Valenti's Second Chance?

                                                     (Copyright © 2011, Sportingpulse.com)

Very few footballers get second chances. Sport can certainly be cruel and unrelenting. Shane Valenti’s prolific rise as one of the VFL’s top players has not gone unnoticed, as he has been an integral part of Port Melbourne’s midfield and stellar undefeated season this year. Only time will tell, but as history shows, he may well be on selectors’ radars once again.

An appetizing addition to any midfield, which would go without saying, Valenti would love nothing more than to get another shot at the big time.

“I’ve proven I could play [AFL],” he said.

“To get another chance would be great.”

“To know I can play it and be comfortable at that level is pretty reassuring.”

The Melbourne Demons selected the midfielder at pick 57 in the 2007 NAB AFL Rookie Draft and made his mark at the club as a tough, ruthless ball winner, but was later delisted at the end of the 2009 season after managing only six senior games.

“I didn’t feel out of place when I was playing for Melbourne,” he said.

“To get the flick was obviously very disappointing because I thought I had made some inroads throughout that year in my football.”

With a rise of mature age recruits in the VFL, drafting more senior talent to compliment the youth found in the National Draft is becoming a more feasible option to clubs who want to find a more direct route to success, which in essence may provide the right opportunity at the right time for Valenti.

“It’s shifting that way, there are only a certain number of 17 or 18 year olds around,” he said.

“I think teams who are searching for success straight away who have time, but are looking at the premiership window pretty soon don’t necessarily want to always develop just 17 or 18 year kids because it’s tough.

“You can see with the likes of Podsiadly, Barlow and now Curnow and those sorts of players that there is room for those kinds of VFL players to come in and play a role in AFL sides.”

With an incredible undefeated season to date, the Boroughs have been ruthless in their domination of the competition. The likes of Valenti, Nathan Batsanis and Sam Dwyer have led the way through the midfield, with Valenti singling out the rise in confidence between the playing group as a contributing factor to their success.

“I think it is mostly confidence,” he said.

“Definitely the addition of Wayde Skipper, Patrick Rose and Jake Edwards, they have made the side a lot stronger, and created greater depth in the list.

“I think the maturity of the players has also played a big factor. We have seven or eight players who have played five or six years of VFL football.

“Playing together so long you start to learn how each other work, and we are starting to click as a team.”

At only 24, accolades including the JJ Liston Medal and being named in the VFL Team of the Year in 2010 are further reasons to show why Shane Valenti will continue to hover under selectors’ radars this season, and in years to come.

One of the key factors Valenti points to in his success are those who have mentored and nurtured his development throughout his years at Sandringham and Port Melbourne.

“Probably the first one that comes to mind is Mark Williams, the coach of Sandringham when I first started there. He played a big part in getting me a shot at Melbourne.

“Gary Ayres has also been fantastic. He is one of the best coaches I have had, he says it how it is, is brutally honest, and is a really good manager of people. He is a very knowledgeable man and has obviously coached at the top level.”

With the season nearing the business end, and a second chance to play at an AFL level still an inviting prospect, Valenti’s persevering attitude continues to serve him well. The ultimate focus at Port Melbourne he believes is eyeing off a second opportunity at winning another premiership.

“Obviously they haven’t had success for some time, and we are all working towards that, it’s not about individuals down at Port Melbourne at the moment, we are trying to win that premiership that we have been waiting so long for.”

“All eyes are on the VFL finals, if we can play well, and get some success, it will go a long way to getting some of our players a shot at an AFL level again.”

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- B