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| Mark Mickan | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Nickname(s) | Rubbers | ||
| Date of birth | (1961-01-30)30 January 1961 (age 64) | ||
| Place of birth | Renmark, South Australia | ||
| Original team(s) | Renmark Rovers (RFL) | ||
| Draft | 1986 pre-draft selection | ||
| Height | 193 cm (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Weight | 102 kg (16 st 1 lb; 225 lb) | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 1981–1986; 1991–1994 | West Adelaide (SANFL) | 139 (38) | |
| 1987–1990 | Brisbane Bears | 48 (26) | |
| 1991–1993 | Adelaide | 37 (12) | |
| Total | 224 (76) | ||
| Coaching career3 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (W–L–D) | |
| 1998–1999 | Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL) | 43 (24–19–0) | |
| 2006–2011 | Glenelg (SANFL) | 120 (74–43–3) | |
| 2014–2017 | West Adelaide (SANFL) | 40 (20–20–0) | |
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1994. 3 Coaching statistics correct as of 2015. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources:AFL Tables,AustralianFootball.com | |||
Mark James Mickan (born 30 January 1961) is a former professionalAustralian rules footballer who played for theBrisbane Bears andAdelaide Football Club in theAustralian Football League (AFL). Mickan began his senior career withSouth Australian National Football League (SANFL) clubWest Adelaide in 1981 and finished back at West Adelaide in 1994.All-Australian team selection in 1988 marked the pinnacle of his playing career. He has a sister,Patricia Mickan, who was a basketballer.
He coached SANFL clubWoodville-West Torrens in 1998 and 1999,Glenelg for5+1⁄2 years from 2006 to June 2011, and West Adelaide from 2014 to 2017. In 2015, Mickan led West Adelaide to the club's first premiership since 1983 when they defeated Woodville-West Torrens by 30 points in the2015 SANFL Grand Final. It was also Mickan's first premiership as a senior coach.
Mickan was diagnosed withParkinson's disease in late 2016.
Recruited from the Renmark Rovers in West Adelaide's country zone (Riverland Football League), the talented 6'5" (196 cm) tallruckman started his SANFL league career in 1981 and quickly established himself alongside Dexter Kennedy as the club's leading ruckman until Kennedy left to joinPort Adelaide at the end of 1982. After a stellar 1983 season as The Bloods number one ruckman, Mickan was cruelly robbed of the chance to play in West Adelaide's Grand Final win (the club's first in 22 years) overSturt due to a torn posteriorligament suffered in Round 20 of the 22 round regular season againstWoodville atFootball Park in the early game of a double header. His place in the side was taken by 6'7" (200 cm) tall Dirk de Jong, who had actually retired from league football earlier in the year but was persuaded to come back after Mickan's injury by coachNeil Kerley.
Strong seasons in 1983, 1985 and 1986 resulted in his winning clubBest & Fairest awards, while in 1986 West coachJohn 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 theVictorian Football League (VFL) in1987. Mickan's qualities as a leader and player were instantly recognised with his new club where he was appointed the inaugural captain by coachPeter Knights. This is especially noteworthy given the team included1986Collingwood club captainMark "Chocco" Williams, who was appointed as Mickan's vice-captain, as well as the 1985Brownlow MedallistBrad Hardie.
While the newly formed side suffered many crises during its early years Mickan's skills were recognised and he was named in theAll-Australian Team following the1988 Bicentennial Carnival played inAdelaide.
Mickan returned toSouth Australia to play for the newly formedAustralian Football League (AFL) team theAdelaide Crows in1991, winning Adelaide's inauguralClub Champion award despite missing the first three rounds of the season due to Crows coachGraham Cornes early preference for 6'8" (204 cm) ruckmanRomano Negri. While not selected for the Crows opening three games, Mickan played the required three SANFL games with West Adelaide to qualify for SANFL finals football. Mickan became West Adelaide's number one ruckman, and played a prominent role in helping theKevin Morris coached Bloods to the SANFL Grand Final where they lost toNorth Adelaide in a spiteful match which featured several all-in brawls.
With younger ruckmen such asShaun Rehn (West Adelaide) andDavid Pittman (Norwood) quickly hitting their straps for the Crows and his form dropping, Mickan gradually fell out of favour with The Crows and coach Cornes to the point that he only played two games for the club in1993, and played the majority of the year with West Adelaide. His form for The Bloods saw Mickan win his fourth club 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 representedSouth Australia on five occasions through his career
After retiring as a player Mickan continued to pursue his football interests as a coach. In 1998–99 seasons he coachedWoodville-West Torrens in the SANFL, achieving 6th and 3rd-place finishes. Assistant coaching roles atAFL the Crows andPort Adelaide in the 2000s followed.
In 2006 Mickan was appointed coach of Glenelg on a three-year contract. Glenelg finished sixth 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 West Adelaide that the four time Best & Fairest winner had been appointed the Football Manager at the club from 2012. He left the position before the start of 2013, but was appointed Bloods head coach for the 2014 SANFL season, replacingAndrew Collins who had chosen to return home toMelbourne after 6 years and one Grand Final appearance (2012) with the club.
Although West Adelaide slumped to a 6–12 record in2014 to finish in 9th place (2nd last) after finishing 2nd in 2012 and 3rd in 2013, they bounced back in2015 to finish the minor round with an 11–7 record and 3rd place on the SANFL ladder. Mickan then led The Bloods to their second Grand Final appearance in four years and their first premiership since 1983 when Westies defeated Woodville-West Torrens in the2015 SANFL Grand Final at theAdelaide Oval on 27 September.[3][4] His contract with West Adelaide was not renewed at the end of the2017 SANFL season.[5]
In season 2018 Mickan coached the Under 11 juniors at the Henley Sharks Football Club.
Mark Mickan was one of 113 inaugural inductees into theSouth 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, currently teaching atSt Michael's College, Adelaide.[6]