Michael Buettner
Encyclopedia
Michael Buettner is an Australia
n former rugby league
footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He played club football for the North Sydney Bears
, the ill fated Northern Eagles
, Parramatta Eels
and Wests Tigers
, as well as representative football for New South Wales
and for the Australian
national side.
, Buettner played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 1991.
An Australian Schoolboy representative in 1991 and Parramatta junior, Buettner made his first-grade debut for Parramatta in 1992. Buettner spent four seasons in the back-line at Parramatta before moving to North Sydney as a replacement for centre Ivan Cleary
. He was selected for both state and country while playing at Norths and in 1998 he scored a club record 21 tries in a season.
In 2000, Norths and Manly
merged to become the Northern Eagles. Buettner stayed for one season but like many former North Sydney players soon left and returned to Parramatta in 2001. Parramatta went all the way to the 2001 Grand final with Buettner at five-eighth but they lost to the Newcastle Knights
, 30–24.
Buettner left the Eels for the Wests Tigers
in 2003 but he only played sixteen games in two seasons and retired at the end of 2004.
in Port Moresby
. He scored two tries.
Buettner was selected to represent New South Wales as an interchange for game III
of the 1997 State of Origin
series.
's Game Liaison manager, Buettner is currently competition manager for the National Youth 20s tournament, the Toyota Cup. He also serves on the NRL's judiciary.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n former rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He played club football for the North Sydney Bears
North Sydney Bears
The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on...
, the ill fated Northern Eagles
Northern Eagles
The Northern Eagles were a rugby league team, that competed in the National Rugby League between 2000 and 2002. The club was formed during the rationalisation process of the NRL by the merger of the North Sydney Bears and the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in 2000...
, Parramatta Eels
Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta. The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, with their First Grade side playing their first season in the New South Wales Rugby Football League...
and Wests Tigers
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs...
, as well as representative football for New South Wales
New South Wales Rugby League team
The New South Wales rugby league team has represented the Australian state of New South Wales in rugby league football since the sport's beginnings there in 1907. Administered by the New South Wales Rugby League, the team competes in the annual State of Origin series against arch-rivals, the...
and for the Australian
Australian national rugby league team
The Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
national side.
Playing career
While attending Westfields Sports High SchoolWestfields Sports High School
Westfields Sports High School is Australia's first Sports High school. It is a coeducational school in Fairfield West, Sydney, Australia...
, Buettner played for the Australian Schoolboys team in 1991.
An Australian Schoolboy representative in 1991 and Parramatta junior, Buettner made his first-grade debut for Parramatta in 1992. Buettner spent four seasons in the back-line at Parramatta before moving to North Sydney as a replacement for centre Ivan Cleary
Ivan Cleary
Ivan Cleary is an Australian rugby league football coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Penrith Panthers of the National Rugby League and former head coach of the New Zealand Warriors where he achieved much success...
. He was selected for both state and country while playing at Norths and in 1998 he scored a club record 21 tries in a season.
In 2000, Norths and Manly
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. They compete in the National Rugby League's Telstra Premiership, the premier rugby league competition of Australasia...
merged to become the Northern Eagles. Buettner stayed for one season but like many former North Sydney players soon left and returned to Parramatta in 2001. Parramatta went all the way to the 2001 Grand final with Buettner at five-eighth but they lost to the Newcastle Knights
Newcastle Knights
The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. They compete in Australasia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League premiership...
, 30–24.
Buettner left the Eels for the Wests Tigers
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs...
in 2003 but he only played sixteen games in two seasons and retired at the end of 2004.
Representative career
In 1996, Buettner was selected to represent Australia at five-eighth in a match against Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea national rugby league team
The Papua New Guinea national rugby league team represents Papua New Guinea internationally in the sport of rugby league football.In Papua New Guinea, Rugby league is highly popular and is regarded as the country’s national sport. The national side are known as the Kumuls...
in Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
. He scored two tries.
Buettner was selected to represent New South Wales as an interchange for game III
of the 1997 State of Origin
1997 Rugby League State of Origin series
The 1997 Rugby league State of Origin series was the 16th year that the annual best-of-three series of interstate rugby league football matches contested between the Queensland and New South Wales representative teams was played under 'State of Origin' selection rules...
series.
Post playing career
Formerly the NRLNational Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
's Game Liaison manager, Buettner is currently competition manager for the National Youth 20s tournament, the Toyota Cup. He also serves on the NRL's judiciary.
Career highlights
- First Grade Debut: 1992 - Round 4, Parramatta vs Sydney RoostersSydney RoostersThe Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
at Aussie Stadium, 12 April - Awards: Eric Grothe Rookie of the Year Award, Parramatta Eels, 1992