As proud president of Dean Polo, I present to you, a snippet of an article from the Gippsland Power website.
. Deans journey has been no less interesting as he has slowly but surely matured during four years of the Power program. He was a raw-boned but talented member of the East Gippsland Schoolboys before moving on to the Powers under16 squad and the carnival at Bendigo. His natural skill was plainly evident as was his lack of polish compared to some of the other youngsters. He was selected for the Vic Country try-outs and made the final squad for the carnival in Perth.
Once again he made a big impression with his raw skill but he had a lot to learn about the game and how he could make better use of his abundant natural ability. He played for the Power under 18 team at the end of that season and showed that he had some promise at this level without setting the world on fire.
The next phase of his football journey began with his first “full-on” pre-season with the under 18’s and he became a regular member of the Power team in 2003. He began to make a more consistent contribution throughout the season and was putting some polish on his game. He was rarely beaten as a defender but yearned for the freedom of a more attacking role.
Things began to take off in 2004 as Deans’ fitness and skill levels were complimented by a greater understanding of the game and the more attacking roles that he was given as the season progressed. He did a lot of run-with tasks but showed that he could be a play maker as well and quickly became a vital member of the Power mid-field. He would regularly take incredible marks and displayed some “Darrel White” type abilities under pressure.
He won a place in the Vic Country under-18 squad and played so well in the carnival that he was rewarded with All-Australian selection at the end of the program. His impressive progress continued back with the Power as his disciplined and determined play was a key to the Powers run to the TAC Cup finals.
He then capped off his season with a comprehensive victory in the Powers best and fairest award. It was a fitting reward for an exceptional season and was particularly pleasing considering the quality of the Power team in 2004. He is still a “major work in progress” and the best is yet to come. It will be a treat to watch his continued evolution as a player in the AFL and it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that his freakish skills could make him a bit of a cult figure with the Tigers supporters
http://gippslandpower.footballvic.com.au/default.aspx?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=31259
. Deans journey has been no less interesting as he has slowly but surely matured during four years of the Power program. He was a raw-boned but talented member of the East Gippsland Schoolboys before moving on to the Powers under16 squad and the carnival at Bendigo. His natural skill was plainly evident as was his lack of polish compared to some of the other youngsters. He was selected for the Vic Country try-outs and made the final squad for the carnival in Perth.
Once again he made a big impression with his raw skill but he had a lot to learn about the game and how he could make better use of his abundant natural ability. He played for the Power under 18 team at the end of that season and showed that he had some promise at this level without setting the world on fire.
The next phase of his football journey began with his first “full-on” pre-season with the under 18’s and he became a regular member of the Power team in 2003. He began to make a more consistent contribution throughout the season and was putting some polish on his game. He was rarely beaten as a defender but yearned for the freedom of a more attacking role.
Things began to take off in 2004 as Deans’ fitness and skill levels were complimented by a greater understanding of the game and the more attacking roles that he was given as the season progressed. He did a lot of run-with tasks but showed that he could be a play maker as well and quickly became a vital member of the Power mid-field. He would regularly take incredible marks and displayed some “Darrel White” type abilities under pressure.
He won a place in the Vic Country under-18 squad and played so well in the carnival that he was rewarded with All-Australian selection at the end of the program. His impressive progress continued back with the Power as his disciplined and determined play was a key to the Powers run to the TAC Cup finals.
He then capped off his season with a comprehensive victory in the Powers best and fairest award. It was a fitting reward for an exceptional season and was particularly pleasing considering the quality of the Power team in 2004. He is still a “major work in progress” and the best is yet to come. It will be a treat to watch his continued evolution as a player in the AFL and it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that his freakish skills could make him a bit of a cult figure with the Tigers supporters
http://gippslandpower.footballvic.com.au/default.aspx?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=31259
