BRETT DELEDIO describes Australian supermodel and television star Jennifer Hawkins as “immaculate”, would love to be driving a Porsche or souped-up four-wheel drive and believes fellow Tiger Angus Graham has been focusing on his biceps and the mirror the entire pre-season.
“I don’t know whether he’s done a single leg squat,” Deledio joked.
The all-action midfielder certainly likes to live life in the fast lane – both on and off field.
Since arriving at the club in 2005, Deledio has been one of the team’s hardest workers on the track.
Earlier this week, at Richmond’s season launch, he was recognised for his victory in the club’s NAB 15 challenge, a Terry Wallace initiative that had all squad members chasing automatic selection for the club’s NAB Cup opener.
Deledio says his passion for football drives his efforts on and off the field.
“It is the competitive nature of the game,” he said. “You’re fighting against 18 other blokes, week in week out, it just draws you in.”
Deledio’s competitive juices will be flowing this weekend when the Tigers take on the Blues in the club’s season opener. The midfielder is looking forward to taking on Carlton’s big guns.
“They have some dangers in Fev [Brendan Fevola], Marc Murphy and Nick Stevens,” Deledio said. “Hopefully we can restrict them as well as all their outside players who can be quite dangerous.”
The emerging champion played his first competitive game of Australian rules when he was eight years old with the mighty Wallabies in the Maryborough mini-league.
“I was in the under 13s and it was raining pretty heavily,” Deledio recalled. “After the game dad said I might do all right.”
Eleven years after Deledio’s first rain-affected game, his father’s vote of confidence has turned out to be right on the money.
Deledio’s face is now plastered over billboards and his name regularly mentioned among the up-and-coming stars of the AFL.
The 19-year-old is one of several young Tigers expected to help Richmond achieve its goal of making the finals this season.
Deledio says he is happy to shoulder that weight of expectation and believes the team is primed to play September football this year.
“We had a lot of injuries last year but the side is super-fit and has been training really well,” he said.
“We’ve picked up Graham Polak, Kent Kingsley and some impressive new draftees, so if we can keep everyone fit and on the park we should be a fair chance.”
Deledio says making the top eight would not only reward the players but also the club’s loyal supporters.
“They’ve always backed us in. They’re thick-skinned and they have taken every knock that we’ve had on the chin,” he said.
The young Richmond leader has a good idea of what all those loyal Tigers supporters would like to see him deliver this season.
“Taking players on, taking a few bounces down the wing and hopefully hitting Matthew Richardson or Kent Kingsley lace out, inside 50 – that would be nice,” he said.
