An article on our 'future captain' from the club's site today:
Tough love sparked Deledios surge
By Mic Cullen 7:50 AM Thu 17 September, 2009
Brett Deledio says a frank assessment of his efforts sparked a strong end to the season
A MID-SEASON honesty session was the key to winning-back-to-back Jack Dyer medals, Brett Deledio has admitted.
Deledio was told by interim coach Jade Rawlings and the leadership group at the Tigers that if he didn't get his act together and run both ways, VFL side Coburg would be welcoming him with open arms.
The declaration was not news to the 22-year-old, who had been told the same thing by former coach Terry Wallace earlier in the season, and in 2008.
But the penny dropped this time around, and Deledio stormed home to win his second 'Jack', sneaking past the leader for most of the evening, Daniel Jackson, in round 21 then clearing away in the last round.
But the first pick in the 2004 NAB AFL Draft admitted that if he hadn't woken up just after Wallace was sacked, he could have been following the coach out the door as well.
The Tigers were belted by the Saints in round 13 to the tune of 56 points, a game which saw them kick just five goals, and Deledio said that game was the catalyst for his form reversal.
"I think after the St Kilda game I got the kick in the pants I needed from Jade and the leadership group and the other coaches," he told richmondfc.com.au after the awards ceremony.
"I was threatened with being dropped, and that really changed my mindset of how I wanted to go about things.
"Credit to the coaching guys, I think they found the best out of me, so I've got to take that into next season, and hopefully we can have some team success."
Despite his strong end to the season, Deledio admitted he thought he was no chance with a few rounds to go.
"I thought Jacko had it all sewn up I was really nervous, he said.
"Come round 15 he was about 40 votes in front of me, so I didn't think I was any chance at all, but what can I say?
"I'm just very proud and honoured to have won this award for the second time.
"It's not something you think about really, but I guess the downer is that we didn't have a very good season as a team."
Deledio said he'd already been talking to new coach Damien Hardwick, who has promised to put a tough edge on the Tigers.
"Yeah, I've had a couple of chats to Damien and it seems we're going to be very disciplined in our ways and like he says, we're going to be very 'team first'.
"That's the best way you want to play your footy, I think, so I'm looking forward to that."
http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/84863/default.aspxA couple of comments piqued my interest:
"The declaration was not news to the 22-year-old, who had been told the same thing by former coach Terry Wallace earlier in the season, and in 2008."
What the? You are an elite professional sportsman earning hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and it takes a few times for the penny to drop on such a basic football skill as accountability? Not much in the way of leadership there.
"I was threatened with being dropped, and that really changed my mindset of how I wanted to go about things."
No thoughts of trying your guts out when the team was floundering in any sort of attempt to lift or lead them there Brett? Not much in the way of leadership there.
"That's the best way you want to play your footy, I think, so I'm looking forward to that."
What stopped you from trying to play that way for the first 5 years of your career Brett? Not much in the way of leadership there.
You can blame the previous coaching regime all you want but leadership comes entirely from within and I don't see or hear any leadership potential whatsoever from Deledio. Newman has more leadership in his big toe than Deledio and even though I am not a big fan of Newman he is far and away a better choice as captain.
