Football
7 November, 2024
Willaura's big man Floyd Burmeister reaches dizzying AFL draft heights
Big man Floyd ready to take on the AFL world.
Footy isn't the only sport where Floyd Burmeister excelled growing up - the Greater Western Victoria Rebels' athletic ruck forward was also a prominent high jumper.
But Burmeister said he always kept his eyes on the ball.
"I always knew I was going to do footy, athletics was just a bit of a supplement," he said.
Footy all started for the forward/ruck at Moyston-Willaura, before he moved to Ballarat Grammar for boarding school, where he played for Redan.
Burmeister grew up on a sheep and cattle farm in Willaura, and said if it wasn't for footy he would most likely be pursuing a career in agriculture.
It's been a stellar season for Burmeister, who battled with stress fractures in his back and pelvis in previous years - injuries that stemmed from a culmination of his footy and high jump.
He totalled 16 games for the Rebels this season, after playing just seven last year.
After playing all his junior footy at centre-half back, Burmeister made a smooth transition into the forward line this season, with support from Rebels' mentor Eamon Gill.
"It's been a massive amount of mental learning this year," he said. "I've really had to take extra steps in learning forward craft."
As he approaches the draft later this month, Burmeister said there's been a number of mentors who helped him along the way.
"When you're older you've got a lot more resources around you, but dad was massive all the way when I was growing up," he said.
Burmeister said he grew up in a sporty family - his father played footy, his sister is into athletics and he now plays alongside younger brother Sinclair for the Rebels.
Playing with Sinclair has been one of his footy highlights, as well as taking out the grand final by one point for the Mounties in the Ararat and District Junior Football Association.
"I still remember that to this day," he said. "Even though it was under-13s, that was massive."
Since he was a junior, Burmeister said getting drafted has always been his plan A.
"To go through the ups and downs of injuries, and come in and out of sides, just for that all to tie up at the end of the year to get your name called out," he said. "It would just be huge."
AT A GLANCE
FLOYD BURMEISTER
Age: 18
Height: 199cm
Home club: Moyston-Willaura/Redan
Position: Forward/ruck
Rebels Games: 2024: 15 (13 goals), 2023: 7 (6 goals)