No Brett Deledio, no Richmond?
Stats reveal star’s importance to Tigers
Herald-Sun
August 08, 2015 11:19AMRICHMOND must wrap Brett Deledio in cotton wool and hope their star is available in September if they want to do any damage whatsoever in the finals.
Everyone knows it and the stats back up just how important the former No.1 draft pick — who missed Friday night’s loss through illness — is to the Tigers.
But it was underlined against the Crows as Deledio’s Tigers slumped to a woeful loss in Adelaide.
Richmond was in the match at times but the statistics were damning at the end of the match. Perhaps more alarming was how impotent the Richmond side looked when going forward — where the man known as ‘Lids’ has been stationed this season.
While coach Damien Hardwick rightly pointed out after the match his side was missing considerable arsenal in Deledio and also Ben Griffiths and Shane Edwards, it was the absence of matchwinner Deledio that most stung.
Given Richmond was smacked in several key areas — tackles, contested footy, inside 50s — against Adelaide, it’s unlikely Deledio would have made much difference.
But there’s little disputing they looked a different side minus the man in the No.3 jumper. Is it mind over matter when the Tigers run out without Deledio?
Analyst David King has serious concerns.
“Without Deledio they looked lost, they looked like the Richmond of two or three years ago,” he said on SEN.
But Garry Lyon warned that putting the loss to the Crows down to Deledio’s absence was “the simplistic view”.
“Sometimes it can be as simple as your best players getting beaten by the opposition’s best players,” he said on Triple M.
“Last night Riewoldt, Cotchin, Rance and Maric had the biggest hidings they’ve had invidually for a long, long time and as a result they got smashed.”
Just six days ago, Richmond upset raging flag favourite Hawthorn, with Deledio booting four goals in a best-afield display.
The Tigers were comprehensively outgunned by the Crows at the Adelaide Oval — casting doubt over their legitimacy of their September credentials.
Last week the Herald Sun ran a poll posing the question ‘Can Richmond win the 2015 premiership?’ Almost 75 per cent of respondents voted ‘yes’ to that question.
After Friday night, many would be changing that view.
Especially if Brett Deledio isn’t in the Tigers’ line-up.
Richmond - the Deledio factor2014/15
With DeledioWins - 21
Losses - 11
Without DeledioWins - 2
Losses - 7
* Deledio has missed nine matches since 2008. Richmond have a win-loss record of 2-7 without him in the team. Both wins have come against the Brisbane Lions.
http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/no-brett-deledio-no-richmondstats-reveal-stars-importance-to-tigers/story-fndv8t7m-1227475273485