Former Brisbane AFL player Bryce Retzlaff details why he knew Connor Budarick would become a young star with Gold Coast Suns
Former Brisbane AFL player Bryce Retzlaff knew in his earliest dealings with Connor Budarick that the Suns Rising Star nominee was destined for great things. Here is why.
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FORMER Brisbane AFL player Bryce Retzlaff knew in his earliest dealings with Connor Budarick that the Suns Rising Star nominee was destined for great things.
Retzlaff, a legend of the Labrador Tigers who played 11 AFL games for the Lions and also won a VFL premiership with Box Hill, witnessed Budarick’s ascension through the junior ranks and played alongside him in Labrador’s 2017 QAFL grand final. Budarick was 15.
“The first thing that comes to mind during Connors time as Labrador was how naturally skilled he was at such a young age,” Retzlaff said.
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“He was, and is, incredibly balanced both sides of his body with elite kicking skills.
“More importantly than his skill set was his temperament and humility.
“I knew early on he had every chance to go on and have a great career in the AFL as he had such a mature head on his shoulders and applied himself to his craft.
“Connor played in Labrador’s Senior grand final side in 2017 as a 15-year-old.”
The praise follows Budarick’s stunning performance in Gold Coast’s 53-point win over the Adelaide Crows at Metricon Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
It earned him a NAB Rising Star nomination on the back of recording 16 possessions, six marks, two tackles and a goal.
Paul Sherrif, who coached Budarick at under-15 and 16 level at Labrador, in the under-14 North Gold Coast representative side and at under-16 academy level, also provided a glowing endorsement of the young Suns.
“Connor was a hardworking, respectful and very coachable player, a competitive beast who would rarely lose a contest and was always clean and polished with his skills,” Sherrif said.
“In Connor’s many years at the junior club he was always willing to help the club out off the field.
“He would volunteer to run water for his older brother’s team, do junior umpiring, collect the goalposts after a long day of matches or help anyone who needed it. He is a well and truly deserving NAB AFL Rising Star nominee.”
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“The award is a huge bonus for our junior club, like most junior sports we operate on a very small budget,” Labrador junior president Rowan Miller said.
“This grant will provide much needed equipment for the junior players.
“It has been a big boost especially after we received the award when SUNS AFLW player Kalinda Howarth received a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination earlier this year in the AFLW.”
Budarick, a Gold Coast local, commenced his junior footy with the Labrador Tigers, before joining the Suns academy at the age of 12.
Budarick’s nomination means Labrador have now received two NAB Club Recognition Awards this year, valued at a total of $5000, with $2000 of it being provided as a cash grant and the rest used for practical resources like football equipment.
He made his senior football debut for Southport Sharks when he was 16 before captaining the Suns academy side in the 2019 AFL Academy series.
His strong performances landed him selection for the Allies at the 2019 AFL Under-18 National Championships where he averaged 15.5 disposals and 9.5 tackles to earn the Hunter Harrison Medal as the Division Two best-and-fairest player.
He also achieved All-Australian honours following his standout AFL Under-18 Championships campaign for the Allies.