Past Sam 'Horse' Michael (2012-2014)

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Michael makes five
May 23, 2013
Sam Lord

The Brisbane Lions will blood their fifth debutant for 2013 when Sam Michael heads out onto the Gabba to face Carlton this Saturday night.

It’s probably fair to say that the big Queenslander has risen through the Club’s ranks quicker than most people expected after he was drafted with the Lions’ final pick at the 2011 AFL Rookie Draft.

His time spent with the AIS-AFL Academy and a handful of games with Redlands in the NEAFL were enough for the Lions to see his obvious potential. Also in Michael’s favour was his supreme work ethic, which Redland Development Manager Craig Millar praised upon his recruitment to the AFL.

“Honestly, his preparation is more professional than any other kid I’ve ever seen,” Millar said. “He is just so meticulous and is always looking for ways to get better. You’d think he’d already had five years in the AFL.” “A lot of kids will always look for a short-cut, but he leaves absolutely nothing to chance. Sometimes you’ve got to pull him up because he’ll want to do too much.”
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Brisbane have made two forced changes to the side that upset Essendon with Josh Green and Sam Michael replacing the suspended duo of Daniel Merrett and Justin Clarke. Michael, 19, will make his senior debut against Carlton after being elevated from the rookie list this week.

The Cairns product was picked up Brisbane in the 2012 rookie draft and played in the Lions reserves team who captured the NEAFL flag last year. Michael has great endurance for a player 199cm tall and 98kg and has been splitting his time between the forward line and the ruck.
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Horse debut for Lions
May 24, 2013

Queenslander Sam Michael has been named to make his debut for the Brisbane Lions against Carlton on Saturday. Starting the year on the rookie list, Michael was elevated on to the Lions’ senior list, replacing Claye Beams, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury earlier this year.

The 19 year-old has starred in the NEAFL for the Lions reserves, and was recently awarded the Zane Taylor Medal as the best player for the NEAFL Northern side in the state league match against the SANFL. Michael was member of the Lions reserves premiership side in 2012, and picked up the Andrew Ireland Medal as best on ground in the NEAFL cross-conference grand final.

Born in Brisbane, Michael moved to Cairns at six months, and grew up playing footy for the Cairns Hawks. The big man made an impression straight away for Redland when he arrived in 2010, playing a key role in Queensland’s under-18 side in that year and being selected for the AIS/AFL Academy squad.
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Rockliff said it was exciting to see the 199cm Michael make his debut.

Michael was upgraded from the rookie list on Thursday to cover the long-term injury loss of midfielder Claye Beams (ACL).

Michael can play key position at either end of the ground as well as ruck, and is one of the best endurance runners at the club.
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For a guy who hasn't played in defence all year, did very well. Kept his opponent quiet and was rarely beaten in the contest.
 
His biggest mistake was when he went for a mark in the first quarter, took a team mate out, dropped the mark, fell on his back, allowing Garlett to kick a simple goal.
 
Grimreepah said:
His biggest mistake was when he went for a mark in the first quarter, took a team mate out, dropped the mark, fell on his back, allowing Garlett to kick a simple goal.
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Garlett had McGrath beaten in that contest though from memory, though I'm not sure whether Garlett would've marked it, seemed to be going over his head.
 
Solid start from Dadsy! Tried hard, and I can't remember him being beaten in a contest. He spoilt Kruezer a number of times when you thought it was too late. Didn't get many touches so can't comment on any other parts of his game, but at least he gave a good effort and didn't let the team down.

Keep it up Sam!
 
Grimreepah said:
He rucked most of the last quarter and was credited with a total of zero hitouts.
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Yeah he looked completely out of his depth there. It really hurt us too as their midfielders were getting spoon feed... Not his fault though.
 
Very good first game from Horse. Given a tough job on cruiser (you know who I mean) who is bigger stronger and much more experience. Stuck to his task well, abit like Clarke's first game. Well beaten in the ruck in the last quarter but at least he showed some grunt. I hope he stays in for next week and gets a run up forward.
 

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For a first game thought Sam did very well down back, given hadn't played in defence much this year in the reserves. Clearly wasn't expecting to have to play in the ruck - didn't get much time off ground on first 3 quarters and the speed of the game was getting him as expected in first game as he was already starting to cramp late in third quarter, so a fair effort to then go into the ruck in the last quarter when leuenberger injured and trying to at least be competitive - having to run with Kruzer around the ground towards end of game when he must have been completely buggered was a fair effort for a first gamer in my view
 
cotter101 said:
Could we have found another good young key defender?
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Based on that game I thought Sam Michael was servicable, but not nearly as impressive as Clarke. It's a tough gig playing in your non-preferred position on debut, and credit to him on that, but I think he has a way to go before being classified as good. His true test will be when he plays up forward.
 
Grimreepah said:
Based on that game I thought Sam Michael was servicable, but not nearly as impressive as Clarke. It's a tough gig playing in your non-preferred position on debut, and credit to him on that, but I think he has a way to go before being classified as good. His true test will be when he plays up forward.
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The question is with the return of Clarke, do we persist with Lisle in the forward line or rest him and move Michael down there?
 
I haven't seen the game yet. Does Sammy have the mobility to play as a key back each week?
 
jackess said:
I haven't seen the game yet. Does Sammy have the mobility to play as a key back each week?
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He did alright on the ruckmen, but he'd get smashed by anyone who can run him off his feet.
 
Team approach to defence

Clarke’s likely inclusion might free up first-gamer Sam Michael to play a more familiar role.

“(Sam Michael) was really good. He hasn’t played a lot of footy down back – he’s been playing mainly in the ruck and forward with the reserves,” Davis said.

“We picked him on his competitiveness, and he showed that against some taller and very talentd players in (Matthew) Kreuzer and (Robert) Warnock. We thought on debut he certainly held his own.”
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I felt sorry for Sam at the w/e, it seemed to me the selectors chose him in the team but the coaches had no idea where to play him.
you would think that selection would be made in consultation with the coaching staff so that a clear role is known by everyone involved.
i hope he gets another chance & gets to play where he his best suited
 
LIONHART said:
I felt sorry for Sam at the w/e, it seemed to me the selectors chose him in the team but the coaches had no idea where to play him.
you would think that selection would be made in consultation with the coaching staff so that a clear role is known by everyone involved.
i hope he gets another chance & gets to play where he his best suited
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o_O

The selectors are, by and large, the coaching team. I'm pretty sure they had an exact plan in mind, and it was carried out - he was picked specifically as a counter to Carlton resting a ruckman forward and that's where he played. We needed someone to do that and he stood up and played well enough as could be expected.
 
Seeing this was the first game he played in his preferred position, I tend to think of this as his proper debut. It's a tough gig playing as a key forward with a badly beaten midfield, but if we are honest he had a similar impact last night to what Brown had in his first game. Only way from here is up.
 
Michael hungry for more
17 July 2013
Sam Canavan

Horse is a fitting nickname for Sam Michael. The 19-year-old was given the moniker in his early days at Redland on account of his monumental eating ability, but since being drafted to the Lions it’s now apparent the tag works on another level. “Sam Michael works like a Trojan horse,” Lions Reserves Coach Leigh Harding said. “His work ethic is monumental; he’s one of the hardest working guys at the club; right up there with the best.

After being taken by the Lions with pick 96 in the 2011 rookie draft, Michael’s progressed steadily, and one gets the sense he’ll continue to get better the longer he’s in an AFL environment. The ruckman/forward took a little while to work his way into Brisbane’s 2012 NEAFL campaign, but come the business end of the year he was outstanding; with eye-catching displays against Gold Coast, Southport, and NT helping the Lions to the 2012 cross-conference Grand Final.

Remarkably, Sam’s younger brother Tom, 16, was selected for his first senior appearance in the NEAFL for Redland, and the siblings debuted on the exact same day – just hours apart. It’s fair to say Saturday 25 May is a date which the Michael parents – George and Chanelle – won’t forget anytime soon; the proud pair watching Tom at Casheez Park against Mt Gravatt in the afternoon, before driving across town in time for Sam’s 7:30pm start. “My parents were understandably rapt with the way it happened,” Sam Michael recalls.
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