Brett Deledio - Cricket's loss may be Tigers' gain

[mightytiges]

Cricket's loss may be Tigers' gain
realfooty.theage.com.au
Lyall Johnson
November 15, 2004


Brett Deledio
Photo: Sebastian Costanzo
 
As a fast bowler for Kyabram, Brett Deledio has shown a bit on summer fields, but it's the winter game that beckons, reports Lyall Johnson.

Two weekends ago, 17-year-old fast bowler Brett Deledio ended a day of senior cricket for Kyabram's A grade side with figures of 6-15, having almost singlehandedly destroyed a hapless Stanhope for 62 runs.

He has never been clocked but bowls with fair pace, and some think his figures may be close to a club record - certainly for a junior playing at senior level.

Not surprisingly, the young Deledio is considered one of the elite prospects in his chosen sport, a genuine champion of the future.

But it is a shame for Australian cricket that, for all his obvious prowess, the "gentleman's game" is not, in fact, Deledio's chosen sport. AFL clubs, on the other hand, cannot wait for the national draft.

"I have a bit of a crack, mainly bowl," Deledio said last week. "It crossed my mind a little bit to give cricket a go, but footy's always been my No.1 preference so I sort of dismissed it, I guess."

At the draft next weekend, Richmond, despite having not yet revealed its plans, is considered likely to use its priority pick to select the dashing Murray Bushrangers midfielder as its first choice.

The Tigers - with the likes of Kane Johnson, Mark Coughlan and Nathan Brown - boast a solid core group, but are well aware their list lacks a player who can tear a contest apart with pace and also move forward. A "Chris Judd-type", as it is now called. Perhaps not coincidently, the youngster has his bedroom plastered with photographs of the 2004 Brownlow medallist.

"He can play in the midfield in a Chris Judd-style. He's certainly not to his standard yet, but he moves a little bit like Chris Judd," said Bushrangers coach Xavier Tanner. "He's very quick, a very clean ball handler but I think he's more capable of going forward and taking a mark and kicking a few goals, too.

"I think he's got enormous potential. The key to his game is his pace, but his overhead marking is also quite outstanding, (he's) strong on the lead and good kick for goal."

Deledio, whose confidence has been noted in AFL dispatches, is remarkably pragmatic about the prospect of being selected at No.1.

"I'm not really too bothered; I haven't taken a lot of notice of it. I guess it is good to know that you are going to get drafted. A bit of assurance. Not even a surety but just to know you are looked at to be in the top, I think," he said.

"I'm not nervous. It's my dream to get drafted and to do that would be just fantastic, I guess, but if that happens, well, so be it, but, if not, I still have another year in the TAC to go out and prove myself."

Not that he'll need it. Having attended the AIS academy under the guidance of Terry Wheeler and won under-18 All-Australian honours this year, Deledio is still considered a bit light at 80 kilograms, but has brilliant aerobic fitness and a solid mental attitude. The latter is something Deledio credits to the wisdom of his father Wayne - who played a solitary game for Carlton in 1975.

"He's given me plenty of advice, everything about my game, I guess. He has sort of said you should look to try to dominate every game, I think, and I go out there with that sort of attitude and work as hard as I can to do that. That's how I try to play my footy," he said.

Notwithstanding a bout of glandular fever before the AFL's draft camp this year, which left him unable to train until the week before, Deledio scored well in most tests at the camp and had no serious injury in his junior career.

In year 11 at school this year, Deledio hopes to finish his VCE in 2005 to further his interest in a job as a property investor.

Tanner, however, is in no doubt that Deledio has the option of an AFL career and is up there with other Bushranger products Justin Koschitzke (St Kilda) and Kane Tenace (Geelong), saying:

"I think Brett is right up with the best of them and could well prove to be, in the long run, the very best of them."

BRETT DELEDIO
Murray Bushrangers
Born: April 18, 1987
Lives: Kyabram
Height: 189 centimetres
Weight: 80 kilograms
Junior All-Australian 2004

DRAFT CAMP RESULTS
20-metre sprint: 2.9 seconds (4th overall)
Standing vertical jump: 68 centimetres (4th)
Running vertical jump: 92cm (4th)
Hand span: 25.5cm (2nd largest)

WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT DELEDIO

KEVIN SHEEHAN, AFL talent manager: "Deledio's the real all-rounder, with no obvious faults. He can play anywhere, back flank, midfield, forward. At 187 centimetres or so he's the perfect size for a medium-size player. He was in the top four for his pace. He can mark the ball in a competitive situation, he's got terrific spring."

XAVIER TANNER, Murray Bushrangers coach: "He's going to be an outstanding prospect and I think he will be a 10-year player somewhere. I've got every confidence in him. I think if (Richmond) were to take him he'd certainly play senior football next year, I've got no doubt about that."

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2004/11/14/1100384427069.html?oneclick=true

[mightytiges]

It'll be great to hear this Saturday "Pick 1 - Richmond - Brett Deledio - Murray Bushrangers"  . A no-brainer pick. Wearing No. 17 in that photo already gives him a Tiger feel  .

We shouldn't be expecting too much of Brett in his first year.  If we can get 10 senior games or so into him then that will be a good effort. Even the top kids need time to adjust to AFL footy. Last year's 1st pick Cooney played every game this year for the Dogs but didn't hit his straps until the last month. The Chris Judd comparison is a bit over the top I'd reckon given the kid hasn't even been drafted yet. I hope Brett makes a name for himself. Then you know you have a star player on your hands.

ps. Hope he does better than our last draftee from Kyabram 

[JohnF]

Players of Chris Judd's ability come around once every ten years. If he turns out to be a good solid player of say a Kane Johnson's ability, I'll be more than happy.

[Harry]

Good to see he has some serious pace.  This is very important IMO.  Pace is what seperates a Judd from a Ball, a Ball from a Hodge and a Wells from a Goddard.  These players are similarly skilled but pace is the ingredient that gives one an edge over the other. 

[Disco]

If Deledio isnt first cab off the rank on saturday, i'll personally go down and belt beck myself!

He has a level head on his shoulders and would give us something we so desparately need in the midfield, pace.

Bring it on!

[Bulluss]

Just got back in the office and was out on the road listening to SEN.

KB had the coach of the Bushrangers, Xavier Tanner and he said that Deledio has pace to match Chris Judd and is equally as skilled. Judd would have more of an aerobic capacity but Deledio has a much better overhead mark and can go forward and kick goals.

This guy is a must for the number 1 pick.

Bring it on

[Tiger Spirit]

Another cricketer lost to football
By Darren Berry
November 21, 2004

Brett Deledio, the Kyabram teenager taken with the first pick in yesterday's AFL draft, is yet another example of a talented cricketer lost to football. If all the talk is true, he perhaps has made the correct career choice. He may well be a future star on the MCG, but not in cricket whites under a navy blue Victorian cap.
He is not the first and will not be the last multi-talented sportsman forced to make the choice between the two sports.

Sadly, gone are the days of the great Keith Miller, Sam Loxton and Max Walker, to name just a few, who have graced the field at the highest level in cricket creams and football boots. Simon O'Donnell was the last man to do both, back in the 1980s, while Craig Bradley was the last to combine AFL with state cricket.
Many others have tinkered with both sports before deciding to concentrate on one endeavour.

It is becoming a common trend in the modern day for the talented schoolboy cricketer to turn his back on the summer sport and focus entirely on his dream to become an AFL player.

How is this for a cricket XI, chosen from those who represented their state at under-age cricket before they began to chase the AFL's bright lights: Robert Harvey, Karl Langdon, Peter Sumich, Don Pyke, Tony Brown, Brett Montgomery, Damian Cupido, Brad Green, James Bartel, Jade Rawlings and Deledio.

That's not to mention the likes of Luke Ball, Luke Hodge, Jonathan Brown, Brendon Goddard, Stuart Dew, Blake Campbell and Leigh Fisher, among others, who all displayed exceptional talent as junior cricketers.
Cricket authorities have a problem and need to do something to address the issue.

The AFL has surpassed cricket with its talent identification programs, many of which run during summer. These ultimately steer talented young athletes away from the cricket pitch. Cricket administrators have been slow to respond and many talented players have been lost to the AFL. Citing an inability to compete on a financial level with AFL clubs is no longer a valid reason. This was perhaps true 10 years ago but not today.
The AFL has surpassed cricket with its talent identification programs.

As the No. 1 draft pick, Deledio signs on for a $45,600 base salary with a guaranteed $2200 per senior game in his first year. In round figures, that's close to $100,000 if he plays most senior games next season.

On the other hand, Cricket Victoria contracts are slightly less at $17,500 base for a rookie player aged under 23 or $32,500 for the base level full contract, ranging up to a maximum of $95,000 for the No. 1-ranked state player. Match payments are $3300 per Pura Cup game and $1100 for an ING Cup game.

The Australian Cricketers Association has played a vital role in improving remuneration for state cricketers and now the up-and-coming talented players can look seriously at cricket as a career.

But the real question is: is it just money that entices the young athlete to choose football over cricket? I would suggest not. The adrenaline rush and notoriety that is part of the package of being an AFL player will never be matched by state cricket. Only as an Australian cricketer would you regularly feel that same buzz. Every boy dreams of one day kicking the winning goal on the MCG.
Deledio is a talented fast bowler who was the quickest in the national under-17 championships earlier this year in Adelaide. His coach likened his upright action to former Test opener Terry Alderman. Victorian batsman Matthew Elliott, who hails from the same country town as Deledio, rated him a legitimate talent.
Elliott said: "He is a genuine swinger of the ball and sends them down at a fair pace." He can also bat, which poses the question of whether he might be a genuine all-rounder, a rare find in Australian cricket these days.

At the national titles, he scored 236 runs at an average of 78, including a matchwinning 85 from 92 balls in the final against NSW.

Deledio strode confidently to the wicket just before stumps one evening during the final. His coach, Cameron Matthews, pleaded with the free-spirited Deledio to play safe until stumps. The NSW captain was bowling off spin in the dying overs and was baiting Deledio for blocking, which was against his natural instinct. The NSW captain offered a deal to Deledio: "I'll throw one up nice and high if you agree to take me on." Deledio responded: "You're on."

With mid-on and mid-off on the boundary, the offie flighted one and Deledio charged him, sending the ball sailing over the sightscreen. He raised his arms in the air and shrieked: "Wha-hoo, how do you like that one?"

It's a shame we'll never know if Deledio is that all-rounder Australia has longed for since the days of "Nugget" Miller.

Deledio is a highly gifted young sportsman who could quite easily play football and cricket at the elite level. The problem for the summer game is that his cricket talent - as of yesterday - is now a thing of the past.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Cricket/Another-cricketer-lost-to-football/2004/11/20/1100838273402.html?oneclick=true