""I think my goal was to play five to 10 games and I would have been really happy with that. Six weeks into the VFL season I wasn't doing much and I had to make some decisions about where I was heading. I have done that now and I haven't looked back. I have played 11 games in the seniors and to receive a National Rising Star nomination is sensational,"" Bullen said.
It has been an uphill battle for the former Murray Bushrangers skipper since arriving at the club in November 2000. He made his senior debut in Round 11, 2001 and then managed a further three games in the next 18 months. He won the VFL best and fairest award in 2001 and looked set to break into the seniors in the following season, but was hampered by injury in 2002.
After failing to get a senior call-up in the first six rounds this season, he approached the coaching panel and questioned his fate. ""I was a bit low around Easter time and I didn't feel like I was doing a lot in the VFL. I thought I have to do something here so I went and spoke to the coaches and they ended up telling me a few things that I need to do to get into the seniors. The next two weeks I did those things in the VFL and I ended up getting a game against Port Adelaide and I haven't looked back,"" Bullen said.
Assistant coach Mark Harvey has spent a lot of time with Bullen this year and watched with interest as he has progressed his game. ""He should get some enormous self-belief out of getting this nomination even though he has been around the place for three years. He has really come of age as he has played more games and gets more game time - he is really evolving and finding out what it takes to play AFL football,"" Harvey said.
Bullen has been a regular fixture in the team ever since the Round 9 match against Port Adelaide. He has played predominantly in the mid-field and has matched it with some of the best on-ballers going around including Ben Cousins, Nick Stevens and most recently Rohan Smith. ""Playing on the players I have been playing on is such a learning experience. My second game against Ben Cousins, the amount of running he did and how fit he was, was a real eye opener. If I am going to be that good in the future, that is what I have to do to get to those sort of levels. Fitness level wise I know what I have to reach and with another preseason under my belt I am sure I can step up and play a full game in the mid-field,"" Bullens said.
Bullen has kicked five goals in his 11 outings this season and he is conscious that he needs to contribute on the scoreboard if he wants to become a regular mid-fielder. ""Harvs is always on my back about kicking goals and creating opportunities for forwards. I did that on Sunday a few times, which was good. I have set up a few goals out of the mid-field and that is an area I need to keep working on because we need forward pressure coming from the mid-field. You always need a few midfielders that can kick 10 to 20 goals a year. I have five this season so I have a few more to kick,"" Bullen said.
Bullen is fortunate to have some good role models around the club to help him develop into a quality mid-fielder. Joe Misiti has spent a lot of time with Bullen since he arrived at the club and has helped him improve different areas of his game. ""Sometimes just an injection of confidence such as this can really push you through the AFL apprenticeship. And don't under-estimate the role that Joe Misiti has played in getting him on the right track. Marc has seen Joe as a mentor and basically copied the way Joe goes about things. He has worked hard on getting stronger and fitter,"" Harvey said.
