Jorde Bux is one of the up-and-coming stars of the Maryborough Castlemaine District Football & Netball League. The reigning Under 17.5 league Best & Fairest, Bux has spent all of his footballing life at Talbot, starting at a very young age, and despite thinking about heading elsewhere over the past off-season, he’s settled into the new season well and is starting to play some good football in his third year at senior level.
“I started at Talbot about 12 years ago now, in the Under 14’s back when I was seven”, Bux mentioned when recalling his junior days in footy.
“I first moved into senior footy about three years ago, Rick Andrews was the coach then and gave me the opportunity which I’ll always be thankful for”.
“I’ve won the club best & fairest in each of my last three years at Under 17.5 level, which has been a honour”.
2015 was a break-out year for Bux though, after playing eleven senior games under Andrews in 2014, he played in 15 senior games in 2015 including Talbot’s elimination final against Royal Park, as well as 16 games in the Under 17.5 grade, being named in Talbot’s best two players in ten of those 16 junior games, which also included a losing final against Avoca.
The biggest thrill of the season, though, came on the MCDFNL’s Junior Best & Fairest Night last year, when Bux polled votes in 12 of Talbot’s sixteen Under 17.5 games last year to finish the year on 25 votes, taking out the league’s highest individual junior honour alongside Trentham’s Jake Beecham, who also finished on 25 votes.
“It was a pretty big shock to me to be honest, it was a surprise as I didn’t think I’d win it but it was good to actually win it, a bit of luck I guess!”, Bux recalled when asked about his win.
Playing two games each week was taking its toll on Bux, who was playing in his junior game then backing up to play senior football each week, and despite polling league votes in eight of the last nine games of the season as well as being named Talbot’s best player in their Under 17.5 elimination final loss to Avoca, Bux was glad to see the season come to an end for a well-deserved rest.
“It was a bit hard at the end of the season, playing two games each week…luckily this year I don’t have to!”
In a sign of the changing of the times, Bux hasn’t experienced any of the racist taunts that his older aboriginal counterparts were subject to during their playing days, showing that the message about stamping out racism in sport might be getting through finally.
He has some of his older team-mates at Talbot both past and present – players like Brandon McRedmond and Darren Burns – to thank for that as well, players that have been, and still are, very protective of their junior clubmates and have helped to protect their club and the league against the scourge of racism in football.
“Nah, I’ve never had anything like that”, Bux mentioned when asked about whether he had experienced any racist comments directed his way during his junior sporting days.
“I’ve looked up to a lot of the older blokes around the club, and they’ve always protected me coming through”.
Season 2016 has started slowly for Bux, having played in just three of Talbot’s five games this year, but he was almost lost to the club completely over the off-season as he contemplated following his family to one of the Hawks’ longest rivals, the Maryborough Rovers.
“My sister left Talbot, and myy brother and the rest of my family followed, and I wanted to go where all my family was which was to Rovers, but I couldn’t get cleared”.
“I went back to Talbot and sorted things out, and I’m happy that I did as it’s a great place to be, and with the new blokes coming into the club this year I know the club is going places and I’m proud to be a part of it”.
And whilst his season has only just commenced, Bux’s 2015 form has followed him into the new year, being named in Talbot’s best players in their Round 5 loss to Natte Bealiba in what he believes could be the start of a career-best year.
“I’ve only played three games this season so far – the first game of the year in the reserves and the last two in the seniors – but I’ve been playing better footy than I ever have”.
The long history of talented indigenous footballers playing at Talbot continues with Jorde Bux, who could be amongst the most talented they’ve seen and is destined for a long, successful senior career in the brown and gold.
Last Modified on 27/05/2016 17:24