Australian Football

Julian Burton was a handy player who, after struggling to nail down a regular place in the powerful Port Adelaide line-up, crossed to Sturt, where he blossomed. From 1991 to 1994 he played 41 SANFL games for the Magpies and kicked four goals, without really finding his best position. With the Blues he played almost exclusively as a forward, and revelled in the role. From 1995 to 2003 he played 125 games in a Sturt jumper, and scored 272 goals. On three occasions he won the club’s top goal kicker award, with a best tally of 64 goals in 1998, the same season that saw him register three goals against his former club in the grand final. Unfortunately, however, it was insufficient to prevent Port from winning. In October 2002 Burton sustained life-threatening burns in the infamous Bali bombings. He was voted South Australian of the Year in 2010 in recognition of his work with the Julian Burton Burns Trust, a charity he jointly set up in the wake of his own experiences.

Author - John Devaney