Michael Hurley (footballer)
| Michael Hurley | |||
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Hurley playing during 2009 season.
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Michael Hurley | ||
| Date of birth | 1 June 1990 | ||
| Original team(s) | Northern Knights (TAC Cup) | ||
| Draft | No. 5, 2008 national draft | ||
| Height / weight | 193 cm / 92 kg | ||
| Position(s) | Defender / Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Essendon | ||
| Number | 18 | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2009– | Essendon | 123 (105) | |
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1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 4, 2017.
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| Career highlights | |||
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| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Michael Hurley (born 1 June 1990) is a professional Australian rules footballer with the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He attended Viewbank College and was recruited by the Essendon Football Club with the fifth overall selection in the 2008 national draft.
Hurley showed tremendous form throughout the TAC Cup, showing his all-round quality for the Northern Knights. He was named All-Australian in 2007 and backed it up with another selection after the 2008 AFL Under 18 Championships and was also selected in the TAC Cup Team of the Year in both seasons.
He made his debut against the Port Adelaide Power in round 1, 2009, and was nominated twice as the AFL Rising Star nominee, in round 20 of that season, and round 18 the following year, both times against St Kilda. After his match-winning four goal performance against Hawthorn in round 22, 2009, Leigh Matthews said, "Very few young talls have the physical maturity to match it with their older and stronger opponents, which is why the brilliant early form of young Bomber Michael Hurley is quite amazing."
The following four seasons saw Hurley's form fluctuate due to injury and the constant shuffling of his position in the team between both ends of the ground. He averaged 22 goals per season, and spent just as much time playing in the back line on some of the opposition's best key forwards, where his precise kicking and attacking flair out of the back half were noticeable on numerous occasions.
The 2014 season brought with it a permanent role for Hurley as a key defender, the position for which he was initially drafted. This newfound positional consistency allowed him to really begin to shine as a footballer. He played a career-high 21 games during the season and averaged 19 disposals, six marks and three rebound 50s for the year. Despite Essendon's poor performances in the 2015 season, Michael averaged 21 disposals, seven marks and six rebound 50s over 19 matches. He was awarded with his first All-Australian selection, and finished runner-up in the W.S. Crichton Medal.
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