James Musster 100 games v Old Geelong
He may be slight of frame, but James Musster, who plays his 100th senior game v Old Geelong at Toorak Park this Saturday, is a powerhouse when it comes to Prahran Assumption Football Club.
Musster has made Toorak Park his football home since his days with the Prahran-Caulfield Under 19s and fast made himself a fan favourite.
Musster is also something of an umpires’ favourite- he won the 2011 Hutchinson Medal for Division 3 best and fairest, ran third in the 2012 Division 2 best and fairest and last year was third in the Division 1 best and fairest.
Aptly Musster was a key performer in the club’s first win for 2015 v Bulleen Templestowe in his first game for the season in round 4 after arriving back from overseas just five days before!.
A team leader on and off the field, Musster's electrifying pace and evasive skills make him one of the most watchable players in the Division 1 competition.
This week former coaches Leigh Stafford and Ashley Mills paid tribute to Musster.
Leigh Stafford
"Jimmy has always been an extremely talented player, whose loyalty to Prahran was evident from the time he finished Under 19's and made a commitment to our footy club for season 2010 and beyond.
At that point the club had been through the dreaded double drop, and other clubs were circling with significant offers.
The fact that he chose to stay at Prahran has been wonderful for our footy club, and he has grown from a pretty confident young lad with skills and pace to burn, into a fantastic leader and footballer today.
Even at that time, as a 19 year old Musster had aspirations of leadership however these were probably not quite matched by application.
Jimmy's watershed moment came in 2011 though when he reluctantly accepted a position in the Premiership Coach Leadership Program in 2011, and in turn Muss took his football, both on and off the field, to a new level.
This culminated in a premiership medallion and Hutchinson Medal in the same year.
Despite the personal accolade of a League B & F, for me the highlight was his performance in the second semi when he played a fairly selfless role while getting tagged and dragging one of Yarra's better players away from the play.
It was testimony to his growing maturity and his football has continued to dazzle
everybody that has had the privilege of watching him."
Ashley Mills
"James is known best for his speed and outstanding evasive skills, but there is much more to him as a player and club person that makes him special.
On the field he is an incredibly tough player, never shirking a contest, and is a terrific tackler, especially for a player of his size.
Off the field, he leads by example, putting up his hand to assist around the club and demonstrating care for players and supporters alike – he’s come a long way over the past five years and those of us who have witnessed this and care for him are very proud of his achievements.
His quirks include refusing to rule himself out with injury even when he’s not moving much better than Basil! (Cleary) and his self-depreciating style…regularly thinks he’s played a poor game when in fact he’s been excellent."