Mark Mickan

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Mark Mickan
Personal information
Nickname(s)Rubbers
Date of birth (1961-01-30) 30 January 1961
Place of birth
Renmark, South Australia
Original teamWest Adelaide (SANFL)
DebutRound 1, 27 March 1987, Brisbane Bears
v. North Melbourne, at MCG
Height/Weight196 cm (6 ft 5 in) / 102 kg (16 st 1 lb)
Playing career1

West Adelaide (SANFL) (1981–86, 1991–94)

  • 139 games, 38 goals

Brisbane Bears (VFL) (1987–90)

  • 48 games, 26 goals

Adelaide (AFL) (1991–93)

  • 37 games, 12 goals
Total - 224 games, 76 goals
Coaching career

Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL) (1998–99)

Glenelg (SANFL) (2006–11)
1 Playing statistics correct to end of 2011 season.
Career highlights

Mark James Mickan (born 30 January 1961 in Renmark, South Australia) is a former Australian rules football player who has the unusual history of being on the inaugural player list for two Vicorian Football League/Australian Football League (VFL/AFL) clubs; the Brisbane Bears in 1987 and the Adelaide Crows in 1991. Mickan began his senior career with South Australian National Football League (SANFL) club West Adelaide in 1981 and finished back at West in 1994. All-Australian Team selection in 1988 marked the pinnacle of his playing career. He coached SANFL club Glenelg for five and half years from 2006 to June 2011.

SANFL career

Recruited from the Renmark Rovers in West Adelaide's country zone (Riverland Football League), the talented 196 cm (6'5") tall ruckman started his SANFL league career in 1981 and quickly established himself alongside Dexter Kennedy as the club's leading ruckman. After a stellar 1983 season Mickan was cruelly robbed of the chance to play in West Adelaide's Grand Final win (the club's first in 22 years) over Sturt due to a torn posterior ligament in Round 21 of the 22 round regular season against Glenelg at West's home ground Richmond Oval.

Strong seasons in 1983, 1985 and 1986 resulted in his winning club Best & Fairest awards while in 1986 West coach John Cahill named him the team captain for the season. Following the 1986 SANFL season in which West Adelaide finished in seventh place Mickan left to join the new Brisbane Bears playing in the Victorian Football League (VFL) in 1987. Mickan's qualities as a leader and player were instantly recognised with his new club where he was appointed the inaugural captain. This is especially noteworthy given the team included immediate past captain of Collingwood, Mark "Chocco" Williams, who was appointed as Mickan's vice-captain.

While the newly formed side suffered many crises during its early years Mickan's skills were recognsied and he was named in the All-Australian Team following the 1988 Bicentennial Carnival played in Adelaide.

Mickan returned to South Australia to play for the newly formed Australian Football League (AFL) team the Adelaide Crows in 1991, winning Adelaide's inaugural Club Champion award. However, Mickan still played the required three SANFL games with West Adelaide through the season to qualify for SANFL finals football. Mickan became West Adelaide's number one ruckman, and played a prominent role in helping the Kevin Morris coached Bloods to the SANFL Grand Final where they lost to North Adelaide.

With younger ruckmen such as Shaun Rehn (West Adelaide) and David Pittman (Norwood) quickly hitting their straps for the Crows and his form dropping Mickan gradually fell out of favour with The Crows and coach Graeme Cornes to the point that he played the majority of the 1993 season with West Adelaide, winning his fourth Best & Fairest award under the coaching of his original coach from back in 1981, Neil Kerley.

Following the 1994 SANFL season Mark Mickan retired from league football having played 139 SANFL games with West Adelaide, 48 VFL/AFL games with Brisbane and 37 AFL games with Adelaide between 1981 and 1994. Mickan also represented South Australia on five occasions through his career

Mark Mickan and Neil Kerley jointly hold the record for Best & Fairest wins at West Adelaide with four wins each.

Coaching

After retiring as a player Mickan continued to pursue his football interests as a coach. In 1998-99 seasons he coached Woodville-West Torrens in the SANFL, achieving 6th and 3rd place finishes. Assistant coaching roles at AFL the Crows and Port Adelaide in the 2000s followed.

In 2006 Mickan was appointed coach of Glenelg on a three year contract. Glenelg finished sixthh in his first year as coach and in 2007 Mickan led the Bays to their first finals appearance since 1999. In the finals they beat Sturt in the Elimination Final before going down to Woodville-West Torrens in the First Semi Final by six points and finished Fourth overall.

In 2008 Mickan was named SANFL coach of the year for Glenelg's rise to the top of the premiership ladder after the minor round.[1]

After a series of disappointing finals' performances in 2009 and 2010 and a belief by the Glenelg board that he could not take the club any further, Mickan was sacked from the Glenelg coaching position on 20 June 2011.[2]

In late 2011 it was announced by Mickan's original club West Adelaide that the former four time Best & Fairest winner had been appointed the Football Manager at the club from 2012.

Mark Mickan was one of 113 inaugural inductees into the South Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2002 and is also a member of the West Adelaide Football Club Hall of Fame.

Mickan holds degrees in both Teaching and Psychology.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Partland, Warren (23 September 2008). "Glenelg's Mark Mickan named SANFL coach of the year". The Advertiser (News Limited). Retrieved 8 May 2009. 
  2. ↑ Portland, Warren; Homfray, Reece (21 June 2011). "Glenelg sacks Mark Mickan". The Advertiser (News Limited). Retrieved 21 June 2011. 

External links

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