Brett Deledio – Deck of Dream Team 2013

Name: Brett Deledio
Club: Richmond
Position: Midfielder
Assistant Coach 2013 Price: $568,600
Bye Round: 11 (Shared with Brisbane, Fremantle, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide, Richmond & Western Bulldogs)
2012 Average: 110.3
2012 Games Played: 22
Predicted Average: 110

 

Why should I pick him?

Let’s start with the obvious. This season plenty of coaches have already ruled out Deledio due to one factor; he can now only be selected as a midfielder. Let’s put this aside and look at the other facts at play.

First; the kid is indestructible. Since debuting in round 1, 2005, Brett Deledio has missed a total of four games, having played in 172 of a possible 176 matches. Three of the four games he missed were in 2007 when he broke his hand. He was out for three matches. For a broken hand!

Secondly; he is coming off his best season, with mega-scores of 160, 141 (x2) & 140 last year. In fact, he scored over 110 points 40% of the time, and only dropped below 100 on five occasions with a 99, 91, two 78s, and a 71. Both 78s were scored against Fremantle, and both times he was tagged by Ryan Crowley.

Thirdly; he doesn’t rely on kicking goals to score big like some midfielders, with only 4% of his Dream Team points coming from goals last season. He can find his own ball and generate points without relying on team mates. 65% of his points came from disposals last season, with 17% from tackles, and only 14% coming from marks.

And lastly, he is as Bye Friendly as a midfielder can be this year, only clashing with the premium likes of Jack Redden, Tom Rockliff, Sam Mitchell, Trent Cotchin & Matthew Boyd.

So he is a midfielder only, so what? Last season when Deledio was compared to the entire competition, not just the backline, he was the 7^th best player on average, and scored the 6^th most points in the league for the entire year (24 more than Dane Swan, and only 107 short of competition leader Matthew Boyd).

 

Why shouldn’t I pick him?

Brett’s main deterrent is that with last season being his best yet, it doesn’t mean he will go on and improve, or even hold his spot with the game’s elite. In familiar circumstance, at the start of the 2012 season, Tom Rockliff & Bryce Gibbs both came into the year on a high average after great season the year before, and both failed to deliver. Deledio’s best season before last year was in 2008 when he averaged 97.5, and before that was his 2011 average of 91.4. If he falls back to those heights as a midfielder priced at a 110 average, he is looking at a 20 point decrease in average, dropping well away from the best midfielders of the competition, and with that, a massive loss of potentially $100,000 from your salary cap.

 

Deck of DT Rating

KING – Deledio should be able to hold his average this season. With the growth of Trent Cotchin & Dustin Martin, as well as Shane Tuck & the returning Nathan Foley in support, Deledio should have no trouble playing permanently in the midfield at TigerLand, getting his own ball, and continuing to score big! If you are after consistency in your midfield, Deledio is your man.

 

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