Rhys King stars as Bond University beat Burleigh in pre-season game ahead of QFA Division 2 South season

Bond University senior men’s coach Sam Whish-Wilson has labelled one of his midfielders a freak who has gone to another level in what is an ominous warning to rival clubs.

BOND University senior men’s coach Sam Whish-Wilson has labelled midfielder Rhys King a freak who has gone to another level in an ominous warning to rival clubs.

King dominated in the club’s 19.14 (128) to 8.7 (55) win over Burleigh in their pre-season game at home on Saturday.

The two team’s played six quarters spanning 20 minutes each, with Bond University rolling out evenly balanced sides across each three quarters while Burleigh used the first half to play their reserves and their seniors in the second.

King, a scholarship holder tied to Bond University until the end of 2020, was the obvious standout for the side

Bond University 2019 QFA Division 2 player Rhys King. Picture: Supplied.

The 19-year-old, who moved to the Gold Coast last year after winning a premiership with Albury, looks to have taken his game to new heights.

King won last year’s best and fairest at Bond University and was best on ground in their QFA Division 2 grand final win.

“Rhys King is a freak. He is as good a player as I have seen,” Whish-Wilson said.

“He has he gone to another level. He really should be at Southport (playing NEAFL). He is our scholarship player but he will play a higher level in the future.

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“He is an inside midfielder who does everything. He played in the first three quarters on Saturday and would have had 25 possessions and 10 tackles to his name.”

Whish-Wilson said Bond University’s depth will play a key role in their bid to win the 2020 QFA Division 2 South competition this year and was impressed by what he saw in their first competitive game.

“We wanted to get a lot of our new players on the park playing in a competitive environment,” Whish-Wilson said.

“We divided our squad equally so some of those guys who do play reserves on a regular basis see what it’s like to play with senior footballers.

“That is our philosophy on it.”

Bond University will play University of Queensland in another practice game this Saturday at home.