Ben Rutten

Benjamin Rutten (born 28 May 1983) is an Australian rules football coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). As a player, he played for the Adelaide Football Club and was known for his size, strength and ability to contain some of the game's best forwards.

Ben Rutten
Rutten coaching in May 2018.
Personal information
Full name Benjamin Rutten
Nickname(s) Truck
Date of birth (1983-05-28) 28 May 1983
Place of birth Adelaide, South Australia
Original team(s) West Adelaide (SANFL)
Draft No. 40, 2001 rookie draft
Height 190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight 98 kg (216 lb)
Position(s) Defender
Playing career
Years Club Games (Goals)
2003–2014 Adelaide 229 (9)
Coaching career3
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
2021– Essendon 27 (11–16–0)
3 Coaching statistics correct as of Round 5, 2022.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Early life

Recruited from South Australian National Football League (SANFL) club West Adelaide in the 2001 Rookie Draft, Rutten made his AFL debut in 2003 as a forward, joining an elite club of players who have goaled with each of their first three kicks.

Playing career

Rutten was moved to defence and made a name for himself as a tough full-back, coming of age in the 2005 AFL season, where he was part of Adelaide's sturdy defensive unit, and often held his opponents to two goals or less. This earned Rutten All-Australian selection in 2005, and Rutten became an integral part of Adelaide's defence for the rest of his career. He and fellow All-Australian defender Nathan Bock formed one of the most capable defensive partnerships in the AFL prior to Bock's transfer to the Gold Coast Suns.

Rutten gave away the controversial game-deciding free kick in the 2009 semi-final by holding the arm of Collingwood forward Jack Anthony who scored Collingwood's winning goal in the last 55 seconds. This finished the season for the Adelaide Football Club.

On 1 July 2014, Rutten announced that he would retire at the end of the 2014 season, hinting a possible move into coaching.[1] He played his last game against St Kilda on 31 August 2014, scoring his ninth and final AFL goal in the last kick of his career.[2]

Coaching career

Richmond Football Club

On 10 September 2014, Rutten became an assistant coach at the Richmond Football Club under senior coach Damien Hardwick,[3] serving as the club's defence coach. Rutten was also part of the coaching group in the club's 2017 AFL Premiership.[4] Rutten left the Richmond Football Club at the end of the 2018 season.[5]

Essendon Football Club

On 24 August 2018, the Essendon Football Club announced Rutten would be joining their coaching department as an assistant coach under senior coach John Worsfold for the 2019 season,[6] Rutten served as assistant coach in the position of the Team Defence and Key Position Coach. On 17 September 2019, it was announced that Rutten would succeed John Worsfold as the senior coach of Essendon at the conclusion of the 2020 AFL season.[7][8]

At the end of the 2020 season, Essendon Football Club senior coach Worsfold handed over the coaching reins to his assistant coach Rutten as part of the planned transition. Rutten then officially became the senior coach of Essendon Football Club. In Rutten's first season as Essendon Football Club senior coach in the 2021 season, he guided Essendon to finish eighth on the ladder, therefore making the finals. They were eliminated by the eventual-runners up the Western Bulldogs in the elimination final.[9]

Statistics
[10]
Legend
 G  Goals  K  Kicks  D  Disposals  T  Tackles
 B  Behinds  H  Handballs  M  Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game)
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2003 Adelaide 252306713701.50.03.03.56.53.50.0
2004 Adelaide 25900555010540100.00.06.15.611.74.41.1
2005 Adelaide 25251014313728095270.00.05.75.511.23.81.1
2006 Adelaide 252412175158333135350.00.17.36.613.95.61.5
2007 Adelaide 252000122137259113240.00.06.16.913.05.71.2
2008 Adelaide 252201157182339147200.00.07.18.315.46.70.9
2009 Adelaide 252410164204368142290.00.06.88.515.35.91.2
2010 Adelaide 252200128212340128460.00.05.89.615.55.82.1
2011 Adelaide 252100143174317107300.00.06.88.315.15.11.4
2012 Adelaide 252521148136284125400.10.05.95.411.45.01.6
2013 Adelaide 252101140132272114240.00.06.76.313.05.41.1
2014 Adelaide 251410728015252240.10.05.15.710.93.71.7
Career 229 9 5 1453 1609 3062 1205 309 0.0 0.0 6.3 7.0 13.3 5.3 1.3

References
  1. "Adelaide Crows veteran defender Ben Rutten confirms his retirement at end of 2014 AFL season". ABC. 1 July 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  2. "Ben Rutten kicked his ninth AFL goal to cap off his final game in Adelaide Crows win". The Australian. 31 August 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  3. "Rutten to Richmond". Richmond Football Club. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  4. "AFL 2018: Essendon ponders poaching gun assistant coach Ben Rutten from Richmond". 21 August 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  5. "Rutten to depart Tigers at season's end". 23 August 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  6. "Bombers welcome Rutten". Essendon Football Club. 24 August 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  7. "Dons outline coaching succession plan". Essendon Football Club. 17 September 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  8. Niall, Jake (17 September 2019). "Backing the truck: inside the Essendon handover". The Age.
  9. "RUTTEN OUTLINES POSITION OF IMPROVEMENT FOR ESSENDON". 26 September 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  10. "Ben Rutten statistics". AFL Tables. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
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