Bendigo: Eaglehawk signs Brisbane VFL player Joel Budarick

Eaglehawk has added a top-line recruit to its ranks as rival clubs eye the spot it has filled in the last Bendigo league finals series.

Eaglehawk has completed a late recruiting coup with the signing of Brisbane VFL midfielder Joel Budarick.

Budarick is rounding off another season in the Northern Territory league with Nighcliff and is also a premiership teammate of current Eaglehawk co-coach Clayton Holmes.

His signing is a major boost for Eaglehawk on the eve of the Bendigo league season, which is shaping to be one of the most even in recent memory.

Budarick played a combined 17 matches for Brisbane’s VFL team in 2023 and 2024, in addition to playing for Wilston Grange.

Eaglehawk will also have the services of Coburg’s Jesse Corigliano when free of VFL commitments.

Joel Budarick playing for Nighcliff in the NTFL this season. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Eaglehawk co-coach Travis Matheson said the previous playing link between Holmes and Budarick helped clinch the signing.

“Obviously the conversation has been bubbling away for a little while and things have now fallen into place to make it all possible,” Matheson said.

“We knew we needed to get that sort of player in for us to have a really good crack at it.

“It’s been good timing.”

Budarick will join an Eaglehawk midfield consisting of multiple best and fairest winner Billy Evans and Ben Thompson.

Eaglehawk has played finals the last two seasons.

But competition for spots in September this year is set to intensify with anticipated further improvement from Castlemaine and a resurgence by South Bendigo.

Eaglehawk coach Travis Matheson. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

Last year the Bendigo league was the most uneven major league in the state, but Matheson said the competition would definitely tighten up.

“It’s going to be hard to pick a winner each week to be honest,” he said.

“It’s going to be a really interesting season.

“Hopefully then the year after we get a couple teams back in to get us back to an 18-round comp.”

Other Eaglehawk signings since last year include emerging key position player Nick Thompson from Charlton and Jack Donat from Cohuna Kangas.

Eaglehawk has practice matches against Shepparton United and Redan before the BFNL season starts on April 12 with Golden Square its opening round opponent.