Michael O'Loughlin

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**Michael O'Loughlin**
Personal Info

Birth	20 February 1977,
Recruited from	Central District (SANFL)
Height/Weight	190cm / 89kg
Playing Career¹
Debut	Round 5, 30 April 1995, Sydney Swans vs. Adelaide, at SCG
Team(s)	Sydney Swans (1995-) 246 games, 418 goals
¹ Statistics to end of PF, 2006 season
Career Highlights
AFL Rising Star nominee 1995 Bob Skilton Medal 1998 All-Australian 1997, 2000 Fos Williams Medal 1998 Sydney Swans Leading goalkicker 2000, 2001 Sydney Swans Premiership player 2005 Indigenous Team of the Century

Michael K. O'Loughlin (born 20 February 1977) is an Indigenous Australian rules football player with the Sydney Swans of the AFL.

Selected in the 3rd round of the 1994 National Draft, O'Loughlin played his 11 senior games for the Swans in 1995 and earned a Rising Star award 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.

At the end of the 2005 season, he had played 222 games, mainly as a forward, kicking 374 goals and receiving the nickname "Magic" or "Mickey O". In 2000 and 2001, he was the club's leading goalkicker. He was club best and fairest in 1998 and runner up in 2000, and 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, which he described as the highlight of his career, although a premiership would be right beside it. Later that year, the Swans won the Grand Final against the West Coast Eagles and so O'Loughlin, the only player remaining in the team from the 1996 loss, although not at his best for the game, did indeed add a premiership to his achievements.

In 2006, O'Loughlin has had a strong return to form, 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 Grand Final itself, O'Loughlin delivered a stronger performance than in his 2005 attempt, kicking 3.1 (19) for the afternoon.

O'Loughlin also has the great honour of kicking the Swans' first goal of their campaign, which was also the first goal in their Round 1 April Fools Day loss to Essendon.