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Having sublime talent as a sportsperson can get you to the first step of having a successful career at the elite level in your chosen sport, but it will only get you that far.
It’s mindboggling that Fremantle player and former Melbourne footballer, Colin Sylvia, now into the 12th year of his AFL career, still hasn’t cottoned onto that.
Sylvia was a brilliantly talented junior from country Victoria when he was picked up by Melbourne at pick three in the 2003 National Draft.
He was seen as a future superstar of the competition, but has shown very few glimpses of that talent on a consistent basis since.
There were times with the Demons that his explosive pace and exquisite skills would produce match winning performances and you would think he was ready to take the league by storm, but we are still waiting.
Melbourne fans grew tired of his inconsistencies and there seemed to be a feeling of relief when, as an unrestricted free agent at the end of 2013, he opted to take a three-year deal worth about one million dollars and move across the Nullabor to play with Fremantle.
It seemed like a good move for him to try and rejuvenate a flagging career and for the Dockers, who, after losing the grand final to Hawthorn, identified an outside finisher with excellent goal sense as one of the finishing pieces in their premiership puzzle.
Fremantle, of course, also has Ross Lyon, who has a good reputation of getting the best out of players from other clubs, although it’s generally through tough love.
However, it appears that hasn’t worked with Sylvia, who had an underwhelming debut season in purple playing just six games. He has continued to disappoint in pre-season training especially after Christmas where he returned out of nick and struggled in the club’s first three-kilometre time trial.
He has now been banished indefinitely to Peel Thunder in the WAFL. Ross Lyon’s attitude with his players regarding being part of his regime is that you either buy in or you don’t.
It’s like that old saying, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. You have to want it at the elite level and it seems Sylvia, despite all his ability, doesn’t want it enough or at all.
This is his last chance for the penny to drop, because he is fast becoming one of the game’s biggest wasted talents in recent times.
He is being very well paid to follow his dream. There are so many footballers that would love to do what Sylvia is getting a chance to do and there are many with much less talent, but through sheer hard work and desire have had much better careers.
You hope that Sylvia finally pulls his finger out and turns things around, because he’s just what Fremantle need. But it looks like it’s going to cost him plenty to buy back into Mr Lyon’s set up.
Hey Col, can I give you some advice? If it’s to be, it’s up to me!
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