No flag for Tigers if Deledio played: RobboBy Alex Zaia
SEN
23 October 2017Herald Sun Chief Football Writer Mark Robinson says that Richmond wouldn’t have won this season’s premiership had they not have traded 243-game veteran Brett Deledio to Greater Western Sydney.
The Tigers received the Giants' future first and third round draft picks for the midfielder, picks they will use at this year’s draft.
Deledio’s departure saw a number of players step up in his absence as the 30-year-old watched his former club claim its first flag in 37-years in heart-breaking circumstances.
“Richmond fans had an affection for Deledio for such a long time, he was probably their best player,” Robinson told SEN Afternoons.
“Damien Hardwick had to make a really hard decision as to what he thought was in the best interests of the football club.
“It was an emotional decision and we have seen in the last couple of weeks Deledio speaking about how he can’t watch the game and that it really, really hurts him.
“Would they have won the flag if they didn’t make that decision? Who knows? But if I had to make a decision on that or die, then no, I don’t think they would have won the flag because the machinations change.
“They brought players in they brought youth into the team. It allowed them to recruit some players. We all want fairy-tales in football and sometimes they happen and they did happened for Jack Graham and Jacob Townsend.”
Deledio revealed he hasn’t been able to bring himself to watch the 2017 Grand Final and described the feeling on missing out on Richmond’s historic premiership as “gut-wrenching.”
https://www.sen.com.au/news/2017/10/23/no-flag-for-tigers-if-deledio-played-robbo/