The barometers: Who lights up your team?Jennifer Phelan
afl.com.au
June 17, 2015RichmondBRETT DELEDIO: You need look no further than Deledio as the Tigers' barometer, as it's clear how much they miss his class across half forward when he's not playing. This year alone, the 28-year-old has played in five wins from a possible six games, and didn't appear in three of their four losses to round six. It was a similar story last season, when the Tigers lost a host of games before the mid-season break. Deledio didn't play from rounds three to six, and the Tigers dropped three of four games in that time. When he came back in round seven, their form improved slightly, but when the 2005 NAB AFL Rising Star winner got going in the second half of the season, the team won nine games straight. During that period, Deledio kicked 13 goals and averaged nearly six inside 50s a game, which saw him poll 11 Brownlow medal votes. Ivan Maric and Alex Rance are also highly important to the Tigers' structure but Deledio's influence, maturity and leadership across half forward has proved almost crucial to their success.
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-06-17/the-barometers-who-lights-up-your-team
