Retired #18: Michael Hurley šŸ» - Staying on in a coaching and player welfare role! - 3/10

18 - Hurley.jpg

Contract Status: Retired
Last Game Played: Currently in the side
Injury Status: Comes back from injury to play his final game for the club this weekend - 18/8
2022
He's back! Playing a half in the VFL this weekend - 15/7
Joins main training in the next couple of weeks! - 15/6

Had a calf setback, now running again - 28/4

Wants to play a half in the VFL in the next couple of weeks - 30/3

Joined main training? - 3/3
Ahead of schedule, doing some big running loads - 16/2
Progressing well, R1 'too soon' to return, no time frame - 11/1
On track for playing return around Round 6 - 12/3

2021
Ahead of schedule, running soon - 15/12
Hip replacement surgery - 10/10
Placed on the inactive list, will not play in 2021 - 31/5
Hopes to play the last 6 weeks of the season if not sooner - 26/4
At the club daily doing 1-2 hours of exercise for recovery - 23/3
On the mend - 19/3
Apparently using the hot/cold pools at the club, progress? - 5/3
Limping on crutches with an IV at the preseason game - 25/2
Discharged, recuperating at home... again. No time frame on return - 17/2
Apparently back in hospital - 15/2
Discharged from hospital, recuperating at home. No timeframe - 9/2
In hospital with an infected leg - 4/2

My Boy Draft 2022: Claim here
 
Last edited:

BrunoV

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May 5, 2009
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Not Robinson Crusoe struggling to contain Tom Hawkins, not many can. Guy is a man mountain and smart how he uses it.


I've had this discussion with my old man a little bit because I don't think it's as clear as it could be just how big some footballers are these days. He called me excited like a little kid when he saw Daniher (couldn't believe how tall he was).

Fyfe, Bontempelli and co are bigger men than Carey, Lloyd, Dunstall and Senior were. Cripps dwarfs them.

Hawkins would make Plugger look normal. He's 2-3 inches taller, broader and seemingly just as powerful, though he's a bit leaner. Charlie Dixon is the same. Doesn't mean either is as good but when men that size are rag dolling opponents all you can sensibly do is ask "where is the support?".
 
Dec 14, 2008
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I've have had this discussion with my old man a little bit because I don't think it's as clear as it could be just how big some footballers are these days. He called me excited like a little kid when he saw Daniher (couldn't believe how tall he was).

Fyfe, Bontempelli and co are bigger me than Carey was.

Hawkins would make Plugger look normal. He's 2-3 inches taller, broader and seemingly just as powerful, though he's a bit leaner. Charlie Dixon is the same. Doesn't mean either is as good but when men that size are rag dolling opponents all you can really do is ask "where is the support?".

Not only in size, he does a power of running work too, he often leads once, twice, three times , by the time the ball gets to him the defender is too stuffed to even compete with him physically
 

Schnitzengruben

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Aug 4, 2019
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There's denial here alright, but it's not about the team. Our whole squad is playing poorly. Nobody is saying otherwise. Of course the defence will be under more pressure as our midfielders don't do an effective job at defensive positioning. Starts a the top with our forwards too. I've never seen a team transition so effortlessly out of their D50 than they have against us. To call it a training drill would be an understatement. But I thought the player threads the place for discussion on that player and not the team. Obviously not.

Are we going to really sit here and do all sorts of mental gymnastics to convince ourselves that in isolation Hurley isn't also a problem? Eventually, we'll take off the 2015 nostalgic rose-coloured glasses and reality will set in. He's a liability in defence and gets monstered far too constantly. Be it Tomahawk or 1st gamer Lachie Schulz.

I don't quite understand the Ridley comparison. Trying to compare the impact of a 20 game rebounding/intercepting defender to that of Hurley - the 200 game AA KPD in his prime? Notwithstanding that their roles are completely different. Riddler had a poor game as well sure, but has been genuinely fantastic all year. Hurley on the other hand has had an objectively poor year. His positioning has been poor, disposal has been questionable and he now gets rag dolled on a week-to-week basis. James Worpel send his regards. Really looks devoid of any form of confidence, and frankly, I think he's forgotten just how good he is and how good he's been for such a long time. That's the part that gets me. Where has it gone? He's only just turned 30. Hooker albeit has lost some speed, but Hurley seems to have lost skill.

I noticed a trend with our supporters where we like to shift the blame for something. Always making excuses, always coming up with scapegoats, hard to accept reality. Yes, there are other problems at play. Yes, they need addressing but that can only be done on an individual basis. Hurley himself is a problem that needs addressing. Maybe trying him forward is the way to go. Maybe we should keep Hooker in defence to assist. Maybe bringing Ambrose back. Maybe recruiting another KPD. Maybe keep a spare permanently behind the ball. On and on. There's plenty of options and s o l u t i o n s to this problem. But fair dinkum, lets not sit here and pretend everything is alright with this bloke.
 

BrunoV

Brownlow Medallist
May 5, 2009
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There's denial here alright, but it's not about the team. Our whole squad is playing poorly. Nobody is saying otherwise. Of course the defence will be under more pressure as our midfielders don't do an effective job at defensive positioning. Starts a the top with our forwards too. I've never seen a team transition so effortlessly out of their D50 than they have against us. To call it a training drill would be an understatement. But I thought the player threads the place for discussion on that player and not the team. Obviously not.

Are we going to really sit here and do all sorts of mental gymnastics to convince ourselves that in isolation Hurley isn't also a problem? Eventually, we'll take off the 2015 nostalgic rose-coloured glasses and reality will set in. He's a liability in defence and gets monstered far too constantly. Be it Tomahawk or 1st gamer Lachie Schulz.

I don't quite understand the Ridley comparison. Trying to compare the impact of a 20 game rebounding/intercepting defender to that of Hurley - the 200 game AA KPD in his prime? Notwithstanding that their roles are completely different. Riddler had a poor game as well sure, but has been genuinely fantastic all year. Hurley on the other hand has had an objectively poor year. His positioning has been poor, disposal has been questionable and he now gets rag dolled on a week-to-week basis. James Worpel send his regards. Really looks devoid of any form of confidence, and frankly, I think he's forgotten just how good he is and how good he's been for such a long time. That's the part that gets me. Where has it gone? He's only just turned 30. Hooker albeit has lost some speed, but Hurley seems to have lost skill.

I noticed a trend with our supporters where we like to shift the blame for something. Always making excuses, always coming up with scapegoats, hard to accept reality. Yes, there are other problems at play. Yes, they need addressing but that can only be done on an individual basis. Hurley himself is a problem that needs addressing. Maybe trying him forward is the way to go. Maybe we should keep Hooker in defence to assist. Maybe bringing Ambrose back. Maybe recruiting another KPD. Maybe keep a spare permanently behind the ball. On and on. There's plenty of options and s o l u t i o n s to this problem. But fair dinkum, lets not sit here and pretend everything is alright with this bloke.


What did Hurley do that anyone has done differently against Hawkins in the last 6 weeks?

Ridley got caught out of position a few times and the silence is appropriate. Nothing he could do with no way to restrict Dangerfield's options. No amount of experience changes that.

Hurley has been good enough for the last 6 or so weeks. He's hardly a problem that rates a mention in a game in which there was no pressure on the ball.
 
Sep 12, 2003
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What did Hurley do that anyone has done differently against Hawkins in the last 6 weeks?

Ridley got caught out of position a few times and the silence is appropriate. Nothing he could do with no way to restrict Dangerfield's options. No amount of experience changes that.

Hurley has been good enough for the last 6 or so weeks. He's hardly a problem that rates a mention in a game in which there was no pressure on the ball.
It's the unrealistic expectation everyone has of him, as they remember him as the All-Australian player. Quite frankly he's nothing like that anymore.
He's been a solid player this year. That's it. Not great, but solid.
 
Hurley hasnā€™t been solid this year, how many times has he played on someone and beaten them.
Ridley - outstanding
Saad - solid
Hurley - meh
Mihocek, Hipwood, Finlayson all immediately spring to mind. Halved it against most of the rest.
 
Sep 22, 2011
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There's denial here alright, but it's not about the team. Our whole squad is playing poorly. Nobody is saying otherwise. Of course the defence will be under more pressure as our midfielders don't do an effective job at defensive positioning. Starts a the top with our forwards too. I've never seen a team transition so effortlessly out of their D50 than they have against us. To call it a training drill would be an understatement. But I thought the player threads the place for discussion on that player and not the team. Obviously not.

Are we going to really sit here and do all sorts of mental gymnastics to convince ourselves that in isolation Hurley isn't also a problem? Eventually, we'll take off the 2015 nostalgic rose-coloured glasses and reality will set in. He's a liability in defence and gets monstered far too constantly. Be it Tomahawk or 1st gamer Lachie Schulz.

I don't quite understand the Ridley comparison. Trying to compare the impact of a 20 game rebounding/intercepting defender to that of Hurley - the 200 game AA KPD in his prime? Notwithstanding that their roles are completely different. Riddler had a poor game as well sure, but has been genuinely fantastic all year. Hurley on the other hand has had an objectively poor year. His positioning has been poor, disposal has been questionable and he now gets rag dolled on a week-to-week basis. James Worpel send his regards. Really looks devoid of any form of confidence, and frankly, I think he's forgotten just how good he is and how good he's been for such a long time. That's the part that gets me. Where has it gone? He's only just turned 30. Hooker albeit has lost some speed, but Hurley seems to have lost skill.

I noticed a trend with our supporters where we like to shift the blame for something. Always making excuses, always coming up with scapegoats, hard to accept reality. Yes, there are other problems at play. Yes, they need addressing but that can only be done on an individual basis. Hurley himself is a problem that needs addressing. Maybe trying him forward is the way to go. Maybe we should keep Hooker in defence to assist. Maybe bringing Ambrose back. Maybe recruiting another KPD. Maybe keep a spare permanently behind the ball. On and on. There's plenty of options and s o l u t i o n s to this problem. But fair dinkum, lets not sit here and pretend everything is alright with this bloke.

He gets ragdolled on a week to week basis?
 
Played on mihocek and finlayson when they were massively out of form, not the toughest might at the office. Hence why finlayson was dropped a week or 2 later.
Mihocek had 2 goals the two weeks before and 4 the week after
 

fairbump_playon

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Jun 27, 2014
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I've had this discussion with my old man a little bit because I don't think it's as clear as it could be just how big some footballers are these days. He called me excited like a little kid when he saw Daniher (couldn't believe how tall he was).

Fyfe, Bontempelli and co are bigger men than Carey, Lloyd, Dunstall and Senior were. Cripps dwarfs them.

Hawkins would make Plugger look normal. He's 2-3 inches taller, broader and seemingly just as powerful, though he's a bit leaner. Charlie Dixon is the same. Doesn't mean either is as good but when men that size are rag dolling opponents all you can sensibly do is ask "where is the support?".
I played the curtain raiser for a Swans Vs Bears preseason game in the mid 90s. We were sharing dressing rooms so stood on the field as the teams ran out.

Can confirm Plugger... was MASSIVE. Scary stuff.
 
Dec 14, 2008
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I played the curtain raiser for a Swans Vs Bears preseason game in the mid 90s. We were sharing dressing rooms so stood on the field as the teams ran out.

Can confirm Plugger... was MASSIVE. Scary stuff.

At the end of the day I always rated Dunstall as the best full forward I've seen, skillfull, technical, team orientated. Plugger was just a fear machine, get in his way and you don't walk off the ground unaided. There's probably 800 goals right there
 

fairbump_playon

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Jun 27, 2014
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At the end of the day I always rated Dunstall as the best full forward I've seen, skillfull, technical, team orientated. Plugger was just a fear machine, get in his way and you don't walk off the ground unaided. There's probably 800 goals right there
Plugger's accuracy was pretty amazing. If Dunstall was as accurate as Plugger he would have kicked 1321 goals instead of 1254.

Based on the inverse of the square root of the average winning margin in late 80s footy that would have translated to.... I'm not sure
 

calyam

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May 9, 2011
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Hurley's football has deteriorated considerably since he made the All Australian team in 2017. Even by the end of 2018 he was a markedly lesser player and that has only become more obvious this year.

It's not just the defensive efforts - though those have declined - but also what he does with football in hand. He has almost no offensive influence now, compared with his peak before and immediately after suspension. Some fans are perhaps in denial about this.

The best time to trade him would have been two years ago. He'd started to deteriorate but most coaches and list managers wouldn't have been aware of it. We had a range of players, including Hartley, Ambrose and Francis, who were ready for greater opportunity. I'd still look to trade Hurley in the off-season - basically try to get him to a team with a chance of winning something - but the value we get in return would be nothing special.
 

Old Stuckup

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Hurley's football has deteriorated considerably since he made the All Australian team in 2017. Even by the end of 2018 he was a markedly lesser player and that has only become more obvious this year.

It's not just the defensive efforts - though those have declined - but also what he does with football in hand. He has almost no offensive influence now, compared with his peak before and immediately after suspension. Some fans are perhaps in denial about this.

The best time to trade him would have been two years ago. He'd started to deteriorate but most coaches and list managers wouldn't have been aware of it. We had a range of players, including Hartley, Ambrose and Francis, who were ready for greater opportunity. I'd still look to trade Hurley in the off-season - basically try to get him to a team with a chance of winning something - but the value we get in return would be nothing special.
Would any of the Dogs, Cats or Saints do Hurley for their first?
 
Would any of the Dogs, Cats or Saints do Hurley for their first?
I reckon the Dogs would. They'll lose their first covering for JUH. Geelong and St. Kida I think have other more pressing needs, I could see Brisbane being interested as well.
 
Has had to play with too many injuries. His shoulders are stuffed and right now he can barely lift his right arm. Sadly for Mick what should have been a career that saw him be an A grade player for a long time has slipped away because we Danked ourselves.
 
I reckon the Dogs would. They'll lose their first covering for JUH. Geelong and St. Kida I think have other more pressing needs, I could see Brisbane being interested as well.
I think the constant shoulder injuries would see no one really being super interested. No one would be looking at giving up a first round pick.
 

Schnitzengruben

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Aug 4, 2019
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No way Hurls is worth a first, but if someone offered pick 25, I'd take it in a heartbeat. He's on big money too, let's not forget. I think THS reported it was on about 750k~ which is what you'd pay a genuine A grader these days.
 
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