Luke Russell’s first three years in the AFL have been tough. Moving from the Tasmanian coast to the Gold Coast is a sea change many shivering Tasmanians dream of, but the demands of football are the same no matter where you play.

The 21-year-old from Burnie on Tasmania’s North-West coast has now played 40 games for the Suns and looks back on his first three years in the league as a tough initiation, but also an enjoyable one.

“After my first year, I realised how hard it was. You can’t live like a normal 18-year-old kid does,” he says.

“Everyone in juniors, they’re all superstars, they all play in the midfield or as a key forward kicking 20 goals a game, but when you come to an AFL club now you can’t be an individual player at all.”

Some draftees are lucky enough to arrive at established finals clubs and fit in with veterans that know the game at AFL level. When you’re arriving at the youngest club in the league both on-field and off it, the transition is not so smooth.

Homesickness and the struggle to get a game can make it even harder as Russell found out.

“There was a time when I wasn’t getting picked, I was pretty down. I was very homesick in my second year and sometimes I just thought it would be so much easier if I just went home.”

Russell’s hard work paid off in the Gold Coast Suns first win in Round 5, 2011, when he kicked two crucial late goals, including the winning goal in the dying minutes, which the humble Suns utility plays down.

“I subbed on at halftime and I was lucky enough to kick a couple of goals.”

However, the memories of a thrashing the week after in which Essendon were 90 points in front at quarter time still loom large as a painful memory of when the Suns were at their worst.

“I never want to experience that again, because it was very bad. A very bad experience,” Russell laments.

As to where he plays going forward, Russell is happy to leave that up to the coaches.

“I’ve played midfield growing up and I moved here and I started forward and last year I was down back. If Bluey said you’re playing down back this week I’d be fine with it, before that I might not have been.”

“You have to just play your role and play to your strengths. I think that’s part of playing in a good team. Everyone can play and everyone knows their roles.”