DESPITE a four-point loss in Round 16, the Gippsland Power took out this year’s NAB League minor premiership having started their campaign with a nine-game win streak. At the forefront of their latest outing was midfielder Coby Burgiel, who collected a team-high 20 disposals.

The versatile top-age prospect has managed seven NAB League appearances this year while juggling school football commitments with Wesley College, and representative honours for Vic Country. A speedy operator, he has proven capable of finding the goals to compliment his work in midfield.

As Burgiel and the Power put their feet up momentarily on the eve of finals, now is a good time to look back on his final regular season performance. We put his game under the Player Focus microscope this week.

Midfielder

Coby Burgiel

Height: 183cm

Weight: 80kg

DOB: 09-09-2004

Strengths:

Clean hands

Consistency

Scoreboard impact

Speed

Versatility

SEASON SO FAR

2022 NAB League averages: 7 games | 22.6 disposals (12.7 kicks, 9.9 handballs) | 2.6 marks | 3.0 tackles | 4.9 inside 50s | 1.7 goals (12 total)

Burgiel’s busy schedule has hardly hindered him, with the midfielder-forward able to showcase his talent across multiple levels. He averaged 21.5 disposals and over a goal per his first four NAB League games, before getting stuck into the APS football season. There, he consistently troubled the scorers as Wesley finished fourth at 7-3. In between, he played at both ends of the ground in the undefeated Vic Country side, before returning to the NAB League with three-consecutive games of over 20 touches, booting three majors in two of them. Heck of a run.

2022 NAB League Round 16
Dandenong Stingrays 7.12 (54) def. Gippsland Power 7.8 (50)

#15 Coby Burgiel (Gippsland Power)
Stats: 20 disposals (12 kicks, 8 handballs), 2 marks, 5 tackles, 6 inside 50s, 1 goal

FIRST QUARTER:

Burgiel made a brilliant start to proceedings, winning the very first centre clearance in style. Lining up next to Henry Hustwaite, he pushed off his opponent and ran perfectly into the path of the hitout, taking possession without breaking stride and clearing with a long kick inside 50.

His midfield and stoppage craft looked sound in the opening stages, as he stayed on the move and had little trouble scooping up the ground balls. Before he even rotated forward, the top-ager snared a goal after winning a holding free kick inside 50, which he calmly converted from the top of the arc.

The heavy Frankston breeze may have helped him on that occasion, but hindered him on a couple of later kicks on the opposite side of the ground. He sent two inside 50 balls into what was the dead pocket of Skybus Stadium, with both kicks turning over. A wayward snap under pressure also rolled out of bounds, but Burgiel showed good pace to get to the loose ball initially.

SECOND QUARTER:

While Hustwaite played him better at the restart, Burgiel attended four of five centre bounces in term two and showed good smarts in his positioning at the fall of the ball. A perfect front-and-centre crumb at half-back got him going, as he got both arms free in a tackle to release via hand.

That ground level, stoppage play made up much of his first half of the quarter, before shifting forward and not getting many looks as Dandenong dominated the territory battle. He rounded out the 25 minutes relatively quietly, dumping a couple of kicks long off handball receives.

THIRD QUARTER:

Now with Mitch Szybkowski for company at the opening centre bounce, Burgiel would have known what was in store as the conditions only worsened in Frankston. Much like in the first half, his opening five minutes were arguably his best of the term in a production sense, before a steadier finish.

His first kick came off a handball receive on the wing and he used it well. While the ball inside 50 sailed over the one-on-one contest he looked to be aiming for, it fell into the lap of Bailey Humphrey who marked and converted an important goal.

Burgiel continued to get busy as Gippsland attacked, drawing a high free kick at the top of forward 50. Unfortunately, Zane Duursma ran past and called for a hand-off on the wrong side which saw the momentum halted as he was pressured.

While he got a good run at the centre bounces, attending three of a total five, Burgiel did not quite get his hands on the ball as much as he previously had. In dour conditions, it became more difficult to be one-touch under pressure, and his speed was less prevalent as the game tightened up.

FOURTH QUARTER:

Dandenong ran over the top of Gippsland in term four, with its hardened midfield group continuing to dictate play and provide the Stingrays forwards with repeat scoring opportunities. Burgiel could not quite maintain his early ball winning proficiency, and saw one of his only touches sail out on the full.

Nonetheless, the form he showed in the opening stages was promising. He injects speed to the engine room and catches the eye with those clean clearances at full tilt. Though opportunities were limited at times, he took his chance to hit the scoreboard and was often able to pump the ball long inside 50.

Even the best of players would have struggled with the wind at Skybus Stadium on Friday night, and Burgiel was no different. The tough going aside, he has nice upside and the all-important ability to play in multiple roles, having been a consistent goalkicking midfielder at all levels.