Brett Edward Deledio (born 18 April 1987) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played 243 games over 12 seasons with the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL), and a further 32 matches over three seasons with the Greater Western Sydney Giants. He was a two-time All-Australian, two-time Richmond best and fairest winner and recipient of the league's Rising Star award in his debut year in 2005. Between 2013 and 2016, he served as Richmond's vice-captain. Deledio was drafted to Richmond with the number one overall pick in the 2004 AFL draft and made his debut in round 1 of the 2005 season.
Early life and junior career Deledio was born in Kyabram, Victoria, in 1987 to Judy and Wayne Deledio. His father played a single game for in 1975, then spent a season with Brunswick in the Victorian Football Association before heading back to the country.
Deledio began playing competitive football at age 8. Playing well above his age bracket, Deledio starred alongside future teammate Troy Chaplin, who was one year his senior, in the local under-13 competition. At age 15, Deledio played his first game of senior football for the Kyabram Bombers in the Goulburn Valley Football League. He won best-afield honours for his performance in the match.
In 2003 Deledio was a joint winner of the Kevin Sheehan Medal as the best player in the under-16 national championships.
Deledio played for the Murray Bushrangers in the TAC Cup in 2003 and 2004, the leading junior competition in the country. In 2004, his final season, he kicked 21 goals from just 11 games and averaged 23.9 disposals as well. He was also named as a half-forward in the 2004 TAC Cup team of the year.
He went on to represent the Victorian Country side at the under-18 national championships, winning All-Australian honours in the process.
Deledio attended Kyabram High School prior to his AFL draft selection and subsequent move to Melbourne. He enrolled at Caulfield Grammar School to complete his year 12 studies in 2005, but pulled out after just two days.
Instead, he would complete his studies at Richmond, in private tutoring sessions alongside fellow underage club recruits Richard Tambling and Luke McGuane.
In addition to his footballing prowess, Deledio was also a promising young cricket player. A fast-bowler, he represented Victoria at the 2003–04 under-17 national championships. He was also highly capable with the bat, scoring an 85 in the competition's final and leading the Victorians to a national championship. Following this performance, the then coach of the Victorian Bushrangers David Hookes invited Deledio to join the state men's team. Deledio would however decline the offer, instead leaving cricket behind to focus on the prospect of a future career in the AFL.
AFL career Richmond Debut year (2005) Deledio was selected by the Richmond Football Club with the first overall pick in the 2004 National Draft.
He made his debut at age 17 years and 343 days in Round 1 the following year, in a Richmond loss to . He recorded 9 disposals and 6 marks for the match.
He kicked his first career goal in a Round 4 game at the MCG against . Deledio was nominated for the Rising Star award following his Round 8 match against Collingwood in which he recorded 13 disposals.
He played all 22 games in his debut season and on 31 August 2005, he was rewarded with the AFL Rising Star award, receiving 43 of a possible 45 votes. Deledio followed this by also winning the Richmond Best First-Year player award and AFL Players' Association Best First-Year Player Award as voted by his peers.
He also represented the club at the 2005 AFL Grand Final Sprint and won.
Capping off his debut season, Deledio was chosen to represent Australia in the International Rules series for 2005, becoming the youngest Australian player in the competition's history.
An emerging talent (2006–2007) Deledio played 21 out of 22 matches in 2006 and was again a consistent performer, only missing the one game with an injured knee. He was often the target of attention from opposition taggers due to his abilities, and found it difficult to break the tag. However he still produced impressive figures, averaging 18.8 possessions and 6.5 marks a game.
In 2007 Deledio developed into a highly versatile player, who often provided difficult match-ups for the opposition. He played multiple roles across the season, including stints in the midfield and on both the forward and back flanks. In the forward line he used his speed and judgement well to lead into space and take strong marks, kicking 21 goals for the season and placing third on the club's goal-kicking tally. Out of defence, he often used his electric pace to provide run and carry and deliver pinpoint passes into the forward line. Deledio's best game of the 2007 season came in Tigers' Round 19 win against Collingwood, where he kicked a career-high five goals and earned three Brownlow Medal votes. Deledio averaged 18.4 possessions and 5.4 marks a game for the season and placed fifth in the club's best-and-fairest, earning the Kevin Bartlett Medal.
Jack Dyer Medalist (2008–2009)
Deledio began the 2008 season in the forward line for the Tigers, but pushed up the ground later in the season. He surpassed 30 possessions for the first time in Round 6 against Hawthorn before doing so again in Round 10 against Sydney and in round 11 against Adelaide. He won the AFL Army Award for his courage shown in round 7 against the Saints when he flew backwards into a pack to take a mark and heavily collided with a Saints player. He topped the club for inside 50s that year, and averaged a club second 24.6 disposals per game. Deledio was rewarded for his consistent season with his first Jack Dyer Medal as the club's best-and-fairest player, polling 250 votes to take out the award. He was also announced in the 40-man All-Australian squad for 2008 though did not make the final team.
Deledio had another great year in 2009. His best game for the year came against Adelaide in Round 14, where he racked up 31 disposals and kicked one goal. He was the club leader for disposals and inside 50s that year, as well as placing second in tackles and third in clearances. He was rewarded with a second consecutive Jack Dyer Medal. Deledio finished with a total of 190 votes just ahead of Daniel Jackson (175) and skipper Chris Newman (162), thus becoming the youngest player to win the award back-to-back (at the age of 22 years and 5 months) since Kevin Bartlett in 1967–1968, and the youngest player in the AFL to win a best-and-fairest award back-to-back since Michael Voss at Brisbane in 1995–96. He signed a new 3-year contract in 2009, keeping him at Richmond until the end of the 2012 season.
A star of the club (2010–2012) 2010 saw Deledio have another solid year as he became a solid defence playmaker for Richmond alongside his captain, Chris Newman, averaging 25.3 disposals. Richmond began the 2010 season horribly, losing 10 of their first 11 games, their only win being in round 10 against Port Adelaide. The Tigers soon turned their season around, however, going on to win five of their next seven games, with Deledio playing a vital role in these wins.
Deledio was included in the 40 man All-Australian Squad for the second time in his career. He missed out on selection in the side to Collingwood's Harry O'Brien.
Deledio had his most consistent year to date in 2011, playing all 22 games and averaging 26.3 disposals, becoming acknowledged as an elite half back. Deledio was once again picked in the 40-man All-Australian squad.
Despite his fantastic year, Deledio missed out on an All-Australian side selection.
On 21 December 2011, at the club's Annual General Meeting, Deledio became the youngest life member in Richmond's history. Deledio qualified for the honour when he reached the 150-game milestone in Round 24, 2011 (at 24 years and 139 days old).
With his contract set to expire at the end of the 2012 season, Deledio was among the first to be able to explore free agency, with the midfielder being named by Richmond a restricted free agent prior to the 2012 season; however in March 2012, he signed a new five-year deal believed to be worth more than $3 million, keeping him contracted to the Tigers until the end of the 2017 season.
The 2012 season saw Deledio become one of the AFL's most valuable players, averaging 28 possessions per game.AFL Match Statistics 2012 In the Dreamtime at the 'G clash against Essendon in Round 8, Deledio starred for the Tigers in the loss, racking up 35 possessions to win the Yiooken Award as the best player on the ground.Yiooken Award Winner 2012
Apart from early in 2009, Deledio had consistently played good football, despite some critics citing that he has not lived up to expectations. However, after the Round 8 "Dreamtime at the G" Clash between Essendon and Richmond, Former Tigers head coach Damien Hardwick stated that he felt that Brett had finally become a “true AFL elite player” and was quoted as saying that: "His contested ball work has come on in leaps and bounds," [and] "That was probably the one area of his game that I thought needed work but he's just been enormous in that area this year. He's become an elite player of the competition."
Leadership and a first final (2013) Deledio played all 23 games in 2013, averaging 23.8 possessions per game.AFL Match Statistics 2013. Afl.com.au. Retrieved on 21 June 2017. He finished fourth in the club's best and fairest, winning the 'Fred Swift Medal'.
In Round 3 against the Western Bulldogs, Deledio kicked a goal within 8.9 seconds of the match starting, making it the fastest goal in AFL history, beating the former record of 9.1 seconds held by Gary Ablett, Jr. After 194 matches, Deledio finally played his first AFL final in Richmond's elimination final loss to Carlton at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. His 194-match wait until a maiden final is the longest of any current player in the AFL.
Injuries and a move to half forward (2014–2016)
Deledio had a slow start to the year due to an ongoing lower leg injury he was trying to nurse while playing, but as his fitness improved, so did he and so did Richmond as a whole. He played across the half-forward line in the latter half of the year and from round 15 and onwards he averaged 27 disposals per game, 1.4 goals per game, 6.2 marks per game, 5.5 inside 50s per game and least importantly he averaged 1.2 brownlow votes per game. His new position meant he had easier access to goals, kicked 11 goals in the last 5 Home & Away games of the year,Brett Deledio of the GWS Giants AFL Games Played Stats. Footywire.com (18 April 1987). Retrieved on 2017-06-21. and was a key figure in the Tigers rise from the lower rungs of the ladder to narrowly making the finals after nine consecutive wins to close out the season. He was a part of the team that lost to Port Adelaide by 57 points despite a very good individual performance of 29 disposals and 1 goal in the Elimination Final, just the second finals match of his career. He finished seventh in Richmond's best and fairest count.Greenberg, Tony. (30 September 2014) Cotchin’s Jack Dyer Medal treble. Richmondfc.com.au. Retrieved on 2017-06-21.
In January 2015, Deledio was appointed joint vice-captain for the 2015 season, along with Ivan Maric. For the second year running Deledio went into the season carrying an injury. After struggling through the team's Round 1 clash victory over Carlton he faced four weeks recovery on the sidelines. He would return to the side for the team's Round 6 match against North Melbourne.Deledio could sub in – afl.com.au