#18 Michael Hurley -- now coaching

Simply speaking - I would trade Hurley for a certain top 10 key defender that was at least 4 years younger than he. How’s that?

I will give you credit you are great at dodging questions deckham

3 Likes

I’m not dodging.
You are asking me to be stupid. I’m just not stupid, sorry.

2 Likes

I’d take a second rounder for him.

Or looking at the scoreboard to see who else’s fault it was.
Yeah, it’s becoming pretty common.

dodgeball champ 2019

1 Like

He probably has another 2 years left, no one is giving up pick 15, especally if they have to take on the remainder of his ‘please come back to us after the saga’ contract, which one would think was generous.

So the simple answer is yes you would, but it is a bit like asking if you would take a million dollars to let someone sleep with your wife, it is an interesting question, and the answer is bound to cause debate and problems depending on the answer, but will never happen so why bother asking.

1 Like

Or looking at the scoreboard to see what went wrong so he can try to fix it for next time.

We should have traded all of them after the saga.

2 Likes

Of course you ■■■■■■■ wouldn’t.

2 Likes

Weak

Hurls might be a lot of things but he ain’t farking weak.

Most people will have back issues at some stage of their lives and for those of us that have already then I’m sure they can empathize with Hurls.

I suspect Hurls weightloss and more outside role has a lot to do with his back management.

He’s a gun in my book.

‘I WAS STRUGGLING TO WALK’

By Simon Legg Jun 5, 2018

[6](http://www.aflplayers.com.au/wp-content/themes/cr-aflpa-2017/#)

With Michael Hurley returning from a ‘minor’ hamstring injury over the weekend, he reflected on how far his body has come in the last few years.

The key defender will suit up for this 150th game on Sunday against the Lions, but he revealed this week that there were times where he struggled to walk.

On the outside, his 2015 season was a career year, but internally he battled through immense pain just to get out on the field from week to week.

While not only dealing with the cloud of the supplements saga looming large, Hurley secretly dealt with a chronic back injury that started in 2012.

The origin of the injury is unknown, but the deterioration began six years ago, and reared its ugly head in 2015 and during his year away from the game in 2016, where the burly big man endured unspeakable pain.

It’s difficult to ascertain what was more incredible. The treatment he went through in order to play, or the consistent level of production Hurley delivered in defence through an indifferent 2015 campaign for the football club.

During some stretches that season, Hurley was unable to train for most of the week due to the toll on his body, and he went to extraordinary lengths to make sure he was capable of playing when the weekend rolled around.

“I remember having a couple of epidurals just to function again,” Hurley said. “I was having injections into my back to take out the swelling so I could move around again. I have a bulged disc in my lower back. If you look at the pictures, it doesn’t look overly bad, but functionally, I used to have spasms regularly.”

Hurley would rely on friends and family to chauffeur him from appointments after epidurals, because he wasn’t allowed to drive. After the injections, he would be forced to rest, often laying on the couch for long periods to allow the medication to take effect.

Throughout that adversity, he somehow managed to play 19 games and was named at centre half back in the All-Australian team, even with his team finishing 15th with just six wins to their name.

Despite missing the entirety of 2016, Hurley’s back issues remained.

“The year off was when it reared its head badly,” Hurley explained. “I was struggling to walk.”

Chronic pain aside, he still managed a trip overseas in the middle of the year with teammates and his partner, and fitted in some training. And plenty of golf.

“We spent a fair bit of time training, there were a few of us who worked together as a group, and outside of that, Michael Hibberd and I spent plenty of time together training ourselves and playing golf. I reckon I averaged three games a week. I wouldn’t recommend it. We were the two most unfit blokes coming back!”

It was also in 2016 where Hurley stumbled across the services of Kieser, who were recommended by his contacts in the physio industry.

Not only does Kieser help to rehabilitate injuries, their machines assist with strengthening the injured muscles.

“The machines I’m using are making it feel more comfortable,” Hurley added. “The ones I have been using are specifically tailored to my lower back and strengthening those muscles that you otherwise wouldn’t use. At training, we do a lot of weights but they’re not as specific as these machines. Since then, I haven’t had many problems. I was in a bad way, so to be pointed in that direction was great for my back.”

It’s difficult to measure just how far Hurley’s back has come since using these service for the last 18 months. Perhaps the only way to assess it is by the level of discomfort, which has markedly improved.

He freely admits to being able to move around at training pain free, and in his return from a year away, he was named an All-Australian for the second time.

“I think 2015 and 2017 were the two best years of my career, but they were slightly different. In 2015 I was more of a lockdown defender, whereas 2017, I was slightly more attacking. It’s hard to compare those two years, but to come back from a year off and to be able to perform that way makes me proud.”

9 Likes

He’s a great player. I don’t understand why so many people are down on him.

5 Likes

If you were to trade him, it would have to be for a top 6 pick. Wouldn’t waste my time on a pick 15 type.

See , I read that sort of article about players.

And then I read keyboard warriors on here labelling them soft, gutless, passionless, and wanting them traded.

And then I feel acutely embarrassed. But not of Mick Hurley.

6 Likes

Glad he is feeling healthier. Why the hell would you be playing golf with a stuffed back? Also interesting to read he was so unfit when he returned back to the club

He is legit tough though, I would never question his toughness

1 Like

I generally defend Hurls and think he gets treated pretty rough on blitz and I know stats aren’t everything but the bear has had 6 tackles from 10 games.

Just not good enough.

For context Smack has only played 4 games for the year and he has 7.

Quietly building into a very good season, I reckon.

One on one defending has been very good. His disposal has been pretty suspect, but overall he’s been a brick wall back there, along with Ambrose and Hooker.

1 Like

Hurley as part of the back six have been great limiting opposition scoring, but I wonder if we haven’t been hampered by his lack of quick rebound out of there.
Hurley, Ambrose and Hooker are pretty conservative with their usage, so were usually pretty stagnant coming out of the back half unless Saad or McKenna have some space with ball in hand.
Would be interesting to see how a confident Francis or Zerk Thatcher changes the ball movement dynamic if they happened to replace one of them.
But then again when you have the mid to F50 disconnect who knows if much would really change.

1 Like

yep, said the same thing to a friend on the weekend.

having no really great ball users out of the back line is tough on us I feel.