Sport
29 May, 2023
Maryborough young gun Taj Bond makes debut for Bendigo Pioneers on Sunday afternoon
Maryborough’s galaxy of young talent continues to shine through on bigger stages, with Taj Bond adding to the list after making his debut for the Bendigo Pioneers on Sunday. It was a fairytale start for Bond, kicking the opening goal of the...
Maryborough’s galaxy of young talent continues to shine through on bigger stages, with Taj Bond adding to the list after making his debut for the Bendigo Pioneers on Sunday.
It was a fairytale start for Bond, kicking the opening goal of the afternoon from the goalsquare. And while he continued to fight hard for the entirety of the afternoon in what was difficult, wet conditions at Queen Elizabeth Oval, it wasn’t quite enough to see the Pioneers win, as they lost by 10 points to the Western Jets.
Bond, as well as Magpies teammate Lucas Hurse, gave Maryborough a strong presence in the game.
It was a call-up weeks in the making for Bond. Strong form in the under 18s had helped his cause, leading the way in the under 18s goalkicking charts with 17 goals from four games, including seven goals against Eaglehawk in round two, and six in round four against Kyneton.
Bond also made his mark in senior football in round three against Kangaroo Flat, threatening to engineer a win for the Magpies in the last quarter with a number of strong marks and two goals.
Put simply, it’s been a strong start to 2023 for Bond at senior level with the Magpies.
However, it’s his body of work with the Pioneers on the training track that has allowed him to earn his opportunity.
“I’ve been training with the Pioneers for about three weeks every Tuesday, and I was lucky enough to be called up on the Wednesday night and was told I’d be making my debut,” he said.
Bond has no shortage of people to turn to for advice. He is the cousin of Essendon’s Jake Stringer, while brother Lachlan has also made an impression at VFL level for Geelong.
“I had a few chats to Lachlan about it, given he used to play for the Pioneers, and now having moved up to Geelong as a result. (Under 18s coach) Brady Neill said we could probably lose you halfway through the season, and that’s what has played out as a result,” he said.
“The pathway has started for me a little bit. If I can keep going, it would be great, and I’d love to be in the AFL.”
Playing at a higher level with Magpies teammate Hurse was another thing that helped Bond acclimatise to life at the Pioneers quicker, saying it was a great honour to play with him on the weekend.
“I feel like it will make Maryborough feel a genuine part of the Pioneers. It’s great to play with Lucas, he gives me someone to turn to and I can go out there and have fun,” he said.
After getting a taste of the Coates Talent League intensity on Sunday, Bond now has some clear goals that he would love to tackle when given his opportunities with the Pioneers for the rest of the season.
“I want to always attack the ball; I just cannot give up. If it goes near me, I need to keep it in the forward line,” he said.
“I’m hoping to provide high intensity and always try to fly for high marks and kick goals.
“The midfield are full of good ball users. They know what they are doing, and the ball will always come in the forward line well every time. If I don’t take it, there are other options that will be there.”
Bond also took the time to talk about his forward craft, and the kind of AFL players he looks up to.
While Stringer, as his cousin, is an obvious choice, he also looks up to a couple of vastly different players when it comes to strength, marking ability and goalkicking.
“The players I’d love to play like are Jake Stringer, Lachie Neale with their strength and as a forward, I’d love to play like Sam Weideman. He takes a lot of strong marks when he is confident,” he said.