JORDYN Burke will return home to play for the Horsham Demons in 2018 after spending the best part of three seasons away from the club.
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He said he was excited to return to the Wimmera Football League powerhouse club that he had such strong connections with.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back into it,” he said.
“It’s such a young list which will be exciting to play with.”
He also said he looked forward to working under new Horsham senior coach Deek Roberts.
“He has some exciting ideas and he’s very passionate about stepping up,” he said.
“It will also be nice to take a bit of a backward step and just play after coaching for a few years.”
Burke made the move to play for Bannockburn in the Geelong District Football League after coaching the Demons to a senior premiership in 2014 alongside Brad Hartigan.
For the first half of the 2015 season he commuted weekly to play for Bannockburn before being cleared back to the Demons in the second half of the season.
He then went on to coach at North Ballarat City in 2016 and 2017 where he attained his level two coaching accreditation.
He said he had learned a lot in his time at the helm of the club.
“I really enjoyed the commitment it took at a slightly higher level,” he said.
“It was great to be involved in a different environment and see how they go about it. I’ve learned a lot off different blokes that have played and coached at VFL level, so that experience has really helped.”
Part of the reason Burke was excited to return to Horsham was linking up with players that he had spent so much time playing alongside.
He said he had played most of his junior football with Brad Hartigan.
“We obviously coached together a few years back and we’re pretty good mates so it will be good to play with him again,” he said.
“It will also be good to join up with quite a few of the younger boys that were coming through when I was previously there.
“I’m excited to see how John Wood, Darcy Taylor and those kind of kids have fared at senior level.”
I’m excited to see how John Wood, Darcy Taylor and those kind of kids have fared at senior level.
- Jordyn Burke
The 30-year-old said he hoped to spend more time holding down a key position in the forward line next season having spent after spending much of his career in the ruck.
“We’ll let the young boys jump around in the middle,” he said.
“It would be great to have a run around up forward but that’s up to Deek. I’m pretty open to anything really because I’m just happy to be back part of it and hopefully have a good year.”
The Demons are set to start pre-season training on Thursday evening.
“We finished a little bit earlier than what Horsham did so I’ve had an extra month off,” Burke said.
“I am looking forward to getting back on the track to have a run around.”