Michael O'Loughlin
Encyclopedia
Michael Kevin O'Loughlin (born 20 February 1977) is a former professional Australian rules football
er, who played his entire Australian Football League
career with the Sydney Swans
.
O'Loughlin is one of the most decorated Indigenous Australian players in the history of the Australian Football League recognised through being named a member of the Indigenous Team of the Century
, just the third player with Indigenous heritage to play 300 AFL games and with The Deadlys
award for this 2005 premiership season. His representative honours include twice achieving All-Australian selection, playing for Australia twice in the International Rules Series
and a Fos Williams Medal
list as best player for South Australia in State of Origin
.
At club level, O'Loughlin is the current games record holder for the Sydney Swans with a total of 303 games. He was a damaging forward, having led the Swans goalkicking on three occasions for a total of 521 career goals.
He grew up in South Australia
and first played senior football with Centrals in the SANFL.
nomination. The following year he was a key player in the team that won the minor premiership and then lost to North Melbourne
in the grand final. He is currently the games record holder holder for the Swans, passing John Rantall
's record in Round 14 of the 2007 season. He became the first Sydney Swans/South Melbourne player to break the 300 games milestone in Round 19, 2009.
O'Loughlin played the majority of his early football in a half-forward flanker role, where his combination of speed, strength and agility made him a difficult player for opposing teams to match-up against. He was known by the nickname, "Magic" throughout his career, in recognition of his capacity to play football so skillfully that it could sometimes seem he had "cast a spell" on his opponents. He was also known by the nickname, "Mickey O". In the latter part of his career he was primarily used as Sydney's full-forward. In 2000 and 2001 he was the club's leading goalkicker. He was club best and fairest
in 1998 and runner up in 2000. He was selected in the All Australian Team in 1997 and 2000. When State of Origin
matches were still being played he represented his state on several occasions, receiving the Fos Williams Medal
for best South Australian player in 1998.
In 2005 he was selected alongside Sydney Swans
teammate and cousin Adam Goodes
in the Indigenous Team of the Century
. O'Loughlin was chosen in the full-forward position. He described this honor as the highlight of his career, alongside the 2005 premiership.
O'Loughlin, the only player remaining in the team from the 1996 loss, played strongly during the 2005 grand final, including a number of exceptional marks. However, and uncharacteristically, his kicking for goal during the game was inaccurate.
In 2006, O'Loughlin continued to be a key part of the Swan's line-up, including playing a decisive role in the qualifying and preliminary finals that put the Swans into the grand final for the second consecutive year. In the 2006 Grand Final
, O'Loughlin played well, kicking 3.1 (19). He continued to play consistently well for Sydney through the balance of his career.
In the close 2006 Qualifying Final against the West Coast Eagles
at Subiaco Oval
, O'Loughlin ran into an open goal, then carried on to the fence and roared into the faces of some rather stunned-looking Eagles' fans from a few inches away. The moment is captured in Jamie Cooper's painting the Game That Made Australia, commissioned by the AFL in 2008 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the sport.
On 23 June 2009, O'Loughlin announced that at the end of the 2009 season he would retire. He played his 300th game in round 19 at the MCG
against the Richmond Tigers
.
O'Loughlin was awarded the 2009 AFL Players’ Association Madden for his on and off-field contributions to the game.
In 2010 O'Loughlin coached the Flying Boomerangs
indigenous side during their Cape Town
tour, leading the side to victory against the South Africa National Australian Rules Football Team. He was later named coach of the World 18 for the AFL National Under 16 Championships.
In 2011 he was named as coach of the Indigenous All Star team for their biennial game, this time against the Richmond Tigers. O'Loughlin also represented South Australia against Victoria in the State of Origin Slowdown
charity match at the Adelaide Oval
on 3 October 2011. Both teams were composed of retired players with the match supporting both the Little Heroes Foundation and the Reach Foundation youth charities started by former Melbourne Demons star player and Cancer
sufferer Jim Stynes
.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er, who played his entire Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
career with the Sydney Swans
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
.
O'Loughlin is one of the most decorated Indigenous Australian players in the history of the Australian Football League recognised through being named a member of the Indigenous Team of the Century
Indigenous Team of the Century
The Indigenous Team of the Century was selected to recognise the role of Indigenous Australians in the sport. It was announced in 2005 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first senior game played by an indigenous player, Fitzroy's Joe Johnson...
, just the third player with Indigenous heritage to play 300 AFL games and with The Deadlys
The Deadlys
The Deadlys are an annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. Vibe Australia hosts the awards, which for have been held at the Sydney Opera House since 2001. The first Deadly awards were held in 1995...
award for this 2005 premiership season. His representative honours include twice achieving All-Australian selection, playing for Australia twice in the International Rules Series
International Rules Series
The International Rules Series is a senior men's International rules football competition between the Australia international rules football team and the Ireland international rules football team...
and a Fos Williams Medal
Fos Williams Medal
The Fos Williams Medal has been awarded since 1981 to the best Australian rules football player from South Australia during Inter-State or Inter-Competition matches. The medal is named in honour of legendary South Australian National Football League player and coach Fos Williams.Originally the...
list as best player for South Australia in State of Origin
Interstate matches in Australian rules football
Australian rules football matches between teams representing Australian colonies/states and territories have been held since 1879. For most of the 20th century, the absence of a national club competition and international matches meant that football games between state representative teams were...
.
At club level, O'Loughlin is the current games record holder for the Sydney Swans with a total of 303 games. He was a damaging forward, having led the Swans goalkicking on three occasions for a total of 521 career goals.
Early life
O'Loughlin has Indigenous Australian heritage and his tribal ancestry can be traced to the Kaurna.He grew up in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
and first played senior football with Centrals in the SANFL.
AFL career
Selected in the third round of the 1994 National Draft, O'Loughlin played 12 senior games for the Swans in 1995 and earned a Rising Star awardRising Star Award
Rising Star Award may refer to:*AFL Rising Star award*Rising Star Award, BAFTA...
nomination. The following year he was a key player in the team that won the minor premiership and then lost to North Melbourne
Kangaroos Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
in the grand final. He is currently the games record holder holder for the Swans, passing John Rantall
John Rantall
John "Mopsy" Rantall was an Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League.Originally from Cobden, Rantall moved to the South Melbourne Football Club where he debuted in 1963. He moved to North Melbourne Football Club with the intention of playing in a premiership side in 1973 and...
's record in Round 14 of the 2007 season. He became the first Sydney Swans/South Melbourne player to break the 300 games milestone in Round 19, 2009.
O'Loughlin played the majority of his early football in a half-forward flanker role, where his combination of speed, strength and agility made him a difficult player for opposing teams to match-up against. He was known by the nickname, "Magic" throughout his career, in recognition of his capacity to play football so skillfully that it could sometimes seem he had "cast a spell" on his opponents. He was also known by the nickname, "Mickey O". In the latter part of his career he was primarily used as Sydney's full-forward. In 2000 and 2001 he was the club's leading goalkicker. He was club best and fairest
Best and Fairest
Best and Fairest is the term commonly used in Australian sport to describe the player adjudged to have had the best performance in a game or over a season for a given sporting club or competition while not receiving a suspension for misconduct or breaching the rules during that season.In the...
in 1998 and runner up in 2000. He was selected in the All Australian Team in 1997 and 2000. When State of Origin
Interstate matches in Australian rules football
Australian rules football matches between teams representing Australian colonies/states and territories have been held since 1879. For most of the 20th century, the absence of a national club competition and international matches meant that football games between state representative teams were...
matches were still being played he represented his state on several occasions, receiving the Fos Williams Medal
Fos Williams Medal
The Fos Williams Medal has been awarded since 1981 to the best Australian rules football player from South Australia during Inter-State or Inter-Competition matches. The medal is named in honour of legendary South Australian National Football League player and coach Fos Williams.Originally the...
for best South Australian player in 1998.
In 2005 he was selected alongside Sydney Swans
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
teammate and cousin Adam Goodes
Adam Goodes
Adam Goodes is a professional Australian rules football player with the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League ....
in the Indigenous Team of the Century
Indigenous Team of the Century
The Indigenous Team of the Century was selected to recognise the role of Indigenous Australians in the sport. It was announced in 2005 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first senior game played by an indigenous player, Fitzroy's Joe Johnson...
. O'Loughlin was chosen in the full-forward position. He described this honor as the highlight of his career, alongside the 2005 premiership.
O'Loughlin, the only player remaining in the team from the 1996 loss, played strongly during the 2005 grand final, including a number of exceptional marks. However, and uncharacteristically, his kicking for goal during the game was inaccurate.
In 2006, O'Loughlin continued to be a key part of the Swan's line-up, including playing a decisive role in the qualifying and preliminary finals that put the Swans into the grand final for the second consecutive year. In the 2006 Grand Final
2006 AFL Grand Final
The 2006 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Sydney Swans and West Coast Eagles, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 30 September 2006. It was the 110th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League, staged to...
, O'Loughlin played well, kicking 3.1 (19). He continued to play consistently well for Sydney through the balance of his career.
In the close 2006 Qualifying Final against the West Coast Eagles
West Coast Eagles
The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...
at Subiaco Oval
Subiaco Oval
Subiaco Oval , known colloquially as Subi, is the highest capacity sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia...
, O'Loughlin ran into an open goal, then carried on to the fence and roared into the faces of some rather stunned-looking Eagles' fans from a few inches away. The moment is captured in Jamie Cooper's painting the Game That Made Australia, commissioned by the AFL in 2008 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the sport.
On 23 June 2009, O'Loughlin announced that at the end of the 2009 season he would retire. He played his 300th game in round 19 at the MCG
McG
Joseph McGinty Nichol , better known as McG, is an American director and producer of film and television, as well as a former record producer....
against the Richmond Tigers
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
.
Career Achievements
- AFL Rising Star nominee 1995
- Bob Skilton MedalBob Skilton MedalThe Bob Skilton Medal is awarded to the Sydney Swans player adjudged the Best and Fairest over the home and away season. It is named after Bob Skilton, who won the award a record nine times from 1958 to 1968.-List of winners:...
1998 - All-Australian 1997, 2000
- International Rules SeriesInternational Rules SeriesThe International Rules Series is a senior men's International rules football competition between the Australia international rules football team and the Ireland international rules football team...
1997, 2000 - Fos Williams MedalFos Williams MedalThe Fos Williams Medal has been awarded since 1981 to the best Australian rules football player from South Australia during Inter-State or Inter-Competition matches. The medal is named in honour of legendary South Australian National Football League player and coach Fos Williams.Originally the...
1998 - Sydney Swans Leading goalkicker 2000, 2001, 2008
- Sydney Swans Premiership player 2005
- Outstanding achievement in AFL 2005 (The DeadlysThe DeadlysThe Deadlys are an annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. Vibe Australia hosts the awards, which for have been held at the Sydney Opera House since 2001. The first Deadly awards were held in 1995...
) - Indigenous Team of the CenturyIndigenous Team of the CenturyThe Indigenous Team of the Century was selected to recognise the role of Indigenous Australians in the sport. It was announced in 2005 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first senior game played by an indigenous player, Fitzroy's Joe Johnson...
- Outstanding achievement in AFL 2009 (The DeadlysThe DeadlysThe Deadlys are an annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. Vibe Australia hosts the awards, which for have been held at the Sydney Opera House since 2001. The first Deadly awards were held in 1995...
) - Male Sportsperson of the Year 2009 (The DeadlysThe DeadlysThe Deadlys are an annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander achievement in music, sport, entertainment and community. Vibe Australia hosts the awards, which for have been held at the Sydney Opera House since 2001. The first Deadly awards were held in 1995...
)
Post AFL career
Since leaving the AFL, O'Loughlin has continued a media profile. In September 2009 he launched the Goodes O'Loughlin Foundation (www.go-foundation.org), along with his cousin & co-Chairman Adam Goodes, focused on Education, Employment, and healthy Lifestyles. The Foundation's mission is to develop and empower the next generation of Indigenous role models in Australia.O'Loughlin was awarded the 2009 AFL Players’ Association Madden for his on and off-field contributions to the game.
In 2010 O'Loughlin coached the Flying Boomerangs
Flying Boomerangs
The Flying Boomerangs are the underage Indigenous Australian Australian rules football team.The team has played tests against the South African national Australian rules football team in both Australia and South Africa and more recently against an underage Papua New Guinea, the first international...
indigenous side during their Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
tour, leading the side to victory against the South Africa National Australian Rules Football Team. He was later named coach of the World 18 for the AFL National Under 16 Championships.
In 2011 he was named as coach of the Indigenous All Star team for their biennial game, this time against the Richmond Tigers. O'Loughlin also represented South Australia against Victoria in the State of Origin Slowdown
West End Slowdown
The West End Slowdown is an annual charity Australian rules football match run by the Little Heroes Foundation to raise funds to improve oncology treatment for South Australian children....
charity match at the Adelaide Oval
Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
on 3 October 2011. Both teams were composed of retired players with the match supporting both the Little Heroes Foundation and the Reach Foundation youth charities started by former Melbourne Demons star player and Cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
sufferer Jim Stynes
Jim Stynes
James "Jim" Stynes OAM is an Irish former professional Australian rules footballer who is currently a businessman, philanthropist, writer, youth worker, qualified teacher and chairman of Melbourne Football Club since 2008....
.