Personal information
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Born |
Sydney, New South Wales |
25 October 1950 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information
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Position | Hooker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source:
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Max Krilich (born 25 October 1950 in Sydney, New South Wales) is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 1980s. He was a hooker for the Australia national team, playing in thirteen Tests from 1978 to 1983 and as captain on ten consecutive occasions in 1982 and 1983. He was the captain of the 1982 “Invincibles” Australian touring side.
Krilich played rugby union at school before joining the Harbord United Rugby League Club. He was graded by the Manly Sea Eagles in 1969. Australian World Cup hooker Freddie Jones was the Manly captain when Krilich joined the club so he had to bide his time.
Nevertheless, Krilich’s potential was recognised so strongly that he played for City Seconds in 1973 whilst still playing reserve grade with the Sea Eagles! Krilich played in over 100 reserve grade games until 1974, and was captain of their reserve grade premiership team in 1972.
When Jones lost form during the 1974 season, Krilich assumed the mantle of top hooker at the club from the eighth round onwards. After the departure of Bob Fulton to Eastern Suburbs following Manly’s 1976 premiership win, Krilich assumed the first grade captaincy.
He played 215 first grade games with the club and 119 reserve grade games up till his retirement in 1983.
Despite his remarkable feat of being selected for City Seconds whilst still Manly’s second-string rake, it would be another four seasons before Krilich was again given representative honours. In the 1978 finals series, Manly played six matches in 24 days to make it through to the Grand Final and the subsequent Grand Final replay where they beat Cronulla. Krilich was selected in the Australian side that toured New Zealand weeks later. He played the first two Tests but season fatigue and injury affected his form and he was replaced by George Peponis for the 3rd Test. It would be four years later before Krilich would regain a Test spot and grab the Australian captaincy.