Australian Football

Taken by West Coast at pick 21 in the 1992 National Draft Shane Bond remained with his original club Port Adelaide in 1993 before crossing the Nullarbor the following year. He enjoyed a highly promising debut season with the Eagles, winning their best first year player award, and playing in their grand final win over Geelong, to which he contributed a couple of goals as a crumbing forward.

Thereafter, however, Bond did not really kick on, and he spent much of the next two seasons playing for East Perth in the local competition. In 1997 he was part of a complex trade arrangement which saw him heading back to Port Adelaide, which was to take its bows on the national stage that year. He spent the next four seasons with the Power, playing 57 games and kicking 11 goals to add to the 34 games and 20 goals registered with West Coast. During his time at Port, he made a solid contribution for the most part, running off half back, but he also began suffering injury problems, mainly to his knee, which ultimately led to his premature retirement as a player at the age of just 25.

Author - John Devaney