Les Rusich
South Melbourne
AFL career
54 games33 goals
- Debut
- R2 1912 v RCH4 May 1912
- Most recent
- R17 1915 v GEE14 Aug 1915
Stats
Bio
A local product recruited from the Leopold Football Club, Les Rusich was a dangerous forward who wasted little time making his presence felt for South Melbourne. Playing primarily as a flanker or in the forward pocket, he etched his name into folklore by booting the opening goal of the 1912 Grand Final against Essendon, though his side eventually fell short. He featured in another decider in 1914, establishing himself as a regular contributor in a strong era for the club. However, his career concluded prematurely at the end of the 1915 season; of Austrian descent, Rusich stepped away from the game at just 26 years of age amidst the height of the First World War.
Profile
- Born
- 09 May 1889
- Died
- 22 Nov 1953 (aged 64y 197d)
- Birthplace
- South Melbourne, VIC
- Deathplace
- Albert Park, VIC
- Height
- 175 cm
- Weight
- 69 kg
Teams
Bio
1 revisionA local product recruited from the Leopold Football Club, Les Rusich was a dangerous forward who wasted little time making his presence felt for South Melbourne. Playing primarily as a flanker or in the forward pocket, he etched his name into folklore by booting the opening goal of the 1912 Grand Final against Essendon, though his side eventually fell short. He featured in another decider in 1914, establishing himself as a regular contributor in a strong era for the club. However, his career concluded prematurely at the end of the 1915 season; of Austrian descent, Rusich stepped away from the game at just 26 years of age amidst the height of the First World War.