Brett Burton
| Brett Burton | |||
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Brett Burton | ||
| Nickname(s) | Birdman | ||
| Date of birth | 4 May 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Whyalla, South Australia | ||
| Original team(s) | Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL) | ||
| Draft | No. 16, 1998 national draft | ||
| Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Weight | 83 kg (183 lb) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1999–2010 | Adelaide | 177 (264) | |
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1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2010.
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| Career highlights | |||
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| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Brett Burton (born 4 May 1978) is a retired Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League. He was picked up at Pick 16 in the 1998 AFL Draft by the Adelaide Football Club. He is noted for his spectacular high marking, which saw him win the AFL Mark of the Year in 2009, and his freakish goal sense.
Brett Burton began his AFL career in 1999 aged 20. He immediately made a difference in the team, playing all games bar one, scoring 25 goals and averaging 19 disposals. He picked up 22 disposals in the game against Geelong in Round 14. The next year he sustained several minor injuries that restricted his season to just nine games, averaging 15 disposals and kicking eight goals.
He played 14 games in 2001, kicking a goal a game and winning several Mark of the Year nominations. During this time, he was nicknamed the "Birdman" by Mike McLean from Triple M Football, a name that has stuck for the duration of his career.
2002 was a great year for Burton, who played all 25 games. He kicked six goals in a game against the West Coast Eagles, as well as four bags of four, on his way to leading the Crows' goalscoring with 52. He also set up numerous chances for others, averaging 11 disposals per game in a largely forward role. In 2003 Burton's injury woes returned, as he missed out on eight consecutive games early in the season. On his return, however, he continued to dominate, kicking 23 goals from his 16 games and moving up the field to average 21 disposals.
2004 was a poor year for Adelaide, but it was even worse for Burton. He played just 13 games in another injury-cursed year, and he struggled for consistency. Continuing to play up the field, he managed to average 20 disposals per game, but kicked only eight goals. As the Crows flew high in 2005, however, so did Burton; he played 20 games, averaging 20 disposals and kicking 14 goals, having also assisted in the scoring of many others. A return to the forward line in 2006 and the Crows' continued dominance saw Burton kick 27 goals from his first 10 games, before injury damned the rest of his – and Adelaide's – season.
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