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A great story and a classy fullback
Force fields
JOSH CALLINAN
26 Aug, 2010 08:26 AM
When Patrick Dellit tore his hamstring for the second time this season, he feared it might have ended his chances of a Super 15 contract.But a day after the injury occurred while playing for Eastern Suburbs in the Shute Shield competition in Sydney on August 14, Western Force contacted the fullback.
It was exactly what the former Maitland Blacks junior wanted to hear and following a week’s worth of negotiations he signed a two-year deal with the Force – two days after his 24th birthday.
“As soon as I did it [my hamstring] again I thought that’s it, I’m going to miss out,” Dellit said.
“I had done my right one [hamstring] earlier in the year and now I had done my left one, I was going to be out for two weeks and I thought I would be out of the loop.
“But the Force rang the next day and said ‘don’t worry, we know you have done your hamstring but keep your head up because we are still looking at you’.
“It was such a relief to hear and, following negotiations for a week, I signed on the dotted line on Monday.
“You could say it was a pretty good weekend.”
Born and bred in Bolwarra, he was brimming with excitement yesterday when he spoke to the Maitland Mercury.
Dellit, now based in Sydney, was in town visiting family and friends.
He moved away six years ago to pursue a career in rugby union after completing his HSC at All Saints College, St Mary’s Campus, Maitland.
He represented NSW Country Schools in 2004 at the annual state championships and attracted interest from several clubs in Sydney.
He went to Eastern Suburbs and has been there since, starting in the colts program before earning a regular spot in the first XV at fullback last year.
He has also had stints with the Australian A rugby Sevens team, including a tour of Sri Lanka, and has been on the brink of the top flight Sevens team several times, missing out on the recent squad selected for the Commonwealth Games.
But now his time has come.
“It has been a long time coming and I have done it the hard way, niggles here and there, but eventually all the hard work has paid off,” Dellit said.
http://www.maitlandmercury.com.au/ne...s/1924130.aspx