How good was Dwayne Russell?

[Registered User]

All I've got to go on are his stats. His first 2 seasons ('87 and '88) look quite good and consistent enough, with him playing 18 and 12 games respectively.

His first 6 games in '89 appear very good on the stats sheets, but then I gather he was plagued with injuries after that. He played only one more game that year (for 3 touches), only 4 games in 1990, followed by just 9 in 1991. That was it; he was finished after round 10, when he was 26

http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/D/Dwayne_Russell.html

What style of player was he, and what was his main position?

Thanks

 

[Moggy]

He was "crazy good!"

;-)

 

[darren forssman]

his chaos balls were real fire starters.

 

[jim boy]

He was a bullocking forward flanker as I recall. The coodabeens once labelled him as the man with the thickest neck in football. Not that talented though so relied more upon brute strength, which could cause the opposition defenders headaches. Was a handy, but limited, player

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

I always thought he was a key forward, who pinch hit a bit in the ruck. So not really much of a mystery why he struggled to get a game in that Geelong side, with Damian Bourke the ruckman (and captain) for most of that period, Stoneham, Brownless, Ablett and Exell (60+ goals in 1989) in the forward line and Darren Flanigan also a regular as the second ruck. It actually appears that he wasn't quite as big as I thought he was, which suggests that maybe he was more of a half forward, but then there were the likes of Bruce Lindner and Robert Scott to compete with for the other spots in the forward line.

 

[BlakeyNoFlakey]

He was a better footballer than he is a commentator

 

[Partridge]

I always thought he was a key forward, who pinch hit a bit in the ruck. So not really much of a mystery why he struggled to get a game in that Geelong side, with Damian Bourke the ruckman (and captain) for most of that period, Stoneham, Brownless, Ablett and Exell (60+ goals in 1989) in the forward line and Darren Flanigan also a regular as the second ruck. It actually appears that he wasn't quite as big as I thought he was, which suggests that maybe he was more of a half forward, but then there were the likes of Bruce Lindner and Robert Scott to compete with for the other spots in the forward line.

Yep, he was very solid, and a not completely useless half forward flanker / centre half forward. Played some good football in 1987, but by 1989 just wasn't quite up to being in our best team. I'd say looking back he was an ok player but maybe not quite up to it.

It is hard to remember because once we started playing really memorable football through 1989, he wasn't in the team.

That said, he was a far better footballer than he ever was a commentator.

 

[kicksome]

He was a better footballer than he is a commentator

so he was a pretty shit player then?

 

[darren forssman]

Yep, he was very solid, and a not completely useless half forward flanker / centre half forward. Played some good football in 1987, but by 1989 just wasn't quite up to being in our best team. I'd say looking back he was an ok player but maybe not quite up to it.

It is hard to remember because once we started playing really memorable football through 1989, he wasn't in the team.

That said, he was a far better footballer than he ever was a commentator.

didnt he blow his knee out in 89? had some good games in 89 as well:

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/pg-geelong-cats--dwayne-russell

when ablett snr went on a sabbatical derwayne was part of blights 2 pronged forward line, he played 9 games and may have got injured again (???maybe the knee again) and that was it.

 

[Partridge]

didnt he blow his knee out in 89? had some good games in 89 as well:

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/pg-geelong-cats--dwayne-russell

when ablett snr went on a sabbatical derwayne was part of blights 2 pronged forward line, he played 9 games and may have got injured again (???maybe the knee again) and that was it.

He definitely played full back in some games in 1990 and actually wasn't too shabby depending on the opponent.

 

[Sttew]

My recollection was that Dwayne was too short to be a KPF, was not blessed with speed, and competed with the likes of Lindner, Cameron and Excell for the medium forward positions.

As an aside, he said on the radio last week that he wanted to play for Collingwood but they offered contracts to others before him, so Geelong ended up being the team

 

[Bobby_]

was like a David Mensch type, slow but far tougher and a good mark. Not the best kick though

 

[Cyclone Larry]

He is a dunce

 

[Registered User]

Thanks for the replies. All grouse and interesting stuff

Jee, David Mensch; there's another enigma. Wasn't he a bit of a "part-timer", then had that amazing purple patch that seemed to come from nowhere. Bloody hell! I gather it was the first 2/3 of 1998, even though he had a very good 1995

http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/D/David_Mensch.html#best

 

[steady2]

He definitely played full back in some games in 1990 and actually wasn't too shabby depending on the opponent.

I remember seeing him play full back once with Billy at CHB in 1990, I can't remember who they played but it was a tough tight game and the two KPDs won the game holding the line in the last quarter. A few weeks later Billy was back in the forward line and Dwayne got injured and I don't think he played again. He was a little slow and for a big guy not that tall I think about 188/89cm which was ok in those days but not super tall.

I liked he and Billy together again on that internet show they had going in 2007.

 

[Cursed Cat]

My recollection was that Dwayne was too short to be a KPF, was not blessed with speed, and competed with the likes of Lindner, Cameron and Excell for the medium forward positions.

As an aside, he said on the radio last week that he wanted to play for Collingwood but they offered contracts to others before him, so Geelong ended up being the team

that's how I remember it too Sttew - very slow, couldn't jump - *could* take a one-on-one contested grab, but not a pack-marking type, nor was he particularly good below the knees - kicking range varied, could thump it on occasion, other times not so much - all in all a nothing to write home about, but yeah, the marking was ok ..

 

[Turbocat]

Lets face it , at 188 he was a short key forward but he was taller than GA5 so there you go
To me a he was a very good SANFL player , he barracks for Port thru some sort of logic and he probably was an ordinary player who on his best days could play very well. A Kersten type I suppose

 

[Partridge]

I remember seeing him play full back once with Billy at CHB in 1990, I can't remember who they played but it was a tough tight game and the two KPDs won the game holding the line in the last quarter. A few weeks later Billy was back in the forward line and Dwayne got injured and I don't think he played again. He was a little slow and for a big guy not that tall I think about 188/89cm which was ok in those days but not super tall.

I liked he and Billy together again on that internet show they had going in 2007.

Rings a bell - St.Kilda at Waverley?

 

[Frappe]

Rings a bell - St.Kilda at Waverley?

Good call Partridge - we won by 8 points. I think Russell played on Loewe (Plugger injured, suspended??)

 

[crocsta]

My memories of Dwayne are of him as a leading forward. Unless the ball was kicked perfectly to him, he was in trouble, as he could only run in a straight line. Tired hard and reasonably talented. I think he was also a good kick Overall he was like a slower Kersten.

 

[terry_bright]

My memories are that he was a pretty ordinary player
First thing that comes to mind was his erratic kicking.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

He was a better footballer than he is a commentator

I actually laughed. Decent talent on the field, ordinary in the box.

 

[catswhiskers]

.............................Tried hard and reasonably talented. I think he was also a good kick. Overall he was like a slower Kersten.

Thats my recollection of Dwayne but Kersten has a long way to go to match him.

 

[catempire]

I remember a game - must have been 1989 or 1990 - where he and Gavin Exell played deep forward alongside one another. I vividly remember sitting high in the old Hickey Stand and being able to see how they had worked out a strategy where one of them would lead and the other would step in and pretty much block his opponent allowing the leading player to take the mark on the lead pretty much uncontested. I'm sure it wasn't legal but it worked to great effect on the day with Exell in particular bagging plenty. That was the first time I can recall understanding that there was more to footy than "see ball, get ball".

I also remember Russell playing some games at full back around the same time. I think this might have been due to Gary Ablett Snr pushing forward.

 

[year of the cat]

My recollection was of a guy who came over here with a fair degree of fanfare but failed to live up to expectations. I remember him as a fairly immobile, stocky, unfit not-quite tall enough tall forward who was useless if the ball hit the ground. catempire is correct in that he was tried out as a full back when he didn't cut it as a forward but that experiment was short lived. I remember him as a very limited player who if he couldn't win a contested marking contest through strength, was basically as good as a witches hat.

On another note he was also pretty unpopular down Colac way when he coached the local senior team down there.