Michito Sakaki
Encyclopedia
Michito Sakaki is an Australian rules football
player from Japan
.
Michito has achieved recognition as currently being one of the best and most successful players to learn and play the game outside of Australia
.
Sakaki was originally a talented university soccer player at Waseda University
. He was spotted playing soccer by an expatriate Australian, one of the members of the Tokyo Goannas, who convinced him to try Aussie Rules as well. Sakaki took quickly to Australian Football and began playing for the university's Australian Rules club, proving good enough to be selected in the national side.
Michito represented the Samurai, the Japanese national Australian Rules team, captaining the side in the Australian Football International Cup
s in both 2002
and 2005
. In 2005, he was awarded with the best and fairest
player for Japan in the competition.
A small midfielder/rover (165 cm, 68 kg
), Michito impressed many at the tournament with his courageous player and ball winning ability. In a game against Great Britain
, he virtually set up all his teams goals.
Sasaki, along with teammate Tsuyoshi Kase was later invited to join the Australian Football League
/Australian Institute of Sport
academy camp in Canberra
.
In a meteoric rise, late in 2005 Michito was invited, along with Tsuyoshi Kase to train with the AFL club Essendon Football Club
by coach Kevin Sheedy.
In January 2006, Sakaki played in an intra-club practice game for Essendon, amassing an impressive 13 possessions, including 8 kicks, 5 handballs and 2 marks.
On February 10, 2006 it was reported that both Sakaki and Kase would be included on the Victorian Football League
club that feeds the Essendon Bombers, the Bendigo Bombers
, becoming the first overseas players to do so.
In late February, Sakaki was named in the Essendon side to play in a 16-a-side practice match against the Sydney Swans
in an exhibition match at North Sydney Oval
on 3 March in front of 9,654 spectators. Although the match is not an official AFL match, Sakaki became the first non-Irish international and player to learn the game overseas to play at AFL level. Michito announced his desire to play at the highest level and his intention to move to Australia to further his development.
Shortly after the announcement of the North Sydney
practice match, a bidding war between amateur club St Bernards and the Wodonga Raiders ended up with Sakaki being signed by the Raiders and will play in the Ovens & Murray Football League
, considered the strongest country league in Australia.
Michito captained the Samarai during the 2008 International Cup
and was once again named a member of the All-International (world) team.
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...
player from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Michito has achieved recognition as currently being one of the best and most successful players to learn and play the game outside of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Sakaki was originally a talented university soccer player at Waseda University
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
. He was spotted playing soccer by an expatriate Australian, one of the members of the Tokyo Goannas, who convinced him to try Aussie Rules as well. Sakaki took quickly to Australian Football and began playing for the university's Australian Rules club, proving good enough to be selected in the national side.
Michito represented the Samurai, the Japanese national Australian Rules team, captaining the side in the Australian Football International Cup
Australian Football International Cup
The Australian Football International Cup is an international sport competition in Australian rules football...
s in both 2002
2002 Australian Football International Cup
The 2002 Australian Football International Cup was the inaugural international Australian rules football tournament held in Melbourne, Australia in 2002....
and 2005
2005 Australian Football International Cup
The 2005 Australian Football International Cup was the second time that the Australian Football International Cup tournament, an international Australian rules football competition was held....
. In 2005, he was awarded with the 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...
player for Japan in the competition.
A small midfielder/rover (165 cm, 68 kg
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
), Michito impressed many at the tournament with his courageous player and ball winning ability. In a game against Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, he virtually set up all his teams goals.
Sasaki, along with teammate Tsuyoshi Kase was later invited to join the 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...
/Australian Institute of Sport
Australian Institute of Sport
The Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...
academy camp in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
.
In a meteoric rise, late in 2005 Michito was invited, along with Tsuyoshi Kase to train with the AFL club Essendon Football Club
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
by coach Kevin Sheedy.
In January 2006, Sakaki played in an intra-club practice game for Essendon, amassing an impressive 13 possessions, including 8 kicks, 5 handballs and 2 marks.
On February 10, 2006 it was reported that both Sakaki and Kase would be included on the Victorian Football League
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
club that feeds the Essendon Bombers, the Bendigo Bombers
Bendigo Bombers
The Bendigo Bombers Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia playing in the Victorian Football League .-Brief history:...
, becoming the first overseas players to do so.
In late February, Sakaki was named in the Essendon side to play in a 16-a-side practice match against 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...
in an exhibition match at North Sydney Oval
North Sydney Oval
-Development:* The first cricket pitch was laid on 6 December 1867, making it one of the oldest cricket grounds in Australia.* The first structure built, in 1879, was a simple pavilion overlooking the cricket ground...
on 3 March in front of 9,654 spectators. Although the match is not an official AFL match, Sakaki became the first non-Irish international and player to learn the game overseas to play at AFL level. Michito announced his desire to play at the highest level and his intention to move to Australia to further his development.
Shortly after the announcement of the North Sydney
North Sydney, New South Wales
North Sydney is a suburb and commercial district on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Sydney is located 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of North Sydney...
practice match, a bidding war between amateur club St Bernards and the Wodonga Raiders ended up with Sakaki being signed by the Raiders and will play in the Ovens & Murray Football League
Ovens & Murray Football League
The Ovens and Murray Football League, often referred to locally as the O&M, is a semi-professional Australian rules football league based around ten clubs in north-eastern Victoria and the southern Riverina region of New South Wales, and affiliated with the Victorian Country Football League...
, considered the strongest country league in Australia.
Michito captained the Samarai during the 2008 International Cup
2008 Australian Football International Cup
The 2008 Australian Football International Cup was the third time the Australian Football International Cup, an international Australian rules football competition, has been contested....
and was once again named a member of the All-International (world) team.
See also
- Japan National Team
- AFL JapanAFL JapanAFL Japan is a league and governing body for Australian rules football in Japan.The Top League season runs from April to November, with a summer break during August. All teams including the University teams compete in the Top League. The most successful team has been the Tokyo Goannas, who have...
- Bendigo BombersBendigo BombersThe Bendigo Bombers Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia playing in the Victorian Football League .-Brief history:...
- Essendon Football ClubEssendon Football ClubThe Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...