View source for Geoff Bugden

{{Short description|Australian rugby league footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Use Australian English|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox rugby league biography
|name           = Geoff Bugden
|fullname       = Geoff Bugden
|image          = 
|position       = {{Rlp|PR}}
|birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|1960|9|6|df=yes}}
|birth_place    = [[Newtown, New South Wales]], Australia
|height         = {{convert|185|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}
|weight         = {{convert|101|kg|stlb|abbr=on}}
|retired        = yes
|club1          = [[Newtown Jets]]
|year1start     = 1979
|year1end       = 81
|appearances1   = 46
|tries1         = 7
|goals1         = 0
|fieldgoals1    = 0
|points1        = 21
|club2          = [[Parramatta Eels]]
|year2start     = 1982
|year2end       = 89
|appearances2   = 100
|tries2         = 6
|goals2         = 0
|fieldgoals2    = 0
|points2        = 21
|teamA          = [[New South Wales rugby league team|New South Wales]]
|yearAstart     = 1983
|yearAend       = 
|appearancesA   = 2
|triesA         = 0
|goalsA         = 0
|fieldgoalsA    = 0
|pointsA        = 0
|teamB          = [[New South Wales City rugby league team|NSW City]]
|yearBstart     = 1983
|yearBend       = 
|appearancesB   = 1
|triesB         = 0
|goalsB         = 0
|fieldgoalsB    = 0
|pointsB        = 0
|source         = [http://rugbyleagueproject.com/players/Geoff_Bugden.html Rugby League Project] and [http://www.yesterdayshero.com.au/PlayerProfile_Geoff-Bugden_1410.aspx Yesterday's Hero]
| module       = {{infobox person
| embed        = yes
| father       = 
| mother       = 
| spouse       = 
| education    = 
| alma_mater   = 
| relatives    = [[Mark Bugden]] (brother)
}}
}}

'''Geoff Bugden''' (born 6 September 1960<ref>{{cite book |editor=Gary Lester |title=The Sun Book of Rugby League – 1983 |year=1983 |publisher=John Fairfax Marketing |location=[[Sydney]], New South Wales |isbn=0-909558-83-3 |page=68}}</ref>) is an Australian former professional [[rugby league]] footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He played for [[Newtown Jets|Newtown]] and the [[Parramatta Eels]] in the Australian [[New South Wales Rugby League]] competition. He won two premierships with the Eels and he primarily played in the [[Rugby league positions#Prop forward|front-row]].

==Playing career==
A Newtown junior, by 1979 Bugden had progressed to first grade. He was the first ever prop to win the NSW Rugby League's best and fairest player award, the [[Rothmans Medal]], in 1980.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Adams, Tony |title=Legend Q&A |magazine=[[Rugby League Week]] |date=8 July 2009 |pages=30–31}}</ref> Bugden was a reserve for the Newtown Jets side that lost the [[1981 NSWRFL season|1981 Grand Final]] against the [[Parramatta Eels]]. The next year, 1982, Geoff Bugden changed clubs and returned to the [[Sydney Cricket Ground]] playing for Parramatta in their [[New South Wales Rugby Football League season 1982#Grand Final|Grand Final]] win over [[Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles]]. Bugden was selected to represent [[New South Wales state rugby league team|New South Wales]] for games I and III of the [[1983 State of Origin]] series. A serious injury to his chest in 1983 forced Bugden to announce his premature retirement from the game but two years later, he was back for Parramatta only to break his arm. In 1986 Bugden was on the field once more and was part of the Eels' [[New South Wales Rugby League season 1986#Grand Final|1986 Grand Final]] win over the [[Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs]], in which he played against his brother [[Mark Bugden|Mark]]<ref>{{cite news
 |title       = Fans turn Parra blue and gold
 |work        = The Sydney Morning Herald
 |place       = Australia
 |date        = 2009-10-02
 |url         = http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/fans-turn-parra-blue-and-gold-20091003-ggpe.html
 |access-date  = 2010-04-11
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20091029151810/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/fans-turn-parra-blue-and-gold-20091003-ggpe.html
 |archive-date = 29 October 2009
}}</ref> and earned himself five-minutes in the sin-bin for tackling [[Steve Mortimer]] without the ball.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Rleague.com|title=Eels v Bulldogs Classic|url=http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=29162|access-date=2007-11-14|date=2007-09-13|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090625042543/http://www.rleague.com/db/article.php?id=29162|archive-date=25 June 2009}}</ref>

After a long career that was often curtailed by serious injury, Bugden did not start any of the last thirteen games of [[1989 NSWRL season|1989]] but intended to stay with the Eels for [[1990 NSWRL season|the 1990 season]]. However, major ankle surgery in early March made it clear he would not be able to play the first half of that season,<ref name="Parramatta">'Parramatta Axe Five Players'; ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'', 12 March 1990, p. 62</ref> and when Parramatta became embroiled in a salary cap dispute over the contracts of [[Peter Sterling (rugby league commentator)|Peter Sterling]] and [[Mark Laurie (rugby league)|Mark Laurie]], Budgen was sacked by the Eels alongside [[Paul Taylor (rugby league)|Paul Taylor]], [[Michael Moseley (rugby league)|Michael Moseley]], [[Mark Robinson (rugby league)|Mark Robinson]] and [[Jeremy Ticehurst]].<ref name="Parramatta"/> Bugden was not wanted by any other Winfield Cup club and retired almost immediately.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Parramatta Eels squad 1982 NSWRFL premiership}}
{{Parramatta Eels squad 1986 NSWRL premiership}}
{{Rothmans Medallists}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bugden, Geoff}}
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australian rugby league players]]
[[Category:City New South Wales rugby league team players]]
[[Category:Newtown Jets players]]
[[Category:Parramatta Eels players]]
[[Category:New South Wales Rugby League State of Origin players]]
[[Category:Rugby league props]]
[[Category:Rugby league players from Sydney]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen]]
{{Australia-rugbyleague-bio-1960s-stub}}