
Adelaide Crows: 229 AFL games, 9 goals
Benjamin Rutten was the senior coach of the Essendon Football Club in 2021 and 2022. 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.
Playing career
Recruited from SANFL club West Adelaide, Rutten made his AFL debut in 2003 for the Adelaide Crows as a forward, joining an elite club of players who have goaled with each of their first three kicks. 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.
On 1 July 2014, Rutten announced that he would retire at the end of the 2014 season, hinting a possible move into coaching. 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.