Past Player of the Week - Marc Bullen

[The Speaker]

Marc Bullen​

DOB: 12/07/1982

Height: 187 cm

Weight: 85 kg

Playing number: 37

Arrived: Drafted with pick 63 in the 2000 AFL Draft

Debut: Round 11 vs St Kilda, 2001

Games: 44

Goals: 9

Departed: Delisted at the end of the 2005 season

Picked at the back end of the 2000 draft from the Murray Bushrangers as a midfielder, Marc Bullen took a couple of years to enter a team coming off the high of a great era. Originally from Congupna, north of Shepparton, Bullen managed a paltry one disposal in his first game and only played one more game in 2001. Injury restricted him from playing in 2002, but he did play in the final two rounds. He finally broke through for a relatively strong 2003, managing a Rising Star nomination in Round 19, and playing in both finals that year.

Bullen followed up his 16 game season with another 17 in 2004, including some very quiet games in the middle of the season, but recovered to his 2003 form by the end of the year. By 2005, however, his performances had further dropped off, and he was delisted at the end of the season. He moved to Adelaide to play for the Port Adelaide Magpies in 2006, and has since played for Silvan in the Yarra Valley, Maribrynong Park in the EDFL, and as a player-coach for Deer Park in the WRFL.

 

[eth-dog]

Ah, Bullen. Quintessential spud.

 

[table tennis]

Has hooked up with the money man of local footy. He and his mate's would be lucky to know where Deer Park is.

 

[JD11]

Never forget when he kicked 6 goals in an AFL Live 2003 game for me.

What a jet...

 

[monty1104]

I remember him being a run and carry player with a good kick on him, similar to Clinton Young.

I'm probably wrong though.

 

[bombre-boy]

Probably best known for getting the handball to hirdy who kicked the winning goal against west coast.

 

[Zach Package]

And what a handball it was.

I actually thought Bullen was going to be a star Tbh

 

[Vander18]

And what a handball it was.

I actually thought Bullen was going to be a star Tbh

Don't know if I ever thought he'd be a star but I do recall being surprised at how quickly he went from promising young senior player to delisted.

Played in a strange time....Sheeds had lost the plot by this point....remember him really talking Bullen up as an emerging player.

 

[yaco55]

Thought Bullen would play more games. Decent pace, reliable kick, clean ball handler. Suffered from not winning enough of the ball and winning his own ball.

 

[Doss]

Wasn't the worst.

Didn't get the best out of himself. I'm not sure if Sheeds used him correctly.

 

[Kong]

He was a pretty smooth mover, and to be honest there's no real reason why he didn't have a semi-successful career.

Of current players I'd probably say he was a bit like someone like Matt Rosa.

 

[VelvetSledge]

I remember him purely because his picture was the "November" month of my 2003 Essendon calender.

 

[yodellinhank]

And what a handball it was.

I actually thought Bullen was going to be a star Tbh

A player I always think of when cat fans bang on about how good their "kids" are going to be and how they "keep on finding" them.

 

[Yoda_]

Playing for Deer Park in the Western Region football league. Not as dominant as last year but doing well none the less

 

[yaco55]

Matt Rosa is a much better player - Rosa runs harder and actually wins the ball.

 

[Darealrath]

Haven't looked at any stats but seem to remember him being pretty decent at getting clearances. At the time I thought he was a chance to take over from Smokin' Joe in the centre. Not in that class but seemed like he had something to offer.

I was actually thumbing through an old notepad the other day, from when I was in Europe one Christmas about a decade ago, and I must have had some time on my hands because I wrote a predictions page for 2005 and had Bullen down as leading us in handballs. Oops!

 

[Snake Charmer]

He was player coach at Congupna in 2011 or 2012. Not sure tbh. But I know he played there with ex-cat Marcus Drum

 

[what did you say]

He was player coach at Congupna in 2011 or 2012. Not sure tbh. But I know he played there with ex-cat Marcus Drum

his from up that way! an yeh he did... was a good player! people bagging him out should recall his last two season an how sheeds had lost the plot the kid was told to tag more then get the ball ha..

 

[Bombers36]

Showed glimpses, but not much consistency from memory.

Stats not great either;-

Played for 5 seasons, averaging only 8.8 games per year. average disposals - 10, marks - 2.2, goals - 0.2, tackles - 2.4

 

[Pweter]

He was a player I wanted to do well, probably because he started out in a time when we had to gut our premiership team due to the Mercuri contract and Hird having to be paid outside the veteran salary (2 huge list management blunders that hurt us for quite some time). Sheedy constantly talking him up early days put me in this frame of mind.

A player I always think of when cat fans bang on about how good their "kids" are going to be and how they "keep on finding" them.

I had this mindset in the 2002 - 2003 period. Bullen, Davies, Harvey, Rama, they were all going to help cover for the loss of Blumfield, Caracella, Hardwick etc. Sadly only Rama made the grade (and even sadder was cut down when he was about to hand the league it's collective ass on a platter).

 

[hurlygurdy]

He was a player I wanted to do well, probably because he started out in a time when we had to gut our premiership team due to the Mercuri contract and Hird having to be paid outside the veteran salary (2 huge list management blunders that hurt us for quite some time). Sheedy constantly talking him up early days put me in this frame of mind.



I had this mindset in the 2002 - 2003 period. Bullen, Davies, Harvey, Rama, they were all going to help cover for the loss of Blumfield, Caracella, Hardwick etc. Sadly only Rama made the grade (and even sadder was cut down when he was about to hand the league it's collective ass on a platter).

I wonder whether i am biased or not, but i just can't see Zach and JD not going on with it after their nominations. There is something about Zach (and tons about JD) that screams quality in a way that i struggle to believe i ever thought about Bullen. But to be fair i barely remember him anymore.

 

[Blind Turn]

Beige no frills no substance peripheral low impact something something something... no redeeming football features whatsoever... but could've been the next Simon Minton-Connell, if he were 6 inches taller, more athletic, and erratically brilliant. Yeah but he was alright, did some nice things... didn't he?

 

[JD11]

File with: Sam Hunt