The focus is always on others, but Melbourne's Colin Sylvia needs to come under the spotlight

THE spotlight at Melbourne is on many, yet Colin Sylvia's name seems to escape attention. It shouldn't.

MARK Neeld and Jack Watts are under pressure, the spotlight is on the recruits and recruiters, the chairman and the chief executive are being questioned, yet Colin Sylvia's name seems to escape attention.

For some reason, that happens with Sylvia.

It's always everyone else's fault other than the likable knockabout who is now in his 10th year of footy.

Maybe it's because the football world has given up on Sylvia being the player we all wanted him to be.

Maybe he's given up as well.

Maybe it's because, when backs are to the wall like they were on Saturday night, Sylvia responds with five kicks, two handballs and one tackle. For a skilled practitioner, Sylvia fails to deliver when it most counts.

Meanwhile, Watts is shredded. Watts was a No.1 pick, and has major issues with urgency, but don't forget Sylvia was a No.3 pick back in 2003.

By rights, Sylvia should've been a contender for the captaincy - he was the right age, had the ideal experience - but for a number of reasons, not least his behaviour off the field, he has never been a candidate.

After 140 games, we are still asking if Sylvia is a good player or not. He didn't finish in the top 10 in the best and fairest last year, despite playing 17 games.

No disrespect to Lynden Dunn, who finished 10th, but Sylvia should be clearly the more influential player.
In fact, Sylvia hasn't finished in the top 10 in the B&F for the past two years.

On Saturday night against Bombers, he started half-forward and went into the middle after halftime.

He was in for 11 centre bounces after the main break and had just one disposal in two quarters, and the disposal was ineffective.

That's embarrassing for a player of his talents.

It's also embarrassing that after 10 years it's not about Sylvia's talent.

Work rate, application, desperation, call it what you will.

But it's never been his strong suit. In 2009, he laid a career-high 101 tackles in 19 games.

In 2012, it dropped to 64 in 17 games. In two games this year, he's laid four.

When Watts said last week his team lacked leadership, which centred around players making a stand, the finger was pointed straight back at Watts.

It was fair enough, for Watts is supposedly the boy who would be king.

Which is what we said of Sylvia at one stage of his career.