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.

WELCOME BACK BRODIE MERRILL.

With the First Pick in the Expansion Draft, we have selected LSM @BrodieMerrill_.

A dominant leader that is no brainer for our roster. pic.twitter.com/DeToisdqHN

— Cannons Lacrosse Club (@PLLCannons) March 11, 2021

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.