#39 Connor Idun (Pick 61, 2018 National Draft)

PICK 61 CONNOR IDUN
2018-IDUN-Connor.jpg

PLAYER BIO
Former club:Geelong Falcons
Age:18
Height:191cm
Weight:91kg
Position:Defender
2018 U18 STATS
Games:4
Goals:-
Avg Kicks:5.5
Avg Marks:3.3
Avg Hballs:4.5
The tall defender, who has Ghanaian heritage, can also go forward and provide a mobile, competitive marking target.
Impressed for Vic Country as a strong one-on-one stopper but has shown promising signs playing in attack for the Falcons.
 

fridgeman

Premiership Player
Jan 26, 2014
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Great to see him debut and the coaches must rate him highly to debut in a derby in his first year
 
Nov 23, 2015
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GREATER Western Sydney has locked in a key part of its future with important defender Connor Idun signing a long-term deal. Idun was due to come out of contract at the end of this season but is understood to have penned a new four-year extension. It will take the backman through to the end of 2026, when he will be a free agent.

He has played every game this season with his versatility in the back half a key part of the Giants’ mix. Idun was drafted from the Geelong Falcons in the 2018 NAB AFL Draft with pick No.61 and established himself in the Giants’ best side last year by playing 23 games.

 
Nov 23, 2015
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This is a huge rap from the old warrior Callan Ward for Connor Idun on the eve of game #50:

Young defender Connor Idun will play his 50th game in the grudge match at Canberra’s Manuka Oval, with Ward applauding the 22-year-old’s calm and composure behind the ball for GWS.

“He’s one of my closer mates and he’s 11 or 12 years younger than me, so it’s always funny when you hang around with guys that age, but I feel like we’re really similar in age, either he’s really mature or I’m really immature,” Ward said.

“We do get on really well and my kids love him as well. He’s a great guy and the way he goes about his football is fantastic, I think he’ll play a lot more than 50 games, that’s for sure.”


 
Nov 23, 2015
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After two solid seasons in 2021 and 2022, Idun has started to shine this season, taking his game to a new level in the GIANTS' backline over the past month. He starred in the stirring win in his old home town of Geelong in round 11 and backed that up with the job on Dustin Martin the week after, where he kept the Tigers superstar goalless. In the victory over North Melbourne last week, he had eight intercept possessions, the equal second most in the game.

The Idun rise has come in the absence of the GIANTS' defensive leader in Sam Taylor and All-Australian backman Nick Haynes for two of those encounters. That has thrust greater responsibility upon the 22-year-old and it's a situation he's relished. "I think my last month of footy's been getting to where I really want to be as a player," Idun told AFL.com.au.

more in the story
 
Nov 23, 2015
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Garry Lyon is a huge fan of GWS defender Connor Idun.

The 23-year-old began to establish himself as one of the competition’s elite lockdown defenders in 2023 which was capped off by a strong finals campaign. At 193cm and 92kg, Idun has the ability to shut down both tall and small forwards, while his athletic ability paired with improving skills has seen him become a weapon with the ball in hand exiting defensive 50.

While looking through last season’s AFL Record Season Guide, Lyon was looking for a list of number one draft picks before randomly opening to a page where Idun’s name was at the top having been taken at pick no. 61 in the 2018 Draft. Even though clubs are getting better at identifying elite talent early in drafts, Lyon believes Idun’s late selection shows gems can still be found in the third and fourth rounds. He even went as far as to compare him to one of the modern greats in terms of medium-sized defenders.

“There's a list of all the number one draft picks and I can run through them and we can talk about them,” Lyon said on SEN Breakfast. “(Some say) it (gems later in the draft) don’t happen (as often) now. It just happened as I was looking in the book to get to the number one draft picks … I just opened on a random page, and up the top was pick 61 - GWS Giants - from the Geelong under-18s - Connor Idun. He had a year. Did you watch his finals? I think in two years' time we’re going to look at him and go, ‘This is sort of Tom Stewart territory’. I mean, that’s high praise, (Stewart is) a five-time All-Australian. But Connor Idun’s abilities and his physical attributes (are so impressive). There you go, that’s just a random pick 61.”

Idun was born in London, but was raised in Geelong where he began playing footy as a 12-year-old. The defender finished sixth in GWS’ best and fairest in 2023 as the Giants went within one kick of a Grand Final berth.
 
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