve learnt from Chappy’s will at the contest and his intensity and his aggression and Dyson’s professionalism, he’s been really handy with (going through) vision and training.”

Close mate and fellow Sandringham Dragons product Josh Kelly is expected to return for GWS to face the Bombers on Saturday night and Merrett said his side had turned the corner since its 50-point loss to Sydney.

“We’ve been training well the last couple of weeks and I think the weekend probably showed that and hopefully it can kick-start our year,” he said.

On joining Jackson, Merrett quipped: “It probably drives him to get better and better as well, he doesn’t want me to catch him.”