By Sarah Beagley
Loft’s Reserve will be the place to be this Saturday morning at 9.20am, as CYs legend Mark “Buzza” Busuttil runs onto the ground in his 150th game for the club.
Buzza made the (very wise) decision to come across to the CYs from Altona in 2007, when club great Dene McLeod invited him to join in a training.
It was love at first sight for Buzza, as he instantly became a part of our CYs community as a reliable rover and forward pocket, and continued on to become a much-loved teammate and highly respected captain. “I remember one day watching Cranner kick 5 goals at the Fez, it made me realise how much of a family club the CYs is, just the way they involve everyone, its why I fell in love with the CYs”, Buzza recounts.
Ultimately it was a rocky start for Buzza in his first outing in the blue and gold, with his senior side losing their first match with a kick after the siren, despite being 13 points up with a minute to go in the fourth.
Nevertheless it was only up from there, as his move into the Reserves side saw him star in back-to-back premierships in 2008 and 2009 under coach Damien Hynes. Their respective wins over Uni Blues and Peninsula are a fond memory for Buzza, being the first ever premierships in his footy career.
However, for Buzza, nothing can beat the Third’s 2017 premiership, where he captained the side to a two-goal win over Caulfield. Gesturing towards the rowdy Lofts change room next to us, where his Fourths teammates are getting prepped for training, he shares, “my favourite was definitely 2017 – winning with all these guys, they’re really close mates, and I captained the premiership as well”. He then captained the side again for their premiership in 2019.
Now, for anyone reading this hoping to get some insight into how they too can best prepare their body and mind to one day reach the coveted 150 game milestone at the club, Buzza was more than happy to share his 6 year long elite pre-game ritual: “me and Lachie McKenzie will grab a red bull, and after our warm up we’ll drink that just before the game”. And with the Fourth’s already off to a flyer in their 2022 premiership quest, with a cruisey 71 point win against Hampton last weekend, it looks like Buzza might be onto something here.
Despite absolutely stitching him up with this interview, teammate Bradley Gatt is the first one to get a shout out from Buzza as one of the most important people in his 150 match CYs journey, joined closely behind by coaches and mentors Matt Wynd, Daniel Oldham ad Damien Hynes.
So this weekend, as Buzza prepares to tear up the back pocket against a strong Richmond side, let’s be sure to flood Loft’s Reserve in blue and gold to wish him a huge CYs family congratulations on reaching such an incredible milestone.
Messages for Buzza ahead of his 150th game
Mark was and still is an inspirational leader of our group. Mark was an integral part of defining our culture in the 3rds/4ths and lead by example when it came to training and playing standards. His teammates would follow Buzza on the field and off the field. He will go down at CYMS as a legend of the club having played in 4 premierships and skipper of 2. It has been an absolute pleasure to be part of Buzza’s journey and I hope he remembers the day with a great win surrounded by his brothers. – Matthew Wynd, Fourths Coach and Vice-President
Mark “Buzza” Bussutil is the heart and soul of the 4ths group. He is the spiritual leader of the group, a best and fairest winner and multiple time premiership winner and captain. It is an honour and a privilege to be able to have shared in his career at the CY’s and even more special to be able to play with and watch him run out for the 150th time representing the Blue and Gold of the Williamstown CYMS football club. He really does deserve the honour and prestige of this occasion. He has been a stalwart of the club and a true brother to many. Loyal and selfless to a fault. – Bradley Gatt, Teammate
