Brett Deledio not fazed about ruining premiership dream of former club Richmond
AFTER bleeding yellow and black for 12 years, Brett Deledio’s first shot at a premiership will mean destroying the dream for Tigers fans who once cheered his name.
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GWS star Brett Deledio insists he has no mixed feelings about destroying the fairytale he spent 12 years bleeding yellow and black trying to achieve.
There is a lot to get the head around for the veteran, who will face his former team Richmond for the first time in his 250th game.
But Deledio is adamant there are no regrets about lining up in the preliminary final he has craved for so long as a Giant and not a Tiger.
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Injury forced the midfielder to seek a fresh start at the Giants, and now his one shot at his own personal slice of AFL history relies on him becoming a villain in the eyes of the Richmond faithful who once cheered his name.
However, the only lingering emotion attaching him to Richmond is a determination not to be embarrassed by a stiff-arm fend-off from former teammate Dustin Martin.
“There’s no regrets whatsoever,” says Deledio.
“This has been a fresh start for me. It’s exactly what I wanted and I’m loving my time up here.
“I dealt with all that (emotion) when I left so it’s all water under the bridge.
“After the game it might be a bit strange, but leading into the game and playing it’s all about GWS.”
Deledio believes his intricate knowledge of the Tigers’ game plan and spirit will only get him so far, and he’s determined not to become collateral damage in the hurricane that is unbackable Brownlow Medal favourite Martin.
“I marvel at some of the stuff he was doing the previous years when I was playing with him, but he’s gone to another level this year,” he said.
“You just do yourself and try not to be on the end of a stiff arm. That would be one of the most embarrassing things to happen for me.
“I’ll knock the arm down and try and get in underneath … or corral him and hopefully someone runs him down from behind.”
Achilles problems have marred Deledio for what seems like an age, and even after the lightest of training sessions on Tuesday, he finished up with ice on the area.
For this reason, he is not taking his 250th appearance for granted and is grateful to have made it this far.
Deledio hopes he doesn’t become a personal target of Tigers supporters, but he knows the venom with which they will greet the Giants when they take the field.
With more than 95,000 Richmond supporters expected to pack into the MCG, it shapes as possibly the most one-sided sellout crowds in the history of the AFL.
Deledio says bring it on.
“There’s going to be a lot of supporters there. I played there for 12 years and I know what the Tigers supporters are like,” he said.
“They’ll be yelling and screaming, no doubt about that, but we look forward to that. This group really looks forward to playing in front of a huge crowd.
“My advice to them would be get out there, soak it up and get a feel for what the atmosphere is like.
“Once the ball is bounced you try and forget it and just really listen to your teammates, because that’s all you can really rely on when you’re out there.
“It’s the same as any interstate game. Try and kick the first couple and shut them up. The key is to get that first one.”
Originally published as Brett Deledio not fazed about ruining premiership dream of former club Richmond
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