So impressed with his skill and potential, the club subsequently gave Ruthven guernsey number 7, previously worn and made famous by triple Brownlow Medallist, Haydn Bunton.
[3] Ruthven stood only 173 centimetres tall and weighed 73 kilograms, but was renowned for his skill, fitness and flawless left-foot kicking.
[3] Tough, talented and tenacious, Ruthven was also renowned for his ability to gain possession of the ball under the most challenging of circumstances, and use it purposefully.
In 1942, Ruthven spent three months in hospital recovering from a serious back injury and missed the entire season.
However, he bounced back from injury and in 1946 won Victorian selection for the first time and a league newspaper award as the best player of the year.
Although he accepted, becoming one of the highest paid coaches in Victoria, Fitzroy refused him clearance, claiming that Imperial had approached Ruthven after they had denied permission to interview him for the position.
After retiring as a player, Ruthven became a household name when he appeared as a regular panelist on the Channel 7 television show, World of Sport.