Friday night's match was set to determine whether Richmond were going to be contenders for 2015, and in their win over Hawthorn two men led the way – Brandon Ellis and Brett Deledio.
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Much has been made about Deledio's influence on Richmond and his influence was very much on show against Hawthorn.
Kicking three goals in the first quarter, Deledio finished the game with four goals, 18 disposals and six tackles. For those who have him in Ultimate Footy sides, his score of 107 was a vast improvement on the 72 he scored against Fremantle the week before.
Ellis is such an underrated player and his performance against Hawthorn has been barely spoken about with experts and commentators focusing more on Anthony Miles, despite the hard-nosed midfielder putting in a brilliant performance as well.
But it was the work of Ellis out of Richmond's defence, combined with Deledio's performance in the forward line that put Hawthorn under the type of pressure unseen previously in 2015.
Ellis collected 27 disposals, six marks, five tackles and scored 106 in Ultimate Footy - a great performance from a young midfielder on the brink of superstardom.
Add those two standout performances to the win itself, and Richmond are staking a legitimate claim for the 2015 premiership. Having secured away victories against Sydney and Fremantle, the win over Hawthorn has strengthened Richmond's credentials to have a significant impact in September.
And no doubt Ellis and Deledio will be at the front leading the charge once again.
Article supplied by Footy Prophet – football analysis with a fantasy focus. Footy Prophet is fantasy football.
