Kai Daniels gets his wish to sign with Pyramid Hill for this season

Pyramid Hill has one of country’s longest footy droughts and it has received a boost in its bid to go one step further in 2025 with the brother of a NBA rising star finally joining the club.

Kai Daniels will be playing for a new club in 2025. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

Pyramid Hill coach Nathan Fitzpatrick is relieved Kai Daniels is finally back at the Bulldogs.

Now, the focus is on ending the club ending its Loddon Valley league premiership drought.

The long protracted dispute between Golden Square and Pyramid Hill is over after the Bendigo league club approved the clearance to allow Daniels.

Daniels, as revealed by Golden Square, signed a contract to remain at the club last year in September before telling the club last month he wanted to join Pyramid Hill.

Golden Square originally held Daniels to the deal before change of heart last weekend.

“Kai decided he wanted to play for us and we wanted to make sure we could do that for him,” Fitzpatrick said.

“We understand Golden Square wanted to do everything they could to keep him.

“He’s a classy player, so there was a bit of back and forth there.”

Kai Daniels won’t necessarily be playing in, 11, olden Square Bulldogs, Picture Yuri Kouzmin

Pyramid Hill currently has one of the longest premiership droughts in country footy.

The club’s last premiership was won in 1950 in the Mitiamo Football League when the club were the Saints.

Since then the team has made grand finals, including the past two years in the Loddon Valley league, but fallen short.

Fitzpatrick has spent the off-season trying to build the squad to go one step further in 2025.

The focus has been on getting taller, particularly in the forward line.

Daniels will be part of that and also play in the ruck, like he did at Golden Square last season.

“The specific role he plays is to be confirmed,” Fitzpatrick said.

“We’ve got Lachie Sidebottom, who is a classy ruckman himself, so they’ll share some duties in ruck and up forward as well.”

Daniels is one of three signings looking to add more height to the forward line.

He joins Mitch Langan from the QAFL, and Ben Bissett from Mount Pleasant.

Mitch Langan in action for the Noosa Tigers. He’s now joined Pyramid Hill. Picture: Craig Slaney Sports Photography

“We’ve got three 6’4 players that will be down there now,” he said.

“So looking forward to see how the three of them will work together.”

Pyramid Hill has also signed Jess Budarick and the Cheesman brothers in the pursuit of a premiership.

Fitzpatrick is hoping the signings off-set the losses the club has had.

And he and the club knows the pressure will be on.

“There will be some external pressure,” he said.

“We put internal pressure on ourselves and know we’ve got to drive high standards and playing our best footy consistently.

“We failed on the last day when we needed to last year but we know our best footy will be thereabouts again.

“We’ll get a good read early and go from there on what we need to execute.”

Pyramid Hill starts its season against Newbridge on April 5.

Originally published as Kai Daniels gets his wish to sign with Pyramid Hill for this season