By Travis Parnaby
Star Sandringham midfielder Shane Valenti was all the talk after the 2008 J.J. Liston Trophy count.
"He could have won it had he played a few more games," one veteran scribe quipped.
In fact, one more game was perhaps all it would take for the brilliant onballer to have tied with winner James Podsiadly of Werribee.
Valenti finished on 13 votes, three short of Podsiadly, from just 10 matches. He polled in six of those including two best on ground efforts.
Despite not winning Victorian footy's greatest individual prize, Valenti will reflect on his year as nothing but memorable.
Owing to a brilliant year with the Zebras last year that included Victorian representation, second in the J.J. Liston Trophy behind James Byrne and a Fothergill-Round Medal, Valenti was handed an AFL rookie spot with Sandringham's AFL partner Melbourne.
"To win that (Fothergill-Round) medal was a very big honour," Valenti said at the 2008 J.J. Liston Trophy count, 12 months on from his VFL rising star triumph.
"The VFL system has worked - it's developing players, it's getting young kids in from the TAC Cup and a couple are stepping up and playing senior footy.
"I was lucky to get an opportunity at Melbourne via the alignment."
Valenti got his first taste of the big time at AAMI Stadium in Adelaide against the Crows. He proceeded to play a further nine AFL matches including a tireless 16-possession kicked two of Melbourne's five goals against Geelong.
Valenti praised Sandringham's leaders for helping with his ascension through the ranks.
"Sandringham's been great for me. The senior boys there really took me under their wing. I can't thank them enough," he said, adding he would be sad to leave the club owing to Melbourne's cutting of ties with the Zebras.
"It's a bit upsetting. You go where you're needed I suppose. It's the way of life."
Last Modified on 14/01/2009 17:48