Polo continues to produce the goods
10:00:24 AM Wed 28 June, 2006
Chris Riches
richmondfc.com.au
Dream debuts are the stuff of legend in the AFL.
Including what is arguably the most famous first game in VFL/AFL history – the 12-goal haul from Essendon champion John Coleman in the opening round of the 1949 season – storybook debuts have gone down in folklore at each club, with the Tigers no exception.
But, unlike Coleman’s, great debuts are not always the start of great careers – or even great careers with the club they debuted for – something Richmond fans, again, are well aware of.
Justin Murphy’s debut for Richmond against Essendon in 1993 made headlines – five goals from the top-rated draft pick chosen in the previous off-season. But Murphy looked weighed down by expectation after that, managing only a single game during 1994, before being cut from Punt Road at the end of that year.
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More recently, Tiger fans witnessed a young indigenous player by the name of Marty McGrath burst onto the scene with a stunning five-goal performance on debut against the Western Bulldogs in late 2003. For a variety of reasons, however, McGrath was never again able to reproduce that form and he was gone from Punt Road within months of that first game.
That’s the problem with memorable debuts – often the players who perform them are unable to ever live up to that promise again, and they end up carrying the burden of their brilliant debut like an ever-increasing weight on their shoulders.
As part of Punt Road’s rebuilding process under Terry Wallace, there have been plenty of debuts – 11 in fact – since the start of 2005. Of those, easily the most memorable was that of Dean Polo in Round 6 this year.
A stunning 28-possession, three-goal performance in a nail-biting win over Essendon saw the youngster from Wy Yung named best-afield, receive a Rising Star nomination, and become the focus of dozens of football headlines in the days afterwards.
But lingering at the back of the minds of many seasoned AFL observers was one question – could Dean Polo back up his debut, or would he be another short-lived shooting star, destined to flare and quickly disappear?
The good news for Richmond is that Polo not only managed to back up his debut with a notable second-game effort, but he has continued to be conspicuous in the half-dozen games he’s played since his debut.
In what has turned out to be a smart move, coach Terry Wallace has set Polo a run-with role each week, with the former Gippsland Power junior able to back up his coach’s faith through a string of consistent performances.
Polo’s second game couldn’t have been more different from his first; with an injury-depleted Tiger line-up copping a 20-goal hiding from reigning premier Sydney.
However, Polo was one of the few Tigers who could hold his head up after the match, completing an impressive tagging job on veteran Swan star, Paul Williams, who was celebrating his 300th game that day.
Williams had only 14 touches for the match, which was a stunning statistic for a player of his ability and experience, given his side’s complete dominance of the match. Polo got only eight possessions himself, but was disciplined enough not to let his direct opponent celebrate his milestone with anything more than a win (albeit a mighty big one) for his team.
The fortnight that followed was memorable for both Richmond and Polo . . .
The 19-year-old worked hard to successfully curb the influence of Adelaide Crows’ high-flyer Brett Burton, and he did plenty of damage the following week against Geelong – 17 touches and eight marks in another hoodoo-breaking win at Skilled Stadium.
Even better was his performance against the Kangaroos in Round 11, not only picking up 18 touches himself, but shadowing and shading Roo dynamo Daniel Wells for periods of the match.
In seven senior appearances, Polo has averaged 15 possessions and five marks per game – figures which stack up exceedingly well to the first seven games of fellow 2004 draftee Brett Deledio’s career.
The very fact that Polo is getting the job done while “flying under the radar” may well be the thing that most excites Richmond supporters.
He is quick thinking, aware of the play and where his teammates are. Whether it’s a natural gift, a result of hard work and a good grounding in the game, or a combination of both, Polo seems to possess that most valuable commodity – a real football brain.
His hands are quick, as evidenced by the fact he’s had more handballs than kicks in his first seven AFL games. And, his handballs are often unerringly accurate, even under pressure or in traffic.
Not only that, but his handballing is usually constructive – not merely to escape trouble. He brings teammates into the play in a positive way, a role which is vital to the structure of any football side.
Polo’s disposal by foot is more than adequate and he has a turn of speed that can leave the unsuspecting in his wake. Deceptively strong in the body, Polo is not easily moved off the ball or dissuaded from contests.
And, of course, there’s the discipline involved in playing run-with roles like those Polo has done – the “team-first” attitude involved in sacrificing a little of your own game in order to lessen an opposition player’s impact, and in doing so, help your side.
Polo isn’t as flashy or as heralded as some of his fellow 2004 Tiger draftees, but he gets the job done – and gets it done well.
Not every player can be flashy and eye-catching. The beauty of the game – the beauty of a player like Dean Polo – is that a willing worker, a disciplined player with a football brain, can do just as much for his side as those with a bit more “magic”.
Strangely; it seems that Polo has actually become something that few would have expected after so loudly announcing himself onto the AFL stage – a real quiet achiever.
And, that’s probably just the way Polo and the Tigers like it.
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