The 186cm 18-year-old who is part of the Western Magpies' supplementary list and was recently chosen in the Australia Post Queensland U18 squad, will play for the Lions against Mt.Gravatt in the 3.50pm curtain-raiser to the eagerly-awaited clash between the Lions and Carlton at 7.40pm.
Conrad Hudghton will play his first QAFL game more than 13 years after Max Hudghton played his last QAFL game in West Brisbane's win over Mt.Gravatt in the 1996 State League Grand Final.
The under-rated former Kenmore Bears junior was drafted by St.Kilda following that game and played a total of 234 AFL matches before retiring after the Saints' AFL Grand Final loss to Geelong last year.
Conrad Hudghton is one of seven supplementary list inclusions under the new system whereby each QAFL team will field 23 players, including supplementary list players.
The Lions can only choose their supplementary list players - previously known as top-up players - from the supplementary list of the five Brisbane-based QAFL clubs. They can also choose to select unaligned players from within the Lions Academy zone which takes incorporates the Sunshine Coast, Bundaberg, Wide Bay and the Darling Downs regions.
Hudghton will be joined in the Lions side tomorrow by three other State U18 squad members - Redland’s Adam Oxley, Caloundra’s Jackson Ryan - who is on the Aspley Supplementary List - and fellow Sunshine Coaster Brad Slater.
The other three ‘outsiders’ will be Redland’s Daniel Mowat and Sam Godfrey and Morningside’s Luke Edwards - son of ex-Panthers premiership champion and Fitzroy/Brisbane Bears AFL player Brad Edwards.
QAFL Football Operations Manager Martin King explains that the restrictions to the Lions Supplementary List inclusions are intended to help develop the talent pool and encourage players to align themselves with a QAFL club.
“And with no club footy this weekend it was an ideal opportunity for these guys to put some form on the board in a good environment before the State U18 program gets into full swing,” King said.
