Orazio Fantasia declines role, despite being voted into Essendon leadership group
The player vote that left vice-captain and best and fairest Zach Merrett out of Essendon’s leadership group also had star small forward Orazio Fantasia in it. Here’s why he declined the opportunity.
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Essendon footy boss Dan Richardson says Orazio Fantasia knocked back a chance to be part of the Bombers’ leadership group to focus on getting back to his best.
The star small forward has endured a wretched run with injury over the past two seasons, playing just 13 and then 15 games.
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Despite being the subject of strong trade rumour during the off-season, Richardson said the Essendon players voted him into the leadership group.
“It’s true that Raz received really strong support to be in the leadership group,” Richardson said on SEN Breakfast.
“I think all along from discussions with Raz, he was always really focused on getting his body right and feeling that his best contribution to the team will be to get out there playing a bit more regularly and getting back to his best.
“I think it’s a selfless decision, he felt the best thing for him and for the team was to have that focus.”
Richardson said there had been discussions with Fantasia about his wish to focus on his own preparation during 2020, but he was not withdrawn from the voting process to ensure he would receive feedback from his peers.
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“It’s a vote in some respects, but every player gets a rating or gets some feedback from the rest of their peers around their leadership and what that means,” Richardson said.
“Following that, every player will also get the opportunity to develop their leadership, whether they’re in the group or not, so we thought it was still important, despite that, for Raz to get that ongoing feedback.”
Dyson Heppell will continue as Bombers’ captain for a fourth season, Michael Hurley returns after a one-year absence, with David Zaharakis, Dylan Shiel and Devon Smith added to the leadership group.
Zach Merrett, the club’s vice-captain and best and fairest last season, and arguably its best player, was sensationally left out of the group by the players.
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Originally published as Orazio Fantasia declines role, despite being voted into Essendon leadership group