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Stephen Michael
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stephen Michael (born March 15, 1956) in Kojonup, Western Australia is a former Australian rules footballer.
An Australian Aborigine, he played in the WAFL from 1975-1985 with the South Fremantle Football Club, playing 243 games and kicking 231 goals. He played in South's 1980 premiership side and was captain in 1983. He holds the WAFL record for the most consecutive league games with 217.
He was a strong, high leaping ruckman who won the Sandover Medal in 1980 and 1981. His 37 votes in 1981 was a record tally under the 3-2-1 voting system in place at the time. He represented Western Australia in State or State of Origin football on 17 occasions, captaining the side 3 times. In 1983 he won the Simpson Medal for the best player in the WA vs SA game and the Tassie Medal as the best player in Australia in State of Origin football. He was also named captain in the 1983 All-Australian Team. He won the South Fremantle's fairest and best in 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981 and 1983.
In 1995 he was named as an inaugural member of the Fremantle Football Hall of Legends. In 1999, he was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame. In 2005 he was named at Centre Half Forward in the Australian Football Indigenous Team of the Century.
Throughout his career, Michael resisted numerous advances by VFL clubs to move east and is often listed as one of the best players to never play in the VFL.
His son, Clem Michael, also played Australian rules football for South Fremantle Football Club (including the 1997 premiership side) and Fremantle Football Club. Unlike his resilient father's long career, Clem's career was cut short by a knee injury.
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