FOR YOU, DAD
mond, but experienced tall Rhys Stanley is making a bid to return from a calf injury.
Stanley’s potential availability is one of many Cats selection quandaries after Buzza provided a strong presence in attack against GWS Giants last week.
“Rhys is a great player as well — just a bit of an injury a few weeks ago gave me another chance,” Buzza said.
“We’ve got a lot of great players to choose from, so it’s good to have that competitive edge against each other to try and make each other improve.
“It would be special if I get the chance. I wouldn’t say I’m any certainty to play but if I do get the opportunity I’ll be quite rapt.”
It’s been a rapid rise for the Queenslander, who admitted he didn’t have a breakout VFL game but found his way into the line-up on a consistent run of form.
“I’m never going to get the greatest stats — not at this point of my career — so what the coaches like at the moment is just my workrate and intensity and just providing a contest, and I just think I did that week to week in the VFL,” he said.
“If you told me 12 months ago I’d be in a position to be up for selection to play a final at the MCG against Richmond, I would have told you, ‘You’re stupid.’
“But I’ve improved a fair bit over the last 12 months, working really hard with some of the coaches and I’m just glad to be in this position.”
The 21-year-old also faces an extra challenge most footballers don’t, battling a lazy eye.
Buzza said it impacted his marking as a teenager but he had overcome the issue after a stint of eye exercises as simple as putting his finger in front of his face for two points of vision.
“It did early on, but it’s something that’s passed me now and if I drop the mark I probably wouldn’t blame it on my eyes, I’d probably just blame it on not great touch,” he said.
“It was just an issue my under-18 Queensland coach picked up a few years ago, that I had a lazy eye and just struggled with a bit of depth perception, so it’s just something that I continually work at but it’s something that’s passed me now and I’ve just got to improve my craft.”
The tall forward said there was a great vibe at Simonds Stadium this week.
“This is what you do all the hard work for, to give yourselves opportunities like this and this is the real stuff now,” he said.
“The home and away season is just about qualifying for this time of year and we’re a pretty upbeat club, but this would definitely be the most exciting time of the year.”