French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr famously said that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
That phrase has certainly rung true in 2023 for Shepparton’s Adam De Cicco.
Things have definitely changed for the former Cobram player – De Cicco has changed his stripes, changed leagues, changed towns and changed clubs. But one thing has clearly stayed the same – his ability to win the football.
De Cicco racked up an impressive 38 disposals against Kyabram on Saturday, the most of anybody on the field and tied for the most across the league.
He had 17 kicks, 21 handballs, eight clearances and six marks through the middle at Kyabram Recreation Reserve, earning 112 ranking points on the day – the third highest tally for the game.
De Cicco’s performance isn’t a one-off and it should come as no surprise.
He was one of the key pieces at Cobram in its recent strong era in Murray Football League and now that form is transferring across to Goulburn Valley League.
Across his three games for the Bears, De Cicco has had 20 or more possessions in each of them (82 total), ranking seventh in the league for the category.
He is ninth in the league in total ranking points (346), averaging 115.33 points a game.
For Shepparton specifically, the Tiger-now-Bear is up near the top in more than a handful of categories.
De Cicco is second in disposals, contested possessions, marks, clearances, hard ball gets, tackles and score involvements. He is third in handballs and fourth in kicks.
His exploits have also had him named among the Bears’ best in two of their three games.
It has been a red-hot start to the season for De Cicco, who has clearly had no trouble adjusting to his new hunting ground.
Things might have changed, but his prolificacy of winning the football has clearly stayed the same.
Adam De Cicco: Key stats (team rank)
Disposals: 82 (2nd)
Contested possessions: 34 (2nd)
Marks: 20 (2nd)
Clearances: 18 (2nd)
Tackles: 16 (2nd)
Score involvements: 28 (2nd)
Kicks: 51 (4th)
Handballs: 31 (3rd)