.jpg)
400 Club games for Jason Duss ... still ticking over like a Swiss watch
The new kid at training looked around at all the other boys on the field. He could see and hear them, but he couldn’t understand them. He didn’t know the rules, but figured that because the best players always had the football, then he’d better go in and get it. Thus began the AFL career of Jason Duss.
It was 1987 and the Duss family, comprising of Dad Thomas, Mum Denise, brother Kevin and eight year old Jason had arrived in Australia ready to start a new life in their chosen country. Jay (as his lovely wife Liz chooses to call him) could not speak a word of English having been born in
Driving home with Mum from school one day, Dussy and his first Aussie mate Ben Jones passed the Castle Hill Showground where they saw some kids running around kicking footballs. They of course were the U/9’s from the Baulkham Hills Junior AFL Club and it was then he knew he wanted to be part of that scene. Soccer had been the ball sport in
In the 1991 BHAFC Annual Report, Chris wrote, “Another one of the mosquito fleet with a ton of ability, Jason not only improved his skills this year, but also his ability to read the game. This made him even more valuable on the wing as he not only provided attacking opportunities, but also added strength to the defence. He has great skills on either side of his body and some of his efforts to get the ball were inspirational.” 
In between getting a grasp of the language, learning the rules of the game and establishing his position in the schoolyard, Dussy began to love life in Australia. With his parents supporting him to the hilt he played his 100th game in the last round of 1993 and had already tasted what would prove to be a long period of representative footy for the Hills Hornsby, Met-West and Sydney regions. In 1995 the club brought the two streams of Hawks and Kookas together to form a single U/17 side. Scott Fraser was the coach and amongst his team mates in that year were his still great friends, Rod Frost, Ryan Madden, Jonathan Lee and Ben Physick. Perhaps the coach said it all that year when he wrote “Jason is one of those special players who knows how to inspire those around him. His enthusiasm and love of the game, coupled with his boundless skills, will see him go a long way.”
Senior football beckoned in 1996 when David Grace, who Jason spoke of in glowing terms during our interview, began to further mould the direction of where his life in football would end up. Gracey took the U/18 Falcons into a Grand Final, only to go down by five points to Pennant Hills. Best team man was one Jason Duss, who also made his debut at First Grade level playing three games in that same year. The Premiership did come for Dussy in ’97 however when Les Jarjoura’s Under 18’s comprehensively beat the Hunter at Wagener Oval, exactly two weeks after Princess Di’s death in Paris. Just to give you a gauge on how long ago that was!!
By now Jason was only eligible for senior football and his keenness to be involved around the club actually increased beyond a level that was already pretty high. Although those recently arrived members and supporters to the Club may now only associate him with Reserve Grade football, that was not the case when he was at the peak of his profession. He passed the 200 game milestone in 1999 and it wasn’t to be until 2002 that he would be selected for his first ever game of Ressies football with the East Coast Eagles, following their year 2000 identity change from the Baulkham Hills AFC.
Across the next three years he was selected in a handful of First Grade games, but in the main he played Reserve Grade football, perhaps one might argue, positioning himself for his future coaching role. In 2006, Jay (he had now met Liz) hung up his First Grade boots after 104 games, but settled in for a long run with the Reserves. A Premiership was won under Luke Fulton-Tindale coaching and when Luke returned to Melbourne, Dussy was invited to take over the reins and then proceeded to win two more Premierships in 07 & 08 and were beaten Grand Finalists in 2009. An excellent leadership record indeed.
Away from his second home at Bruce Purser Reserve, Jason, like Liz, is a school teacher. Perhaps teaching Swiss to the masses? He’s not quite sure just how he became an Essendon supporter, but is happy that he is and enjoys nothing more than watching live Bomber games ensconced in his “man cave” (ask Liz) whilst sipping on a few rums.
Footy trips are less eventful when Dussy doesn’t go. He’s been on a few over the years with perhaps the most memorable being Melbourne, 2001. As the accompanying photo shows it was indeed lucky that he, Tim Physick and Dean Nankivell had the foresight to each purchase a new Sherrin before asking a helpful German tourist to take their picture in Lonsdale Street, just up from what was then Colonial Stadium.
The Eagles and the Falcons are fortunate to have had Jason Duss as a member of their Club since the little Swiss kid decided he wanted to become an AFL star. And a true champion he has been and we very warmly congratulate him on his 400th Club game, 104 of which have been in First Grade, 135 at Reserves level and 39 in the U/18’s, with the balance as a junior with the Falcons.
We also take this opportunity to recognise the only other players who have notched up 300+ Club games.
Steve Merkel 379
Luke McLeod 375
Scott Abercrombie 362 (retired 2004)
Rodney Frost 337
Tim Physick 335
Jason Crawford 301 (retired 2002)
Note: Club games are defined as all matches played with the East Coast Eagles and the Baulkham Hills juniors. East Coast have now discontinued this accumulation record, however we still do recognise such milestones for those players who played with ECE prior to 2008.
|
YEAR
|
First
|
Res
|
U/18
|
U/17
|
U/15
|
U/13
|
U/11
|
U/9
|
Notes
|
|
1988
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14
|
U/9 Hawks - Most improved
|
|
|
1989
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
13
|
|
U/11 Hawks – Runners Up
Met-West representative
|
|
1990
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
16
|
|
Met-West & Hills Hornsby representative
|
|
1991
|
|
|
|
|
|
13
|
|
|
Beat Doncaster East for the first time
|
|
1992
|
|
|
|
|
|
28
|
|
|
U/13 Hawks - Captain and Best & Fairest
Hills Hornsby, Met-West and NSW rep.
|
|
1993
|
|
|
|
|
16
|
|
|
|
U/15 Hawks – Runners Up
Played his 100th game
Umpired the U/11 Grand Final
|
|
1994
|
|
|
|
|
18
|
|
|
|
U/15 Hawks - Best & Fairest
Sydney & Nor-West Rep
Joint Footballer of the Year BHAFC
|
|
1995
|
|
|
|
14
|
|
|
|
|
Vice Captain
U/17 Kookas - Runners Up
|
|
1996
|
3
|
|
24
|
|
|
|
|
U/18 Falcons - Runners Up
Got the “Norm Smith” in the G/F
Best Team man award
|
|
|
1997
|
7
|
|
15
|
|
|
|
|
|
U/18 Falcons – Premiers
Best on again in the Grand Final
Player Life Membership
|
|
1998
|
11
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Learned how to frog scull
|
|
1999
|
21
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Played his 200th game
|
|
2000
|
16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ECE First Grade – Coach’s Award
|
|
2001
|
16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lonsdale Street photo shoot
|
|
2002
|
15
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Didn’t even kick one goal
|
|
2003
|
7
|
13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ECE Reserves - Best Team Player
|
|
2004
|
4
|
15
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ECE Reserves – 2nd in Best & Fairest
Played his 300th game
|
|
2005
|
4
|
13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ECE Reserves - Runners Up
|
|
2006
|
|
10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ECE Reserves - Premiers
|
|
2007
|
|
20
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coach ECE Reserves - Premiers
|
|
2008
|
|
19
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coach ECE Reserves - Premiers
|
|
2009
|
|
20
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coach ECE Reserves – Runners Up
|
|
2010
|
|
14
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coach ECE Reserves
Played his 400th game
|
Jamie Back on Top as Eagles Dominate
The East Coast Eagles went into their round 15 match against North Shore with mixed form over recent weeks. Two losses in the past three matches had the Eagles potentially dropping out of the top three and forfeiting the second chance come finals time. North Shore entered the match with similar recent form, and both teams knew the winner would take poll position in the race for the second chance.
Starting at $60, these jackets are designed to keep you dry and warm. Choose between a winter polar fleece lined jacket for extra warmth or the training jacket for a lighter feel. These jackets are available both through the online store or by seeing Trev on match day at his Merchandise Stand.
Don't have an Eagles jumper to wear to the footy? Do you want to really feel like one of the players as they run out in their Eagles Guernsey? Or perhaps you need one to run around the training track. We have a selection of previous season's jumpers from $30 available from the online store and from Trev's Merchandise Tent.
A commanding third quarter by the Magpies sees them take control of the game - Wests 14.10.94 Eagles 7.4.46
