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For the second year in a row, Brodie Merrill has been selected in the Premier Lacrosse League Expansion Draft.

Wednesday night’s draft allowed Sean Quirk — coach of the expansion Cannons LC — to select 18 players to begin constructing his squad. Merrill, who played for Waterdogs LC during the PLL Championship Series last summer, was selected first overall. Merrill, however, is not the first player in this new era of Cannons lacrosse. That distinction belongs to Paul Rabil, who Quirk acquired in a trade with Atlas LC last week.

Merrill, one of the best at his position in lacrosse history, has been something of a mercenary in recent years. It speaks to his leadership and on-field play that at 39 years old, Merrill is still valuable enough to select first in the Expansion Draft. It also follows a trend of Cannons LC leaning on its history, as Merrill played for the Boston Cannons from 2014-18.

Though the order of the picks does not necessarily matter — after all, Quirk made 18 straight picks in this draft — selecting Merrill first is both a testament to his importance and something of a lifetime achievement award for a player who holds the all-time National Lacrosse League record for loose balls and the all-time Major League Lacrosse record for ground balls.

Over the course of his career, Merrill has played outdoor lacrosse for the Baltimore Bayhawks, Rochester Rattlers, Toronto Nationals, Hamilton Nationals and Boston Cannons. In the NLL, he’s played for the Portland LumberJax, Edmonton Rush, Philadelphia Wings, Toronto Rock and San Diego Seals. This is now his third team in three seasons in the PLL after getting his start with Chaos LC.

Check out the full Expansion Draft results below.

 

PLL Expansion Draft Results

Pick
Player
Position
Prev. Team
1. Brodie Merrill LSM Waterdogs
2. Connor Buczek Midfield Atlas
3. Ryan Drenner Attack Waterdogs
4. Curtis Corley Defense Archers
5. Reece Eddy LSM Chrome
6. Brent Adams Midfield Redwoods
7. Jake Pulver Defense Chrome
8. Josh Currier Attack Archers
9. Drew Simoneau FO Waterdogs
10. Deemer Class Midfield Chaos
11. Clarke Petterson Attack Redwoods
12. Max Tuttle Midfield Whipsnakes
13. Sam Duggan Midfield Chrome
14. Brendan Fowler FO Archers
15. Tom Kelly FO Chaos
16. Tyson Bell SSDM Chaos
17. Brendan Gleason Attack Redwoods
18.  Jacob Stover Goalie Whipsnakes