ZoBlitz
The Ghost Who Walks
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Brisbane Lions Hall Of Fame 2023 Re-Cap
Michael McLean only played one game for the Brisbane Lions… the very first… And he spent most of it on the bench injured. A sad end to wonderful AFL career that totalled 183 games .. including 95 with the Bulldogs and 87 with the Bears.
But it matters not now… because the man they called ‘Magic’ was already a champion. On and off the field, he was key pillar on which the post-merger success of the Brisbane Lions was built. A dual club champion on the field and a champion 24/7 off the field.
Raised in the Larrakia country of Darwin, he was the first Indigenous player recruited from the Northern Territory to have a real impact on the AFL.
A pioneer for his people ahead of his time, he was a courageous voice in the early AFL fight against racism in football and a leader of all men. Forever the Godfather of Indigenous players, he taught right and wrong, and had a profound influence on the Club as a player and coach.
Coach Robert Walls said it best: “Just the most outstanding person and football person that I’ve coached.”
A creative midfielder or a dashing defender, with skill beyond most and courage to match, he was a member of the AFL Indigenous and Northern Territory Teams of the Century, the 1991-93 Bears Club Champion and now a member of the Brisbane Lions Hall of Fame… MICHAEL McLEAN
