Bushby was a big-bodied attacking centreman, adept at playing through the half-forwards with his size. He began his senior career with the Victorians Football Club in 1883, then went to Port Adelaide in 1884, playing there for eight seasons. Bushby was a member of their 1884 and 1890 SAFA premiership-winning teams, and was captain of the club from 1886 to 1889.[3]
In 1886, Bushby left Adelaide shortly before the end of the 1886 SAFA season, and travelled to Melbourne to play for the South Melbourne Football Club for its last five matches of the 1886 VFA season – and, in particular, to play in the 4 September match against undefeated Geelong, a match near certain to have decided the VFA premiership for the season. It is thought to be the first case of a crack South Australian player being recruited by a Victorian club, and was controversial.[3] Although Bushby played some good matches for South Melbourne,[4] he played so poorly in the 4 September match that his failures were still recounted decades later in Victoria: he won few if any possessions, and his direct opponent, Geelong captain David Hickinbotham, was the best player on the ground in Geelong's dominant four goals to one victory.[5] It was not Bushby's only connection to Victorian football, the Fitzroy Football Club accused of making him a big money offer to transfer in 1892.[3]
In 1892, Bushby transferred to South Adelaide, and played there for two seasons.
Port Adelaide joined the AFL as a separate entity to the SANFL side. The two clubs merged in 2014, and the SANFL side now functions as Port Adelaide's AFL reserves team.
