Hurls appears to take almost all the kickins, or did in R1. I would expect Stanton/Baguley to take more of that load and Harts might need to follow his tall forward up the ground, so I cant see him taking a lot of the kickins tbh.
Essendonās Michael Hartley had to work hard for AFL lifeline and is determined to make it work
EMERGING Essendon defender Michael Hartley admits he threw away his first AFL opportunity.
Having grown up outside the AFL bubble in Penrith in Western Sydney, he came to Melbourne as an 18-year-old thinking a decorated career at the elite level would ājust happenā.
Given his big frame and even bigger potential, one good game in defence during the AFL Under-18 National Championships in 2011 was all Collingwood had to see.
Playing in defence, Hartley held the eventual No. 1 draft pick that year ā Jonathon Patton ā to one goal, enough to get him a rookie list spot.
Natural sporting talent was what got him to the Magpies, but the move south soon brought a rude shock.
āI was just a kid but I thought, āIām going to be the next big thingā, like everyone would think I reckon,ā Hartley said.
āBut it hit me pretty early on that it was pretty tough and I was probably a little bit out of my depth to be honest.ā
After two injury-riddled seasons and only five VFL games, the 198cm, 102kg defender was delisted.
A booming right-footer, Hartley spent the days that followed toying with the idea of an NFL punting career in America.
āMy shoulders were horrible and I just didnāt think footy was going to work out for me,ā he said.
āI can kick pretty far so I thought I might give it (NFL) a shot.ā
Father Colin and mother Bonny changed Hartleyās mind.
Colin was convinced his son ā who admits to only taking up football at school so he could get days off classes 
ā had more to give in Australiaās own game.
Within a week of his delisting, Hartley met with three VFL clubs as he searched for a new home before settling on struggling stand-alone club Coburg where he was promised a game on the best opposition forward every week.
Out of the professional system, he also had to search for a job and was soon unpacking shipping containers before later working night shifts at a cheese factory.
The labouring work only made him more determined to earn another shot at the elite level.
āI have so much respect for the VFL guys because theyāve got to work all day and theyāve got to train at night,ā Hartley said.
āI donāt know how guys do it. I just thought I had to try my best to get back into the AFL so I donāt have to work.ā
Hartley credits Coburg and its coach, former North Melbourne midfielder Peter German, for pushing him back to where he wanted to be.
āGermo was very tough, very hard on me because he thought I could be pretty good,ā Hartley said.
āI needed that really because Iād sort of just strolled through life pretty easily. But he taught me a few things down at Coburg and told me to work a bit harder, so I did.ā
Hartleyās first year at the VFL outfit was solid but not spectacular and draft night brought no good news.
However, Hartley underwent an intensive physio program to get his shoulders right over the proceeding summer and did not miss a game in his second year at Coburg, developing into the competitonās best key defender to earn VFL Team of the Year honours and tie for the clubās best-and-fairest.
The Bombers ā who had Hartley on their radar 12 months earlier ā took notice and selected him at Pick 68 in the 2015 National Draft ā the third-last selection used by any club.
āI knew it was 100 per cent what I wanted to do, I was ready for it and I was going to give it my all,ā Hartley said.
āSo getting the second opportunity was awesome.ā
With Essendon having 10 senior players including experienced key defender Michael Hurley serving doping bans last year, Hartley was thrown in the deep end but quickly learnt to swim.
He was given jobs on the best forwards in the game week-in, week-out ā Sydney superstar Lance Franklin, Geelongās Tom Hawkins and West Coastās Josh Kennedy among them.
āBecause of circumstances in many ways, players got opportunities last year,ā Essendon performance coach Mark Harvey said.
āMick was one of those. He went down and played in defence and based on what happened last year we were under a fair bit of pressure in defence but I thought he grew enormously in those circumstances. I think from that he has improved significantly and weāve been able to fast-track him in the defensive area.
āHeās still got a way to go but now heās playing in a better team and I think it will help him through.ā
Hartley played 19 games last season and signed a contract extension in September, tying him to the club until at least the end of 2018.
Footy now means more to the 23-year-old than ever and he is determined to make the most of his second chance.
āThe boys have been really welcoming, the clubās been awesome, the supporters are outstanding,ā Hartley said.
āItās a dream come true and hopefully I can hold onto it for a little bit longer than last time.ā
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With the bans and how many entries we conceded last year, it would be nearer to two years development than one.
Iām really impressed by him and the selection by recruiting staff.
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Heās an beast. Ministering teams till early morning
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Hmmmm ā¦ not in the ācatholic under investigationā way I would hope
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Sacred Hartley
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Love this bloke, has been exceptional and reliable pretty much since day dot.
Handled everything thrown at him in 2016 with assurance. Fast tracked development. now he has become an integral part of the back 6. Like others l would like to see him hoof the ball a bit more and turn those kicks into booming weapons, to break up zones, and make our game plan less predictable.
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I am fine with his spoiling - maybe he will stager marking more in the future but some spoils are the same distance as short kicks. He and Ambrose are going to continue to improve with Hurley around. Between the 3 of them Mitch and Cale when needed we can cover all types of forwards.
NINA
We havenāt had a backman like Michael Hartley since Ian Shelton hung up his boots.
Heās just about my favourite player.
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Got given a bath in the second half by a kid that wouldnāt look out of place in the womenās league.
Has to do better.
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Worst game Iāve seen him play for us. Heād be pretty filthy with himself. Definitely had a stinker.
Thought both Hartley and Hurley struggled at times with their match ups - Lucky that Ambrose was in excellent form.
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Doesnāt look out of place in the menās league either.
Kid is a gun, and will give bigger baths to better players than Hartley before his career is done.
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Fk I hate hipwood. Looks like Nadal the prick.
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Harts comprehensively beat 2 metre Peter, who just stood there waiting for long bombs to come in . But Harts weakness is when he is matched up on a really mobile tall who leads. Of course 2m+ thin and mobile players are rare, but they do catch him out. The problem is, we dont have any other ~2m tall defenders available that are any better. ( Hooker is a forward now I guess)
Patience, my friend : 2 words - MASON FLETCHER
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Already taller than Fletch I beleive.