#2 - Sean Rusling

[Marklar_33]

Welcome to the thread dedicated to the speed demon of the Magpie forward line... the only player in the league who can lead from the MCG and mark in the pocket at Telstra Dome... Our Number #2

THE RUS!!!!!!!!

[Marklar_33]

Fast Facts
Jumper No: 2
Height: 190cm
Weight: 90kg
DOB: 6 October 1986
Recruited From: West Adelaide (SA)
Career Matches: 16
Career Goals: 19

[Marklar_33]

Draft history
2004 AFL Draft 2nd round selection (Collingwood) No. 23 overall.

Debut
Round 10, 2005 v Hawthorn @ MCG

Rusling has managed 11 games in his first two seasons of league football, including five in 2006, but has shown enough to suggest he has what it takes to become a regular senior player for Collingwood for years to come. Has played mainly as a key forward, as he is strong and explosive, with good hands and he is a reliable kick for goal, but might be given an opportunity up the ground with more experience. Rusling has already endured his share of injuries, but when he was fit towards the end of 2006 he played some excellent football including a three-goal outing in the thrilling victory over Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium. One player Magpie supporters have high hopes for.

[Marklar_33]

2007 Home & Away Statistics

Round    Date       Vs     K H P  M HO T FF FA G B 
Round 20 17/08/2007 Demons 9 2 11 7 0 4  1  0  1 2 
Round 21 25/08/2007 Swans 11 3 14 9 0 1  1  0  4 3

2007 Finals Statistics

Round         Date      Vs      K H P  M HO T FF FA G B 
Finals Week 1 08/09/2007 Swans  9 4 13 8 0 0   0 0 3 2 
Finals Week 2 14/09/2007 Eagles 2 3  5 2 0 5 0   2  0 0 
Finals Week 3 21/09/2007 Cats   4 1  5 4 0 2 0   2  2 0

[Marklar_33]

Fully fit Rusling raring to go
Wed 14 November, 2007

Nick Hulett

Following an extremely impressive finish to season 2007, Sean Rusling is excited to be back in training and 100 per cent fit after so many injury frustrations during his short career.

The 21-year-old gave Magpie fans a glimpse of his prodigious talent in five senior appearances, including the three finals, at the end of 2007, but having never been fully fit at the beginning of a pre-season, he is excited to be back and 100 per cent fit after eight weeks off.

“It’s good to be back,” Rusling told CTV after training at the Lexus Centre on Wednesday.

“Every other pre-season I’ve gone into I’ve had a few niggles or things I’ve needed to look after.

“But I’m 100 per cent fit now, so it’s pretty exciting to be able to get out there and train 100 per cent of the time with the boys, instead of missing the odd session here and there, I can actually go for it.”

After enduring a difficult 2007 which was taken up mostly by rehabilitation from a pre-season shoulder reconstruction, Rusling said he was feeling great and didn’t want the season to end when it did, although he still managed to enjoy his off-season break immensely.

“When we finished it felt like it was round seven for me, so I was definitely ready to keep going.

“But at the same time it’s nice to get a break. I hadn’t been playing, it had been a pretty long rehab for the reconstruction in late January, so it’s been a long rehab, so I definitely wanted to keep playing, but that’s the way it goes, but (I have) a bit of momentum going into this pre-season."

He clocked up plenty of frequent flier points in the off-season.

“First of all I went up to North Queensland for about three weeks, a bit of a boat around the Whitsundays and up to Airlie Beach, so that was all very stressful for me," he said laughing.

“Then I went back to Adelaide for a couple of weeks, then back here for the racing carnival. It was good, I had a lucky one too, so it was good fun.

Now the focus is fully back on having a big pre-season, capitalising on being injury free, and adding plenty more games to his three-year career tally of 16.

“I think the main thing I’ve got to do (during the pre-season) is get my endurance up. Because I’ve had patchy pre-seasons and patchy seasons in the past, I’ve never really had the chance to get myself fully fit, so that’s my main goal for this pre-season.

“In terms of playing, I want to play 22 games in the seniors. I don’t want to miss any games through injuries or anything like that. Yeah, that’s the aim this year.”

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Im with ya Rus, I dont wanna see ya miss any games either... but I wanna see ya play 25 games

[MagpieGirl_13]

A quote from Strauchanie's book 'Bryan Strauchan: My story' about Rusling.

"2. Sean Rusling - Great body odour. Strauchanie often deliberately walks past him just to get a wiff. I think he is starting to get a bit suss about Strauchanie"

[Snag Breac]

Originally Posted by MagpieGirl_13

A quote from Strauchanie's book 'Bryan Strauchan: My story' about Rusling.

"2. Sean Rusling - Great body odour. Strauchanie often deliberately walks past him just to get a wiff. I think he is starting to get a bit suss about Strauchanie"

If any of these young lads survive Strauchnie's book, it'll be a miracle.

[peterss]

how many games will rusling play this season in your opininion?

I like the look of him alot

[Optimax]

Originally Posted by peterss

how many games will rusling play this season in your opininion?

I like the look of him alot

25-26 hopefully depending on whetehr we are top four or not

[Snag Breac]

If they were selected on looks, he'd be playing every game. As it is, I hope he'll playing every game anyway.

[loki04]

hey are lining up for sprints in that pic snag ?
Rusling is gonna have a blinder this year after his strong finish last year he should have plenty of confidence.

[Marklar_33]

Originally Posted by peterss

how many games will rusling play this season in your opininion?

I like the look of him alot

He has just done a groin (?) injury and is expected to be back on the training track before the end of the pre-season practise matches.

Will keep you posted

[Marklar_33]

Rusling ready, raring and able

Sean Rusling is using the training camp in South Africa to put the finishing touches on his first full pre-season since being drafted at the end of

The 21-year-old, who has endured an injury-ravaged three-season career but confirmed his considerable ability with an excellent finish to the 2007 season, is one of the most athletically gifted players on the Collingwood list and virtually unstoppable when leading out of the forward line.

He spoke to CTV at the Elgro River Lodge, about half an hour out of Potchefstroom, where the boys spent a couple of nights earlier this week completing activities like a ropes course and kayaking, and said it’s a unique but special feeling being fully fit at this time of the year.

“The last couple of years I’ve been injured at this time of year, so it’s nice to be fully fit and feeling really good, and I can’t wait for the footy season to start,” Rusling exclaimed.

“Being injury free… it’s helped me a lot this pre-season. The past three (pre-seasons) I’ve pretty much been in and out, but I’ve done everything this time.”

Last Friday the team played an intra-club scratch match in Potchefstroom, and all in attendance were impressed with Rusling’s efforts playing deep in the forward line. The team will play another intra-club match in Potchefstroom this Saturday before heading to Dubai to take on Adelaide in the first game of the pre-season cup competition a week later.

“It’s good to get the first game away, everyone’s a little bit nervous, but it was a bit of fun.

“Training is training and I guess you get a little bit sick of it after a while, so it was good to get a game going, and we play again this Saturday, and it just feels good to be back playing footy again.”

Rusling explained the activities at the lodge were good for the boys as it brought everyone together and forced everyone to put their leadership qualities on display.

“It was more a mental challenge, than a physical challenge, and in the end you have to get the whole group through, without anybody touching the ground, and you have to plan that, there are a few things there that take a bit of thought.

“But I go through in the end, a lot of team work involved.”

[Marklar_33]

The above story is dated 2nd March, but seems to have been written well before that... with the Dubai reference and South Africa training still on!

[cwebb(go_fish#14)]

So will he be fit for rnd1??