Ben Duscher (born 29 September 1987) is an Australian rules footballer; he was co-captain for the Bendigo Bombers in the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 2011; co-captain of Bendigo Gold VFL team in 2012 and was elected by his peers as co-captain of the Essendon VFL Football Club in 2013.Duscher and Bate Named Co-Captains. Essendon FC. http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/2013-04-02/duscher-and-bate-named-cocaptains (accessed 4 April 2013) At the commencement of the 2012 season he was rated number four amongst the players in the Victorian Football League (VFL).Brent Diamond Football Nations’ Top 50 VFL players 16 March 2012 http://www.footballnation.com.au/afl/latest-afl-news/top-50-vfl-players/ Mid 2013 season Ben was rated number 3 amongst the top 50 VFL players by Football Nation.Brent Diamond. Football Nation 10 June 2013 http://www.footballnation.com.au/afl/afl-clubs/fns-top-50-vfl-players-2013-mid-season/ (accessed 9 July 2013) Ben won the Carter medal for club champion (best and fairest) at the Bendigo Bombers in 2011Duscher Wins Bendigo Bombers Club Champion Award Bendigo Advertiser 7 October 2011. http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/news/local/sport/football-australian-rules/duscher-wins-bendigo-bombers-club-champion-award/2315823.aspx accessed 31 March 2012 and was runner-up (for Bendigo Gold) in 2012.Lee Strikes Gold. Bendigo Gold website. 8 October 2012 accessed 9 October 2012 He won the Essendon VFL Best and Fairest in 2013.Duscher Named VFL Best and Fairest Essendon VFL 9 October 2013 http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/2013-10-09/duscher-named-vfl-best-and-fairest
Junior career Ben played with Merbein in the Sunraysia Football League, Mildura and the Bendigo Pioneers in the TAC Cup in 2005. In 2005 he was selected in the Victoria Country squad alongside Joel Selwood, Scott Pendlebury, Dale Thomas (footballer) and Shaun Higgins.Luke West. Ben's Meteoric Rise. Bendigo Advertiser 16 Feb 2011 http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/news/local/sport/general/bens-meteoric-rise/2077085.aspx accessed 3 April 2012 Ben played in the Balranald Premiership winning team in the Central Murray Football League in 2006Eugene Boisvert Duscher Disappointed Sunraysia Daily 14 December 2011 http://www.sunraysiadaily.com.au/news/local/sport/general/duscher-disappointed-over-draft/2391853.aspx accessed 31 March 2012 In 2008 Ben played in the Goulburn Valley Football League (GVFL) where he was in the Rochester premiership winning team.Sarah Warne. Rochester's Day of Glory. Weekly Times Now 1 October 2008 http://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/article/2008/10/01/11335_sport-news.html accessed 31 March 2012
Victorian Football League- major individual achievements
Treble captaincy Ben has been co-captain of three VFL teams- the Bendigo Bombers VFL team (2011), the Bendigo Gold VFL team (2012) and the Essendon VFL team (2013).Duscher Wins Bendigo Bombers Club Champion Award Bendigo Advertiser 7 October 2011. http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/news/local/sport/football-australian-rules/duscher-wins-bendigo-bombers-club-champion-award/2315823.aspx accessed 21 May 2013Duscher and Bate Named Co-Captains. Essendon FC. http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/2013-04-02/duscher-and-bate-named-cocaptains (accessed 21 May 2013)
Club champion Ben won the Carter medal for best and fairest at the Bendigo Bombers in 2011, despite missing five games through injury. He'd won the award for best first year player in 2010.Duscher Wins Bendigo Bombers Club Champion Award Bendigo Advertiser 7 October 2011. http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/news/local/sport/football-australian-rules/duscher-wins-bendigo-bombers-club-champion-award/2315823.aspx accessed 31 March 2012 In 2012 for Bendigo Gold, Ben (185 votes) was runner up to Lee (190 votes) in the Best & Fairest, Bendigo Gold general manager Graham Pratt stating: "Because of injury, Ben played in [only] 12 VFL games, but he polled in 11 of them.".Lee Strikes Gold. Bendigo Gold website. 8 October 2012 accessed 21 May 2013 Ben won Best and Fairest for Essendon VFL in 2013.Duscher Named VFL Best and Fairest Essendon VFL 9 October 2013 http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/2013-10-09/duscher-named-vfl-best-and-fairest
VFL representative teams Ben was selected for the 2011 VCFL/VFL/AFL Young Guns Game at TEAC Oval, Port Melbourne, on Sunday 18 September, as a curtain raiser to the VFL Senior Preliminary Final.VCFL Young Guns Named. VCFL website Friday 9 Sept 2011 [year]=2011&tx_ttnews[month]=09&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=605&cHash=bd182e3a5212e9d383125e85fada2085 (accessed 31 May 2013) Duscher was selected for the 32-man VFL State Squad for its game against the Tasmanian State side on Saturday 26 May 2012, but not in the final 22.VFL State Squad. VFL SPorting Pulse May 2012 http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-118-0-0-0&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=19229720 accessed 21 May 2013
AFL Draft Combine Ben was selected for the 2011 AFL draft combine and achieved an impressive 28/30 in the kicking efficiency test (players face away from 20m, 30m and 40m distant targets to left and right (two-meter wide circles), receive a ball, turn and, at a moment's notice, aim as directedTop End Sports. AFL Kicking Efficiency Test http://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/kicking-efficiency.htm accessed 22 May 2012) in the NAB AFL Draft Combine,Draft Combine AFL. 21 October 2011 accessed 14 May 2012 but narrowly missed AFL drafting in 2011Eugene Boisvert Duscher Disappointed Sunraysia Daily 14 December 2011 http://www.sunraysiadaily.com.au/news/local/sport/general/duscher-disappointed-over-draft/2391853.aspx accessed 31 March 2012.
Individual achievement in Bendigo Gold 2012 season In the opening game of the 2012 season Duscher scored three goals and was amongst the best for Bendigo in its 20.17 (137) to 7.11 (53) defeat of the Frankston Dolphins. Bendigo coach Hayden Skipworth stated that Duscher "was fantastic, particularly early in the game, and he kicked three goals himself. There's no question in my mind he has what it takes to be on an AFL list."Luke West. Bendigo Gold thrashes Frankston in superb start to VFL season. Bendigo Advertiser 2 April 2012 http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/news/local/sport/football-australian-rules/bendigo-gold-thrashes-frankston-in-superb-start-to-vfl-season/2507754.aspx accessed 2 April 2012 After playing three rounds of football in the 2012 season Duscher led the tallies for kicks (54, 15 from next), handballs (24, one from next), disposals (78, 19 from next), contested possessions (38, 10 from next) and tackles (22, 2 from next).Duscher Leads Stats. Bendigo FC 18 April 2012 accessed 25 April 2012 The following week he was among the best on ground (with 29 disposals and a goal) in Bendigo's (18.14.122) win over Williamstown (15.13.103)Bendigo Over Run Williamstown Essendon FC website 2 June 2012Matt Nicholls. Bendigo Scores Impressive Win. Bendigo Advertiser 4 June 2012 http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/news/local/sport/football-australian-rules/bendigo-gold-scores-impressive-win-against-williamstown/2577993.aspx?storypage=2 accessed 4 June 2012 Duscher being said to demonstrate how he can "play inside congestion, can split out into space as well as anyone in the VFL."Jason Hanningan. Bendigo Shows Strong Resolve. 5 June 2012 Essendon FC website Duscher was named amongst the best afield in Bendigo's 76 point win over Coburg on 10 June 2012.Bendigo Win Essendon FC website 11 June 2012Patrick O'Meara. Bendigo dishes out a hiding. Bendigo FC website accessed 12 June 2012 Duscher was also named amongst the best and kicked a goal in Bendigo's (14.16.100) win over Box Hill Hawks (9.14.68) on 16 June 2012, in a side with fifteen Essendon Football Club AFL senior and rookie-listed players.Bendigo v Box Hill VFL Sporting Pulse. http://www.sportingpulse.com/round_info.cgi?a=MATCH&fixture=123661616&c=1-118-0-204557-0&pool=1 accessed 16 June 2012 After returning from injury Duscher was amongst the best two on ground in the last two games of the season.Bendigo Go Down in a Thriller. Sept 2012 Essendon FC website. At the end of the 2012 season Ben took time off his work as a carpenter to train with the Western Bulldogs; but after being told they preferred to draft players with established AFL records, Ben initially announced his intention to captain the young Bendigo Gold side in 2013.
Individual achievement with Essendon VFL Team