In this week’s special SUNS TV Player Feature, the exciting small-forward says playing AFL at the elite level is far from what he expected during his junior-playing days with the Burnie Dockers in Tasmania.
“When I was younger I wished to become an AFL footballer because it seemed like they had everything but it’s not like that at all, you have to do so much hard work,” said Russell.
With AFL football booming throughout the northern and southern regions of Tasmania, Russell said he was shock when he first realised the Gold Coast was a developing AFL market with an ambitions to grow and nurture the game in what had been a Rugby League heart land.
“When I first moved up here, AFL wasn’t big at all, I didn’t even know what NRL was to be honest, I didn’t know who Karmichael Hunt was,” Russell said.
“It sounded pretty silly when everyone was saying Karmichael Hunt had just been drafted to the GC SUNS and I was like, I don’t know who Karmichael is.”
Despite the goal-sneak having appeared in the more than half of the GC SUNS games, Russell admits there was a time when he wasn’t sure whether he had what it took to build an illustrious career in the AFL.
“There was a time when I wasn’t getting picked and I was pretty down and very home sick in my second year, and sometimes I thought it’d be so much easier if I went home and not think about it.
“It was pretty tough you have so many moments in football up and downs, especially as a young guy coming through the competition.”
While most flights experience their fair share of turbulence, Russell says the club’s journey to reaching the 50-game milestone has been filled with its high’s and low points.
“I’ve only been a part of two wins before, and my first was my 2nd AFL game and I came on as sub at half-time and was lucky to finish the game with a couple of goals.
“Everyone was up and about and then I remember the next week we played Essendon and they kicked 91 points in the first quarter, I wouldn’t want to experience that again.”
While teamwork, mateship and sacrifice is constantly preached to the aspiring talent rising through the junior ranks, Russell said it wasn’t until he arrived at Metricon Stadium did he then understand the importance of the three team principles.
“Everyone in juniors are always superstars, they are either great through the midfield or are a key forward and kick high volume of goals, but when you come to an AFL Club you can’t be an individual player at all.
“It’s not about individual efforts but working as a team… we’ve had some lows together in our first couple of years and now want to start seeing the success.”
