Brett Burton

Biography

AFC Debut Number: 98              AFC Debut Game:  Round 1 v Bulldogs, 1999

AFC Career Guernsey Number: 24

Brett Burton persisted with football despite twice being left out of underage grand final teams because he was considered too small, and it was a move which paid off as he developed into one of the League’s most exciting players. A State junior athlete, he made his SANFL debut with Woodville-West Torrens in 1998 and caught the eye thanks to his spectacular marking skills. Burton was Adelaide’s top pick at the 1998 National Draft, pick No.16, and he debuted in the first round of action in 1999.

Despite niggling injuries, Burton’s rise continued and his game reached a new level in 2002 when he kicked 52 goals to be Adelaide’s leading goalkicker. Injuries affected his next two seasons but he returned in time to help Adelaide to successive finals campaigns in 2005 and 2006; he finished third in the Club’s goalkicking in 2006 with 41 goals.

A knee reconstruction grounded the Birdman for much of the 2008 and 2009 seasons, but at 31-years-old he returned in style in 2009 to claim the AFL Mark of the Year with a huge grab against Carlton. He retired in 2010 after 177 games and is equal-eighth on the Club’s all-time goalkicking list alongside Darren Jarman.

After five years leading Brisbane’s Physical Performance unit, Burton returned to Adelaide in October of 2015 to head up the Club’s High Performance department. He was Head of Football at the Crows in 2016 until 2019.