View source for Stephen Michael

{{Short description|Australian rules footballer (born 1956)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2016}}
{{distinguish|Steven Michaels}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Stephen Michael
| image = 
| fullname = Stephen Albert Michael
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1956|3|15|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Wagin, Western Australia]]
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| nickname = 
| originalteam = Kojonup
| height = 188 cm
| weight = 90 kg
| position = Ruckman 
| statsend = 1985
| years1 = 1975–1985
| club1 = [[South Fremantle Football Club|South Fremantle]]
| games_goals1 = 243 (231)
| careerhighlights = * [[Sandover Medal]]: 1980, 1981
* [[South Fremantle Football Club|South Fremantle]] fairest and best: 1977–79, 81, 83
* [[South Fremantle Football Club|South Fremantle]] premiership: [[1980 WAFL Grand Final|1980]]
* [[Simpson Medal]]: 1983
* [[Tassie Medal]]: 1983
* [[All Australian team]]: 1983 (Captain)
* [[Australian Football Hall of Fame]]: 1999
* [[West Australian Football Hall of Fame]]: 2004
}}
'''Stephen Albert Michael''' (born 15 March 1956) is a former [[Australian rules football]]er. More recently, Stephen is the patron of the Stephen Michael Foundation, supporting disengaged, at-risk and disadvantaged youth across [[Western Australia]].

==Playing career==
A [[Noongar]] [[Aboriginal Australians|Aboriginal]] man, Michael played in the [[West Australian Football League|WAFL]] between 1975 and 1985 with the [[South Fremantle Football Club]], playing 243 games and kicking 231 goals. He played in South's 1980 premiership side and was appointed captain in 1983. He holds the WAFL record for the most consecutive league games (217). Throughout his career, Michael resisted numerous advances by [[Australian Football League|VFL]] clubs to move east and is often listed as one of the best players to never play in the VFL.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wafootballhalloffame.com.au/inductees/2224-stephen-michael|title=WA Football Hall of Fame Inductee: Stephen Albert Michael}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Western Great: The Stephen Michael Story |url=https://www.afl.com.au/video/1320283/the-western-great-the-stephen-michael-story?videoId=1320283&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1747083600001 |access-date=2025-05-23 |website=afl.com.au |language=en}}</ref>

He was a strong, high-leaping [[Ruckman (Australian rules football position)|ruckman]] who won the [[Sandover Medal]] in 1980 and 1981. His 37 votes in 1981 (with nine best-on-ground performances and receiving votes in 15 of the 21 games played) was a record tally under the 3–2–1 voting system in place at the time. He represented [[Western Australia Australian rules football team|Western Australia]] in State or [[State of Origin]] football on 17 occasions, captaining the side 3 times. In 1983, he won the [[Simpson Medal]] for the best player in the WA vs SA game and the [[Tassie Medal]] as the best player in Australia in [[State of Origin]] football and was named captain in the 1983 [[All-Australian Team]].<ref>East, A (2006); p 315</ref> He won the South Fremantle's fairest and best in 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981 and 1983.

==Recognition==
In 1995, he was named as an inaugural member of the [[Fremantle Football Hall of Legends]]. In 1999, he was inducted into the [[Australian Football Hall of Fame]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090121024001/http://afl.com.au/Players/tabid/856/default.aspx Australian Football Hall of Fame - Players]</ref> In 2005, he was named at Centre Half-Forward in the Australian Football [[Indigenous Team of the Century]],<ref>Timms, Aaron (2 August 2005) [http://www.smh.com.au/news/afl/honours-for-oloughlin-goodes-give-the-swans-timely-boost/2005/08/01/1122748580282.html Honours for O'Loughlin, Goodes give the Swans timely boost]</ref><ref>[http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-5545-0-0-0&sID=81458&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=6607524&sectionID=81458 Team for the Ages]</ref> and in 2009 he was named in the ruck and captain of the South Fremantle Football Club's Indigenous Team of the Century.<ref>Wilson, Ray (3 July 2009) [http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=210&ContentID=152596 Bulldogs top of the talent tree] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429205103/http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=210 |date=29 April 2009 }}</ref> In 2008, as part of the annual [[NAIDOC]] game between South Fremantle and [[Claremont Football Club|Claremont]], the [[Chris Lewis (Australian rules footballer)|Chris Lewis]]–Stephen Michael Award was presented to [[Andrew Browne (footballer born 1984)|Andrew Browne]] for being the best player in the match.<ref>[http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,23981498-5005401,00.html WAFL Wrap]</ref>

In May 2025, as part of the [[Sir Doug Nicholls Round]] celebrations, the AFL released a 15-minute documentary about Michael called ''The Western Great: The Stephen Michael Story''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Western Great: The Stephen Michael Story |url=https://www.afl.com.au/video/1320283/the-western-great-the-stephen-michael-story?videoId=1320283&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1747083600001 |access-date=2025-05-23 |website=afl.com.au |language=en}}</ref>

==Media==
Michael was a regular guest of the ''[[The Marngrook Footy Show|Marngrook Footy Show]]'', broadcast on Melbourne Radio.<ref>{{cite web|title=About Marngrook Footy Show|url=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/marngrook/about.htm|work=Marngrook Footy Show|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=7 July 2011}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Stephen has 7 children: Clem, Stephen Jr., Vanessa, Cindy, Matt, Talan, Corey. Stephen's son [[Clem Michael]] also played [[Australian rules football]] for [[South Fremantle Football Club]] (including the 1997 premiership side) and [[Fremantle Football Club]]. Clem's career was cut short by a knee injury.

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite book|last=East|first=Alan|first2=Chris|last2= Pike|first3=Tracey|last3=Lewis|first4= Gary |last4=Stocks|first5=Joel |last5=Waddell|title=The Sandover Medal Men|editor=Alan East|publisher=Alan East|date=September 2006|pages=313–318|isbn=0-9775813-0-6}}

==External links==
*{{AustralianFootball}}
*{{WAFL FootyFacts}}

{{AFL Indigenous Team of the Century}}
{{Sandover Medal winners}}
{{Tassie Medal winners}}
{{Simpson Medal winners}}
{{1983 Indigenous All-Stars squad}}
{{Indigenous All-Stars captains}}
{{All-Australian captains}}
{{1983 All-Australian team}}
{{WA State of Origin captains}}
{{1983 Western Australia State of Origin players}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Michael, Stephen}}
[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:South Fremantle Football Club players]]
[[Category:Boulder City Football Club players]]
[[Category:Western Australian State of Origin players]]
[[Category:Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Sandover Medal winners]]
[[Category:All-Australians (1953–1988)]]
[[Category:Noongar people]]
[[Category:Indigenous Australian players of Australian rules football]]
[[Category:Australian rules footballers from Western Australia]]
[[Category:West Australian Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:People from Kojonup, Western Australia]]