Tiger Brett Deledio's small poppy syndrome Mike Sheahan
From: Herald Sun
April 15, 2011 NATHAN Brown left the Western Bulldogs after a wooden-spoon season (2003) in pursuit of success, settling on Richmond, which was to finish last the following year.
He spent six years at Richmond without playing a final. He knows the bottom-team syndrome better than most.
That's why the former star forward is so empathetic towards and publicly supportive of Richmond's Brett Deledio.
Brown told the Herald Sun yesterday: "If Deledio had been drafted to a Geelong or Collingwood, we would be talking about him in the same regard as (Joel) Selwood or (Scott) Pendlebury.
"I see it similar to Brendon Goddard, much maligned early in his career with a struggling St Kilda to become one of the game's elite, and a prototype for modern AFL with a powerhouse St Kilda."
Former Richmond teammate Matthew Richardson agrees.
"I don't want to talk about individuals, but a very good player in a poor team would be a lot better player in a great team," he said."It's much harder to be consistent when you're getting beaten by 10 goals every second week."
The champion full-forward cited Richmond great Dale Weightman as the perfect example of his theory.
"The 'Flea' was a champion at Richmond when they weren't a great team and, every time he played for Victoria, he seemed to get even better. He always played better when he was around the champions of the other sides," Richardson said.
It's an intriguing debate as Deledio continues to polarise opinion. Is he simply the most talented player in a poor team? Does he impose himself enough as his team's best player?
Or, is it impossible to command elite status in a team that seems doomed to the bottom end of the ladder?
Given his history as a No. 1 draft pick (2004), he has plenty of critics, yet Brown, Richardson and others at Richmond are staunch supporters. Brown and Richardson know the frustrations of playing in poor teams, surrounded by players who just can't consistently perform at the standard required at AFL level.
Richardson played in three finals in 282 games in 17 seasons; Selwood, 22, has played in 12 finals and two premiership teams in four completed seasons.
Even after 131 games and three rounds into his seventh season, it is hard to rank Deledio. He has two best-and-fairests, a record neither Selwood nor Pendlebury can match, but they have premierships and play in teams where best-and-fairest votes are rather more hotly contested.
Both Selwood and Pendlebury have been All-Australian.
My criticism of Deledio is two-fold: the gap between his best and worst is too wide, and he doesn't impose himself on games in the balance.
So far this year, he had a quiet start against Carlton - 19 possessions, four contested; two in the first quarter - a best afield against St Kilda playing on Goddard, then a poor game against Hawthorn - 17 possessions, seven contested; two in the first quarter.
For some reason, he has a history of poor starts, when the opening minutes are so important to a team with low self-belief.
He has kicked three goals in the past 25 games.
Yes, hard to kick goals playing as a sweeper in defence, but he has had time in the midfield, where he should be playing every week.
Perhaps Deledio should take his lead from Chris Judd, who arrived at Carlton after the Blues finished 15th in 2007.
He has single-handedly dragged them to 11th and then finals footy in each of the past two years.
While Judd has a better support crew, he has been a brilliant leader. Deledio can announce his intentions at the MCG tonight against the toughest opposition in the game.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/small-poppy-syndrome/story-fn7shz1t-1226039428661
