One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: one-eyed on July 03, 2007, 02:26:45 AM
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Battlers outshine the draft's leading lights
Robert Walls | July 3, 2007 | The Age
GIVEN time, opportunity and hard work, football can even out. In Saturday night's match at Telstra Dome, the Saints and Tigers fielded some "hot-shot" picks from previous drafts. Brett Deledio was the No. 1 selection in 2004, while Luke Ball was taken at No. 2 by St Kilda in the vaunted 2001 draft when Luke Hodge went at one and Chris Judd at three.
But being gold chip in the draft doesn't guarantee a prosperous career in the AFL. Neither Deledio nor Ball shone underneath the Dome's lights. No, the stars were a couple of battlers who have had to grind their way to the top.
Nathan Foley hadn't been heard of two years ago. Now, the tenacious Tiger is forging a reputation as a hard goer with more than a touch of class. Best afield was Leigh Montagna. The Saint speedster has taken six years to come of age, but he was one of his team's best against West Coast and he won the Ian Stewart medal as well as a TV last Saturday night.
Deledio has plenty of class but he must realise by now that he has to add to it. In his first two full seasons with Richmond he hasn't featured in the top 10 in the club champion count. Coach Terry Wallace has groomed the Kyabram kid well, with opportunities to play at both ends of the ground. But it's in the midfield that you want to excel and Deledio has yet to prove that he can cut it there.
On Saturday night he was tagged by little known Saint Jayden Attard. Deledio accepted the tag and gave his team just one disposal in the first half. It was not good enough and proves that physically and mentally he has a long way to go.
Twenty years ago the best midfielder and the hardest runner was Sydney's Gerard Healy. The Brownlow medallist was tagged week in, week out, but Healy trained himself to gut-run to exhaustion to shake off his taggers. That takes hard work and lots of mental strength. Deledio did no gut-busting running to get from contest to contest. Instead he jogged around the back of teammates looking for an easy receive.
Deledio should watch Judd live at every opportunity to see how hard you have to run.
Fortunately for the Tigers, Foley is emerging as a midfield gun. The 21-year-old from Colac wasn't drafted. He worked his way on to a rookie list in 2005. After one full season in the big time, the dynamo is No. 1 at his club for clearances, hard-ball gets and handball receives. He is a great example of what hard work and dedication can do.
So what we saw on Saturday night is food for thought. The battlers from struggle street can rise to the top, while the silver spoon boys need to know they can't rest on their laurels.
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/battlers-outshine-the-drafts-leading-lights/2007/07/02/1183351125375.html
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Twenty years ago the best midfielder and the hardest runner was Sydney's Gerard Healy. The Brownlow medallist was tagged week in, week out, but Healy trained himself to gut-run to exhaustion to shake off his taggers. That takes hard work and lots of mental strength. Deledio did no gut-busting running to get from contest to contest. Instead he jogged around the back of teammates looking for an easy receive.
Good one,Wallsy. :-\
20 years ago Healy was 26 and an experienced player. A ludicrous comparison.
He spent his first 6 years at Melbourne playing in a forward pocket. No gut-busting running then.
Fair point about the need for gut-running and who to watch as a guide but compare him to someone at the same stage of their development. Using Judd was better, how he went in his 3rd year would be even better again.
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Twenty years ago the best midfielder and the hardest runner was Sydney's Gerard Healy. The Brownlow medallist was tagged week in, week out, but Healy trained himself to gut-run to exhaustion to shake off his taggers. That takes hard work and lots of mental strength. Deledio did no gut-busting running to get from contest to contest. Instead he jogged around the back of teammates looking for an easy receive.
Fair point about the need for gut-running and who to watch as a guide but compare him to someone at the same stage of their development. Using Judd was better, how he went in his 3rd year would be even better again.
ditto. In the 2nd half I saw a couple of times Lids just strolling with his hands around his head breathing in deep. Now I don't know if that is a lack of fitness or lack of work rate.
Either way Lids really does need to lift his game to take it to the next level.
Same goes for Blingers after his performance against the saints
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walls id fos, the only reason deledio did not play well was because he was played out of position, and bloody hell lids had 18 or so touches, i know he wassnt in our best , but he wasnt our worst either.
healy???? what a joke , healy was made look good by greg williams
walls = fudging idiot
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Agree to an extent X, but Lids needs to cop some stuff, he should of at busted his gut to try and break the tag, that is what makes Judd who he is JUDD
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Agree to an extent X, but Lids needs to cop some stuff, he should of at busted his gut to try and break the tag, that is what makes Judd who he is JUDD
i know, i have criticised lids more than anyone, but he spent most his game in the back pocket, whenever lids is being tagged he should be put in they fwd half not back hald pure and simple
attard would have been carved up if lids was playing fwd
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definitely agree X, Lids strength would be in the fwd line and he would have carved up Attard in terms of size, strength and athleticism.
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Whether you agree with Walls on Deledio is obviously debatable but what he is saying about Foley is spot on and that is actually to me the main thrust of the article. You don't necessarily need to the number 1 draft pick to be gun player - Foley is proving that every week
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Whether you agree with Walls on Deledio is obviously debatable but what he is saying about Foley is spot on and that is actually to me the main thrust of the article. You don't necessarily need to the number 1 draft pick to be gun player - Foley is proving that every week
well put WP :clapping
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Plough actually praises Lids in EOTT for putting the team first and sticking to instructions. It's not all about possessions. Terry said once Lids had a tag they told Lids to pick up the Saints loose man so we still had a loose man in defence. It meant we lead at half-time. Lids was released at HB in the second half and got a heap of it but we lost due to lack of coverage.
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One way for Lids to shake a tag is with the help of his teammates.
Oh, that's right, your not allowed to bump people in footy now are you? ::)
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deledio has just shown that when he has a bit of pressure or going hard for the football he is soft !!!
a lot of our richmond supporters have made me look twice ...
yet he is she a classy player when he gets the football ...
12 touches in the last quarter in the backline ... just soft and easy ...
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I wonder if Walls has anything nice to say about Deledio's last month.
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Wouldn't think so, They have to write something. Journalists are like dogs, they live in the now, there is no past or future just what happened on the weekend.
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Yep l agree
Walls = Grudge
his full of sludge
why do supporters of Richmond bother to listen to him
l dont nor should anyone here
Walls = spoof in a few years when all our youngers have matured & are shining he be writing poo still
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he'd look like an absolute goose if he complimented Lids ;D
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Yep l agree
Walls = Grudge
his full of sludge
why do supporters of Richmond bother to listen to him
l dont nor should anyone here
Walls = spoof in a few years when all our youngers have matured & are shining he be writing pooh still
I am on my third Mute button this season :lol
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Yep l agree
Walls = Grudge
his full of sludge
why do supporters of Richmond bother to listen to him
l dont nor should anyone here
Walls = spoof in a few years when all our youngers have matured & are shining he be writing pooh still
I am on my third Mute button this season :lol
your call dont bother me none at all
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Battlers outshine the draft's leading lights
Robert Walls | July 3, 2007 | The Age
Deledio has plenty of class but he must realise by now that he has to add to it. In his first two full seasons with Richmond he hasn't featured in the top 10 in the club champion count. Coach Terry Wallace has groomed the Kyabram kid well, with opportunities to play at both ends of the ground. But it's in the midfield that you want to excel and Deledio has yet to prove that he can cut it there.
What do we say now Wallsy?! :whistle :wallywink