Newly-named Qld under-17 captain Hugo Burdon to make first grade debut for Gold Coast Dolphins

HE’S the poster boy for the Gold Coast Dolphins’ Generation Next and the chance for Hugo Burdon to make his mark has arrived.

HE’S the poster boy for the Gold Coast Dolphins’ Generation Next and the chance for Hugo Burdon to make his mark has arrived.

Fresh off being named as Queensland under-17 captain for next month’s national championships in Brisbane and Mackay, the 16-year-old will today make his first grade debut in the Dolphins’ season-opening one-day clash with Wests.

A middle-order batsman and part-time legspinner, Burdon is one of four teenagers in a first grade outfit looking to avenge last season’s two-day (11th), one-day (9th) and T20 (10th) results.

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At 25, fast bowler Jackson Smith is the oldest player in the side, which has an average age of 20.

However, with Queensland contract holders and fellow teens Max Bryant and Xavier Bartlett to join him at Graceville Memorial Oval today, Surfers Paradise junior Burdon is adamant they have the talent to emerge from their slumber.

Hugo Burdon will make his first grade debut for the Gold Coast Dolphins in today’s one-day clash with Wests. Picture: Jerad Williams

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“There’s heaps of juniors (here) that are coming through in the Queensland program so they all come here with professionalism and it shows what the next level is like,” Burdon, who captained The Southport School last year, said.

“It’s good them being young, it makes it more realistic for me rather than being an older pro like (Michael Neser) or someone like that. The goal (this season was to) crack first grade. I feel pretty good.”

Burdon made an immediate impression for Queensland in their run to the under-17 final last season, scoring 215 runs at an average of 30 despite being run out for 1 and 0 in his final two innings.

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He will again look to lead by example at this year’s tournament from October 1-11.

“I was happy (last season), being a younger age it was sort of a building block for this year. We made the final but got beaten by NSW.

“I’ve always said I want to be a batter that captains, that’s my mentality. If I’m scoring runs then hopefully it rolls onto the captaincy as well.

“I guess long term (the goal is to captain at the Dolphins), captaincy has always been something that I’ve liked to do.”

DOLPHINS’ ROUND 1 XI

Max Bryant

Lewin Maladay

Max Houlahan

Oscar Richardson

Hugo Burdon

Jack Hargreaves

Matt Kuhnemann

Trent Arnold

Xavier Bartlett

Josh Kann

Jackson Smith