Norman 'Norm' Bussell (born 6 January 1945) is a former

Australian rules Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

footballer who played with

Hawthorn Hawthorn or Hawthorns may refer to: Plants * '' Crataegus'' (hawthorn), a large genus of shrubs and trees in the family Rosaceae * ''Rhaphiolepis'' (hawthorn), a genus of about 15 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees in the family Rosace ...

in the

VFL The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...

Early career

Bussell was a highly rated youngster from the town of Wangaratta. He developed with the help of VFL legend Bob Rose, who was coaching one of the two Wangaratta teams in the Ovens and Murray FL. When Rose was appointed to coach he got Bussell to sign a Form Four registration tying him to Collingwood. Bussell refused to move to Melbourne as he was competing an Auto Electrical apprenticeship. A few years later after his form four had expired, Hawthorn managed to persuade Bussell to move to Hawthorn.

VFL career

Bussell was a centre half back and his no fuss tough approach to the game saw him play 113 games. The highlight of his career was the 1971 Premiership. Bussell played a important role in one of the most brutal games in VFL history.

After VFL

After substaining a back injury Bussell decided to retire from VFL football. He returned to Wangaratta and played with his original team, the

Wangaratta Rovers The Wangaratta Rovers, officially known as the Wangaratta Rovers Football & Netball Club, is an Australian rules football club based in Wangaratta, Victoria and play in the Ovens & Murray Football League. Their nickname is the Hawks. Their hom ...

. He played in two premierships before retiring from the game. His son Aidan was drafted by Hawthorn 1991 AFL draft but he never played a game.

External links

* 1945 births Australian rules footballers from Victoria (Australia) Hawthorn Football Club players Hawthorn Football Club Premiership players Wangaratta Rovers Football Club players Living people One-time VFL/AFL Premiership players {{AFL-bio-1940s-stub