His Under 18 coach likened him to Mark Ricciuto. Is the football world at last about to see the true talent of Colin Sylvia?

A DEVIL OF A FOOTBALLER by Ben Casanelia - Inside Football

No sane person in football would question the talent of Colin Sylvia.

At 186cm and 87kg, the Melbourne Demon is blessed with football’s triple crown of talent – speed, strength and smarts.

Former teammate Nathan Brown put it best. “[censored] he can play, no question,” Brown said.

“His teammates know it, they just want to see what he can do when he gets himself right because it will be pretty damn special.”

From a statistical standpoint, Sylvia’s 52 games in four years since being drafted with selection No.3 at the 2003 draft are anything but special.

An average 11.7 disposals and 0.6 goals per game is hardly a noteworthy return from a top-five draft pick.

What is noteworthy is that it’s been achieved under extreme physical duress courtesy of a debilitating groin injury and very little pre-season work in any of the four years.

A player of lesser talent would have been lucky to play 20 games, and probably be lost to the AFL.

Even with his prodigious talent, Sylvia knows the time has come for his body to put up or shut up.

On the eve of Saturday’s NAB Cup opener against Geelong, the 22-year-old says season 2008 will shape the rest of his football career.

“It could make or break me. I think,” was Sylvia’s assessment of the year ahead.

“My career’s on the line here. If I can’t figure it out and get to the bottom of what my injury is then who’s going to want a guy who’s out of contract at 23, can’t get his body right and had all the opportunities in the world?

“It’s staring me straight in the eye. That’s something I’ve got to take on board and do something about.”

Sylvia and the Melbourne medical staff have searched far and wide for answers.

Specialist after specialist, surgeon after surgeon has given their opinion as to what it is draining Sylvia’s power through his core, causing severe pain in his lower back pain and glutes.

“It’s more than just osteitis pubis,” he said. “It’s been ongoing for a long time and I just hope we have got to the bottom of it all, or close to it, because time does run out eventually.”

For the first time since arriving at the club, Sylvia has completed a full, if modified, pre-season.

He says a “strategic taping” regime of applying supportive tape to regions around his pelvis has helped significantly.

“I started the taping last year and for about eight weeks there it was the best I’ve felt since I came to the club,” he said.

“My pelvis is pretty loose so the tape gives some support and I now use it every time I do basically anything out on the ground.”

While describing the time taken to “tape up” as “a pain in the arse”, the former Bendigo Pioneer best and fairest finally feels as though he is winning the battle.

“It’s been a long road for me and it’s been trying … we’ve almost tried everything in the book to find out exactly what my problem is and what to do to fix it.

“It took some time and I knew it wouldn’t happen overnight. Right now I’d like to think I was 100 per cent right but I’m not. In saying that though everything is heading in the right direction and that’s the main thing.”

Brown says what Sylvia has achieved in 52 games is testament to his talent, and disagrees a player as blessed as his former teammate faces a make-or-break year at 22 years of age.

He rates Sylvia as captaincy material.

“He’s a strong character, all he needs is to get his body right and play a bit of footy,” Brown said.

“It’s a hard enough game when you’ve done the work let alone when you haven’t.”

Having been teased, Melbourne fans are happy to wait.

At times during his career Sylvia has lived up to the comparisons being made by others prior to joining the AFL ranks.

On the eve of the 03 draft, former Bendigo Pioneers coach Rod Macpherson described the then 18-year-old as “a Ricciuto-type player who is powerful and exceptionally strong”

Macpherson went on: “He’s very powerful in the upper body and is a great aerialist. Most of the staff around here, and I’ve been here four years, say they’ve never seen a player have such a dominant year as he’s had.”

While Sylvia hopes to open his 2008 campaign in Saturday’s NAB Cup opener against Geelong, he says the medical staff as much as the football department will have the final say.

“It’s definitely been the best pre-season I’ve had,” he said.

“I just feel as though I’ve got so much room for improvement.

“I’m probably a bit disappointed that things haven’t gone the direction I had hoped from the beginning but I’ve still got it all in front and of me now and there’s an enormous opportunity going forward.

“I haven’t set the world on fire and I’ve got a long way to go in my footy career.”

Having played all his junior footy as a midfielder/ part-time forward, Sylvia says he has no idea what new coach Dean Bailey has in store. His priority is fitness.

Most agree if fully fit he can be a lethal weapon in any part of the ground.

Brown has no doubt where the No. 12 will end up.

“In time he’ll be a midfielder and hopefully for his and the footy club’s sake that time is now,” Brown said.

Sylvia, in combination with Brock McLean, Cameron Bruce, Nathan Jones, James McDonald, Brent Moloney and Brad Green through midfield gives Bailey plenty to work with.

Just to have the option would be heart warming for Melbourne fans, not to mention Sylvia.

“There’s no other way to say it than I just can’t wait to put the boots on and get out there and play,” he said. “It’s got to be my year.”

Thoughts?

We can only hope he can get his body right and show us consistantly how good he can be. Funny our 3rd and 5th picks from that draft just can't ge their bodies right and stay fit, both have enormous talent. A few early picks from that draft have struggled Cooney is one that stands out.

We can only hope he can get his body right

Unfortunately it's a common theme for a few of our young guys.

It's interesting to hear Sylvia talk quite frankly about his career prospects, and heartening to hear that his fitness seems to be heading in the right direction.

Thoughts?

Great read I thought. Could not possibly imagine how frusturating it must be for Sylvia to have all this talent, enthusiasm and drive and, not be able to play because of an undetermined injury. I really do hope he can get to his best this year.

I was also surprised/interested to read that Brown rates Sylvia as captaincy material. His name hasn't really been thrown around here amongst the Greens, Bruces, Brocks, and even Jones' in discussions about future captains.

Will be something to watch out for this year if Sylvia becomes a consistent player and has opportunity to really show some leadership I guess.

a fit and firing colin sylvia is 10 times better then luke hodge! the guy is seriously a devestating player but just needs to get himself right

This is a hope and pray situation. It does seems a long time and hope he gets it right. He is a true 'footballer', something we have lacked at Melbourne.

Dissapointing to hear him say its still not 100 %. He does not appear overly optimistic but I guess is just realistic after quite a few years now.

I hope he can play 15 to 20 games then I think you will start to see his possession stats go up.

wait and see with this one.

At least he's come down to earth and is realistic about where his career is heading.

His time is running out and he absolutely must make the most of his opportunities this year, or he may not get another.

For him to finally get a full pre-season under his belt is fantastic. No doubt we could use someone of his talents, especially now that TJ is gone.

May be a bit of value in dreamteam?????? considering this is his first kinda full pre season

I pray that Dean Bailey plays COlin Sylvia one-out in the goal square, and gives him the entire forward 50 to operate

He will kick a bag of 10