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A VISIT to the eye specialist last pre-season has helped propel Queenslander Wylie Buzza to the heady heights of being drafted by Geelong.
The former rugby league junior switched sports at the age of 15 and was starting to make inroads last year when playing for Mt Gravatt and being involved in the Queensland under-18 program.
But something wasn't quite right.
The key forward who hails from Gatton, 90km west of Brisbane, was taking plenty of marks, but a few were slipping through the mitts.
After spending time with his club, the state system and the Brisbane Lions Academy, it was suggested he see an eye specialist. The result? The detection of a lazy eye.
Three months of exercises later, stronger vision and the 19-year-old started clunking everything that came his way.
Just like an average runner working his backside off to improve his fitness or a skinny draftee hitting the gym to bulk up, Buzza had corrected his small imperfection through hard work.
This season he made huge strides as an overage player in the Queensland under-18s and was also given chances at NEAFL level by Redland, where he performed strongly as both a key forward and ruckman.
It culminated in being taken by the Cats with pick No.69 in Tuesday's night's NAB AFL Draft.
AFL Queensland's academy and high performance coach Adrian Fletcher has worked with the dreadlocked forward for two seasons and said everything has clicked for Buzza.
"He had talent and he had to make sure everything as a marking player was spot on," Fletcher told AFL.com.au.
"He was taking marks but we thought he could take more pack marks.
"So he went to get his eyes checked.
"As a marking player, your depth perception needs to be elite, and once he fixed that up, he started taking more pack marks.
"It's a great story."
Fletcher said he overcame a similar problem during his own playing days.
Buzza was the fourth and final Queenslander to be taken in the draft, following Brisbane Lions Academy trio Eric Hipwood (No.14) and Ben Keays (No.24) – who went to the Lions – and Corey Wagner (No.43) who landed at North Melbourne.
"Wylie deserves everything – he's put a lot of time into it," Fletcher said.
Geelong selected Wylie Buzza with pick No.69. Picture: AFL Media
