Brett Deledio yet to watch the Grand Final - went to the zoo instead

[Magma]

i wouldnt have minded being at the zoo too.

 

[tugga]

The raptor show at Taronga is quality.
They get a person in the audience to hold out a $5 note and one of the birds takes it and then delivers back after a few minutes.
I'm not sure whether the audience member really thinks their money is gone or not, but boy oh boy it's entertaining.

 

[dean33]

Since he's a Giants player and this is a story of one mans anguish that is really unfortunate, I reckon it should go here. This article is from the FootyLive App so I can't quite reference it, what I'll do is post bits of it, and you can find it yourself and read the whole deal if interested enough.

I really feel for the bloke and sometimes I look for him in the premiers poster, he's a good dude and saw guys like Brian Lake make the switch. GWS have a great chance next year, would be nice to see him taste some success. One thing to remember about Deledio, is that he really is a good person and doesn't deserve this sheer lack of luck he's gotten. At his best he was a fantastic footballer.



'Former Richmond superstar Brett Deledio was unable to bring himself to watch the Tigers' remarkable AFL premiership triumph, fearful of how it would mentally affect him.

The 30-year-old was largely ineffective for GWS in the 36-point preliminary final loss to the Tigers, a week before they trounced Adelaide in the grand final.


"I probably choked back a few tears at times sitting on the bench ... just knowing that I wasn't going to get the fairytale finish that I was hoping for and playing in a (grand) final," Deledio told sports social content platform 20FOUR.


Deledio and his young family then chose to spend grand final day at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, rather than watch his former teammates break Richmond's 37-year premiership drought.


"I love footy and I've watched every grand final for the last few years for motivation," said Deledio, whose only three playoff matches in a decorated 243-match stint with the Tigers all ended in elimination-final defeats.


"But it was still so raw, the emotion of it all, that I made the decision that I probably shouldn't, just for fear of it really getting to me mentally.


"It was pretty gut-wrenching.


"Also the photos of all the boys celebrating, some of my best mates, that was really tough.


"To go through everything we did in the previous years and then to see them celebrating something I felt I should have been a part of, or could have been a part of, was really tough."

"You tell me one person who could have foreseen the Tiges were going to win the flag and mate, I'll call them an absolute bullst artist," he said.

Ive heard lots of stories about lids in the last 12 months that don't shine a good light on him. He had his own little clique and would not give much time to younger players. I reckon the closeness and connection we got this year probably would not have happened with lids still in the team. And to get a first rounder for him, one of our best trades of recent times. he left to play finals and premierships with no thought of the guys he was leaving behind, no sympathy from me at all.

 

[Damon_3388]

What a sook, must be hard making $500,000+ A year.

Didn't realise that an AFL paycheck came with a removal of all thoughts and emotions.

 

[kickazz]

but when we had our darkest hour he did leave.

Darkest hour? Serious?

 

[captain cotch 9]

He should've watched the game anyway. There are plenty of exotic animals in the Richmond cheersquad

and those animals support a team with a AFL premiership.

How bout dat?

 

[Toump Ass]

Deledio's a ******* prick.

Basically does an interview and says: "How was I to know they'd fluke a premiership?"

 

[King Brown]

Deledio's a ******* prick.

Basically does an interview and says: "How was I to know they'd fluke a premiership?"

Just saying what we’re all thinking

 

[Marmozet]

and those animals support a team with a AFL premiership.

How bout dat?

All but 3 AFL teams/clubs have a premiership

 

[Deep]

He was Richmonds only shining light for a number of years. I feel bad for him.

 

[Plugger35]

Well it's not like he missed a great game or anything so he probably made the right call going to the zoo instead.

I do feel a bit sorry for him as he was a loyal servant for Richmond during some of their darkest times and then the year after he leaves they nab an unexpected premiership but at least he still has a chance at winning a flag next year which is something Nick Riewoldt or Leigh Montagna don't have.

 

[t_94]

At the end of the day it is a ball with a bit of air in it and he makes 500 k a year. He'll have to live with it.

 

[AG]

He should have avoided the zoo. Taronga just opened a brand new tiger exhibit called "Tiger Trek".

Zoo be trollin..

 

[TiggerMan22]

Dont blame him.
13 years at the club with 3 finals games and 0 wins. Stuck with us while we were s**t for ages, played through so many thrashings while being our only legit star for a while. Then started getting good, for a bit but with no success and then fell down the ladder.
Didnt look like he would be around for the next time we push for a flag, so he decided to do the smart thing and give himself a chance for some success while still having value and leaving us with a nice first rounder.
Im 100% sure he would have stayed if we finished around the 8 last year.

Sacrificed half his career just playing in s**t teams for us, just hoping it will pay off.
Then most of the second half of his career making finals then falling short.
Then leaves right before the payoff for all the work.
Have to be dik not to feel for him a bit.

 

[Mogwai]

Hardwick era was steady improvements, but hardly in 2016. We looked like we were heading back to the basketcase days with our incompetent performances and had no clue what would happen next. The coach was going to be sacked - even worse, backed - the board was in tumult, Martin's contract was running out, Yarran never played a minute for us, Vickery's departure left only Elton as a 2nd tall forward and for the icing on the cake our VC was traded away, and by all his accounts, he was quite elated about leaving despite being a leader for the past 5/6 years.

Yes it was ******* dark after being 5th, 8th, 5th for three seasons previous.

Darkest hour? Serious?

 

[Kipz]

The part that must sting the most is that Nathan Broad is a Tigers premiership player and he isn't.

That's the part that stands out for me anyways. Ouch

 

[TiggerMan22]

The part that must sting the most is that Nathan Broad is a Tigers premiership player and he isn't.

That's the part that stands out for me anyways. Ouch

Yeh along with seeing a guy with 5 games played in his career having 3 finals games, 3 finals wins, 1 flag. While Lids had 243 games played, 3 finals, 0 finals wins.
Footy aint fair sometimes.

 

[Toump Ass]

He wanted a premiership, so he left his mates and the club he'd spent a decade at and chose a (hate to use the word) soulless franchise to get one.

Turns out his mates were actually pretty bloody good.

If GWS make finals next year I hope he gets dropped.

Suck s**t Lids.

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Tbf to Lids no one thought the Tigers will win the flag before GWS so the move there seemed right at the time.

Unfair to judge him in hindsight imo

 

[99cents]

Who goes to the zoo on grand final day ?

A grand final game is like Christmas, regardless of the teams involved. Its a must watch event.

Maybe he went to see this?


https://taronga.org.au/about-us/building-better-zoo/taronga-zoo/new-sumatran-tiger-experience


it's really very good, but the lines are too long. Smart thinking by Lids.

 

[Benny78]

Maybe he can watch his way into a retirement home instead, as he's basically one foot in already.

 

[99cents]

I love how much it rubs you the wrong way. Twice defeated in prelims by the eventual premiers, with the player you poached from them playing a terrible game.

Who will GWS lose to next year?

On a completely different topic, do you think Stringer will destabilise the don's culture of respect and integrity?
How would you feel in a final against the dogs?

 

[Grockadoc]

He was Richmonds only shining light for a number of years. I feel bad for him.

Disagree.

2005-2008 he had Richo, Foley etc.
2009-2016 he had Cotchin, Riewoldt, Rance and Dusty.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Where Deledio really missed out was Round 21 2004 when Richmond lost to the Hawks, giving them No.1 pick. Had Richmond won that day, Deledio would have been at Hawthorn.

 

[Leeda]

cruelty isn't an AFL proscribed event. the horror is that many players suffer from this malady and well there is nothing
to be done other than rise above it and move onto a new scene. every poorly treated animal has always a chance of
learning to adapt to another environment and will thrive with the requisite treatment.

the lad will do well...