Spending the entire 2008 season rehabilitating from a knee reconstruction, Brad Dick was one of this year’s success stories for the club.
Elevated to the senior side for rounds two and three, Dick looked out of his depth and was moved to the VFL for the following five weeks.
Four goals against the Coburg Tigers was all that Mick Malthouse needed to see before recalling Dick to the seniors.
He played the next 14 out of a possible 17 matches including the first semi final and preliminary final.
Dick’s play-making ability made him a constant threat for his opponents, with his silky smooth skills capable of turning a match around in mere minutes.
A five-goal haul against Melbourne on the Queen’s Birthday showcased the 21-year-old’s ability to dominate a game.
A full pre-season is just what Dick needs to be able to play at a high standard over four quarters.
Paul Hudson: He is a real live wire. Probably lost some spark after three of four games and went back to the twos and did well to force him back into the side. He is an exceptional crumber and a good goal kicker on the snap and run. His challenge is to put on some size because he gets knocked off the ball too easily and it will give him more confidence. A great effort to come back after a knee injury.
2009 highlights
Round 10 v Port Adelaide: Validated the match committee’s faith with a 25-possession and three-goal effort against the visitors. Showed his explosiveness with a snapped goal late in the third term on his non-preferred side.
Round 19 v Adelaide: Had eight inside-50 possessions in the first term including setting up the side’s first major. Showed his nimbleness in the wet and could have imparted further damage if it wasn’t for his lack of finish. Put in a solid performance with 18 disposals, five marks and one goal.
2009 AFL statistics
| G | K | H | D | M | G | B | T | C |
| 16 | 7.3/55.6% | 4.6/78.4% | 11.9/64.4% | 2.4 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 0.5 |
2009 VFL statistics
| G | K | H | D | M |
| 7 | 11.0 | 3.1 | 14.1 | 2.7 |
