The 25-year-old Tiger star has not missed a match since Round 18, 2007 and he’ll become only the second current-day AFL player to rack up 100 consecutive games or more, joining Carlton’s Kade Simpson, who has played 150 in-a-row.
Deledio will also enter elite company at Tigerland when he achieves the 100-consecutive games milestone on Saturday.
Only nine players in the Club’s VFL/AFL history have managed the feat while exclusively wearing the famous Yellow and Black colors. Paul Broderick (ex-Fitzroy) and Nathan Brown (ex-Western Bulldogs) also chalked up 100 league games on-the-trot during their playing careers at Richmond, but they both got their via two clubs.
Richmond’s all-time games record-holder, five-time premiership hero and five-time Jack Dyer Medallist, Kevin Bartlett, reached 100 consecutive games on two separate occasions throughout his magnificent career - 150 in-a-row from 1966-72 and 173 from 1975-82.
Goalkicking great, Jack Titus, holds the Club’s record for the most successive appearances, with 202 from 1933-43, with the late Jim Stynes holding the overall league record of 244 games, from 1987-98.
The full list of Tigers to have played 100 or more consecutive games is:
• Jack Titus, 202 games, 1933-43
• Kevin Bartlett, 173 games, 1975-82
• Kevin Bartlett, 150 games, 1966-72
• Joel Bowden, 143 games, 1998-04
• Greg Tivendale, 135 games, 1999-05
• Andrew Kellaway, 118 games, 1999-04
• Roy Wright, 115 games, 1950-56
• Matthew Knights, 105 games, 1989-93
• Kevin O’Neill, 105 games, 1935-40
• Shane Tuck, 104 games, 2005-09
• Barney Herbert, 102 games, 1915-21
While on the subject of Punt Road milestones . . . Dustin Martin will play his 50th league game against the Swans on Sunday.
The young gun Tiger midfielder has had a significant impact in his 49 games so far, finishing fourth in the Club’s Jack Dyer Medal in his 2010 debut season and third last year.
Martin has captured the imagination of the Tiger Army due to his ability to influence games through his exciting, powerhouse style of play.
He is averaging a goal a game, with 49 goals in his 49 appearances.
Clever Tiger small forward Robbie Nahas clearly has a liking for AAMI Stadium.
Nahas has kicked multiple goals in each of the five games he’s played at the SA ground.
His influential three-goal display against Port Adelaide there yesterday took his overall tally at the venue to 15 goals in five appearances.
Here’s a breakdown of Nahas’ goalkicking record at AAMI Stadium . . .
Round 8, 2009 v Port Adelaide: 5 goals
Round 7, 2010 v Adelaide: 2 goals
Round 10, 2010 v Port Adelaide: 2 goals
Round 23, 2011 v Adelaide: 3 goals
Round 6, 2012 v Port Adelaide: 3 goals
Being hit with a G-Force registering a whopping 11G, clearly agrees with young Tiger defender Matt Dea.
The 20-year-old was involved in a sickening clash with powerfully-built West Coast forward Jack Darling during the Round 5 match at Etihad Stadium, but emerged with “just” a broken nose.
Undeterred, Dea proceeded to compile a career-high 18 possessions (6 kicks, 12 handballs) in Richmond’s 37-point win against the Power at AAMI Stadium on Sunday.
His all-round efficiency was the standout feature of just his second game this season and ninth overall at the elite level.
Richmond is mourning the passing of Alf Barnett last weekend, at the age of 84.
Alf had a more than 60-year involvement with his beloved Tigers, starting off as a player in the Club’s thirds and seconds.
He later became a committeeman at the Club and, back in 1962, was responsible for commissioning the writing of the famous Richmond theme song, “We’re From Tigerland”.
Frustrated, and a tad embarrassed with the Tigers’ lack of a decent song to call their own, Alf approached Jack Malcomson, a regular entertainer at Punt Road “smoke nights, pleasant Sunday mornings”, and other Club functions, to come up with a song that would strike a chord with Richmond fans.
The rest, as they say is history - and glorious history at that - with Jack Malcomson producing a theme song that, 50 years on, is widely recognised as the best in the business.
Who knows what the Yellow and Black faithful would now be bellowing out on match days if Alf Barnett hadn’t approached Jack Malcomson.
Farewell to an immensely popular, likeable, little Tiger of Old . . .blog comments powered by Disqus
