Five-time Bushies best and fairest winner gearing up for milestone

“I said to Brenton recently before his 300th, that he is the No.1 bloke that I enjoy running around the football field with. Not just now but for most of my football career.”

The Surrey siblings not only boast 500 plus matches between them but an amazing 10 best and fairests combined, with five each.
Kayde produced an ultra-consistent run of stellar form from 2015 to 2021 where he won five of the six club’s best and fairests.
Only Lee Dale in 2016 and COVID in 2020 was able to stop his golden run of form.

Despite being a highly decorated Bushranger, Surrey shuns the spotlight and lets his football do the talking which his teammates will vouch for.
“I much prefer to mind my own business and do what I do,” he said. “I don’t need to tell anyone about it.”

Surrey said it was easy to pinpoint his career highlight after playing the Bushrangers’ most recent flag in 2010 alongside his brother against Yackandandah.

Ironically, they face the Roos on the weekend in the biggest home-and-away match between the fair since that year with the minor premiership and flag favouritism up for grabs for the winner.

“The 2010 flag is a special memory,” he said.

Surrey would be closer to emulating his brother playing 300-matches except for his stint with Wangaratta in the O&M for 30-matches and a couple of shoulder reconstructions.

“I enjoyed my time in the O&M and the challenge of playing at a higher standard and the professionalism,” he said
“I had Judd Porter initially as a coach and then Mark Knobel and I really enjoyed my time under Mark.
“I rate Mark as the best coach I’ve had in the way he got his message across and the way he helped my development.
“Some of the advice he gave me was special and has stuck with me throughout my career.
“In saying that I’ve enjoyed all the coaches I’ve had and all of them have had an influence on me.”

Surrey attracted the attention of recruiters during his time at Norm Minns Oval and was invited to do a pre-season with Collingwood’s VFL side in 2011.
“My time at Collingwood was short and sweet,” he said. “The feedback I got was that I wasn’t big enough or strong enough to play a key position in the VFL.”

While Surrey may have lacked the size of other key defenders in the VFL, he has forged a reputation as one of the premier defenders in the TDFL.

He is also among the premier players.
Surrey regards Guy Telford, Mark Doolan and Kaine Parsons as the most talented forwards he has crossed paths with in the TDFL.
His finals series in 2022 has to be seen to be believed with many spectators leaving Sandy Creek shaking their heads in disbelief how dominant Surrey was in defence.

Unfortunetly for the Bushrangers, Surrey didn’t reach the same heights last year after missing nine rounds in the lead-up to finals with a wrist injury and were bundled out in straight sets.

Not only is Surrey talented but he is also fiercely loyal.

Surrey revealed he cut short his time in the O&M to return to Beechworth who were struggling and whipping boys out of the competition.

“I was een to get back to Beechworth because they were going through a bit of a lean patch,” he said.

“Brenton also took over coaching during one of the lean years and I wanted to support him and the club as much as I could.”

Surrey, 33, still enjoys playing each weekend and admits he is surprised that the Bushrangers ladder leads after 12 around with an 11-1 record.

He said it was the Bushrangers’ young brigade that has been instrumental in their lofty standing with some of the younger players like Connor Stone, Cam Fendyk and Degan Dolny stars of the competition.

Reference: The Border Mail (July 4, 2024)