Dick Michalczyk

Richard Michalczyk (born 5 November 1950) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with North Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL) and East Perth in the Western Australian National Football League (WANFL).[1]

Dick Michalczyk
Personal information
Full name Richard Michalczyk
Date of birth (1950-11-05) 5 November 1950
Original team(s) Narembeen
Height 191 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight 91 kg (201 lb)
Position(s) Defender
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1969–1972 East Perth 67 (54)
1973–1975 North Melbourne 24 0(3)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1975.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Football career

WANFL

Michalczyk, who was originally from Narembeen, debuted at East Perth halfway through the 1969 WANFL season.[2]

He was a member of East Perth's 1972 premiership team.[3] After a dominant performance at centre half-back in the second semi-final, Michalczyk was one of East Perth's best in their 15-point grand final win over Claremont.[4]

The first of three brothers to play for East Perth, his younger brothers Eddie and George also played for the club.[5]

VFL

Michalczyk was bought by North Melbourne for a reported $30,000 at the start of the 1973 VFL season.[6] He was troubled by injury early in the year, eventually making his debut against Richmond in round 14, but he was on the field for only two minutes before suffering a hamstring injury which ended his season.[6][7]

He injured his hamstring again during pre-season training in 1974.[6] Michalczyk was sent by the club to the Lewisham Hospital in Sydney for a complete medical check up and he was there for a week receiving treatment.[8] On return to North Melbourne he was able to train without any soreness and, after being cleared by doctors, was selected in the side for round 11.[8][9] He managed to put together eight successive VFL games that year.[10]

In the 1975 season he appeared in the first three rounds, then was out of the side for two months. He returned in round 12 and played in all of the remaining 11 games of the home and away season. In the qualifying final win over Carlton, Michalczyk played as a half-back for North Melbourne and was one of the side's best with 18 disposals, but had to be replaced at three-quarter time with a knee injury.[11] Initially it was thought he had injured his groin and he was moved into the forward line and it was only after he kicked a goal that he was forced from the ground.[12] The diagnosis was a strained medial ligament, which ruled him out of the rest of the finals series, opening up a spot in the team for Doug Wade.[13][14] He had to undergo a serious knee operation at the end of the season, followed by another in 1976, and was unable to make it back to VFL football.[15][16]

Personal life

Michalczyk is an uncle of former West Coast Eagles player Dean Cox.[17] His sister Mary is Dean's mother.[17]

References
  1. Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers. BAS Publishing. ISBN 9781920910785.
  2. "Kyanga – Quinn – East Perth FC (Debut Dates)". East Perth Football Club. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  3. "Premiership Teams – East Perth FC". East Perth Football Club. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  4. Brakey, Dale (18 September 1972). "Mihalczyk Enjoys the Responsibility". The West Australian. p. 59.
  5. Bassett, Jon; Joachim, Azzopardi (21 September 2007). "Trophy cabinet overflows in Wheatbelt town of Narembeen". Perth Now. Archived from the original on 13 August 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  6. Beames, Percy (10 April 1974). "$30,000 recruit out again". The Age. p. 28. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  7. "Carlton beaten, slips to third". The Canberra Times. 9 July 1973. p. 10. Retrieved 23 August 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. Beames, Percy (12 June 1974). "Strangers bob up in North camp". The Age. p. 30. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  9. Beames, Percy (17 June 1974). "North to struggle without big Doug". The Age. p. 22. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  10. "AFL Tables – Dick Michalczyk – Games Played". AFL Tables. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  11. "All the scores". The Age. 8 September 1975. p. 22. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  12. Beames, Percy (8 September 1975). "Two to miss finals?". The Age. p. 24. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  13. Sheahan, Mike (10 September 1975). "Doug wades in – and he's OK". The Age. p. 30. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  14. "Double blow". The Age. 6 October 1975. p. 22. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  15. Sheahan, Mike (19 December 1975). "Roos alone". The Age. p. 26. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  16. Poulter, Geoff (19 November 1976). "Brothers friends today, foes next season?". The Age. p. 34. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  17. Cox, Dean (1 October 2014). Iron Eagle. Macmillan Publishers Aus. ISBN 9781742612706.
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