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Michael Hibberd
Hibberd playing for Melbourne in April 2018
Personal information
Full name Michael George Hibberd
Date of birth (1990-01-03) 3 January 1990 (age 34)
Original team(s) Frankston (VFL)
Draft No. 4, 2011 pre-season draft
Height 187 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight 94 kg (207 lb)
Position(s) Defender
Club information
Current club Melbourne
Number 14
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2011–2016 Essendon 84 (11)
2017–2023 Melbourne 113 (3)
Total 197 (14)
International team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
2017 Australia 1 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2023.
2 State and international statistics correct as of 2017.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Michael George Hibberd (born 3 January 1990) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Melbourne Football Club and Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). A defender, 1.87 metres (6 ft 2 in) tall and weighing 94 kilograms (207 lb), Hibberd plays primarily on the half-back flank. After spending the 2008 season with the Dandenong Stingrays in the TAC Cup, he missed out on selection in the 2008 AFL draft, which saw him spend two seasons in the Victorian Football League (VFL) with the Frankston Football Club. After winning Frankston's best and fairest and the Fothergill–Round Medal as the VFL's most promising young player in 2010, he was recruited by the Essendon Football Club with the fourth selection in the 2011 pre-season draft.

Hibberd made his AFL debut during the 2011 season and in the same year, he was forced to miss the second half of the year after a club-imposed suspension due to an assault charge. His next four years at the club saw him rewarded with the club rising star award and three top-ten finishes in the best and fairest count. After being suspended for the entire 2016 season due to his involvement in the Essendon supplements saga, he was traded to the Melbourne Football Club during the 2016 trade period. His first season with Melbourne saw him receive All-Australian honours and represent Australia in the International Rules Series.

Early life

[edit]

Originally from the small town of Somerville on the Mornington Peninsula,[1] Hibberd played with the Dandenong Stingrays in the TAC Cup in 2008, where he managed to play only half the season due to a groin injury.[2] He finished fifth in the best and fairest count and was awarded the Dandenong Stingrays coaches award.[3] After being overlooked in the 2008 AFL draft, he joined the Frankston Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL).[1] His first year at Frankston saw him finish fifth in the best and fairest and claim the best first year player award. In his second year at the club, his season was rewarded with the senior best and fairest award[4] and the Fothergill–Round Medal as the VFL's most promising young player.[5]

AFL career

[edit]

2011–2012: Early career

[edit]

Hibberd was drafted by the Essendon Football Club with their only selection and fourth overall in the 2011 pre-season draft.[6] He made his AFL debut in the 139-point win against Gold Coast at Etihad Stadium in round six.[7] He was omitted the next week for the match against West Coast, before returning in round eight in the thirty-six point win against Brisbane at the Gabba, where he recorded twenty-two disposals and was praised by then-Essendon coach, James Hird, in particular for his courage around the ball.[1] Playing the next seven matches, he missed the round seventeen match against Adelaide at AAMI Stadium due to a hamstring injury.[8][9]

After playing the first five matches for the 2012 season, he suffered a hamstring injury during the first quarter of the Anzac Day clash against Collingwood in round five, which forced him to miss six weeks of football.[10] He made his return from injury through the Victorian Football League (VFL), playing for Essendon's affiliate team, Bendigo.[11] After playing two matches in the VFL,[12] he returned to the AFL side for the twenty-four point win against Fremantle at Patersons Stadium in round thirteen.[13] He played the next three matches before injuring his quad in the fifty point win against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium in round sixteen.[14] He missed three weeks due to the injury and returned to the side for the twenty-four point loss against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium in round twenty.[15] He played the remainder of the season, managing thirteen matches for the year and was rewarded with the club rising star award as the best young player.[16] At the end of the year he changed guernsey numbers from 43 to 1.[17]

2013–2015: Emergence as a half-back flanker

[edit]

The 2013 season saw Hibberd play every match of the year for the first time in his career.[18] His performances during the season was described by The Age journalist, Rohan Connolly, as "the best football of his career"[19] and he was named in Connolly's mid-season All-Australian team.[20] His running off of half-back saw him compared to six time All-Australian, Corey Enright, by Rohan Connolly.[21] After the announcement of the forty man squad for the 2013 All-Australian team, he was considered unlucky to miss out on selection by AFL Media journalist, Nick Bowen,[22] and The Age journalist and former player, Matthew Lloyd.[23] His improved season saw him finish fourth in the clubs best and fairest count.[24]

Despite a hamstring injury during the 2014 NAB Challenge,[25] Hibberd played the first fourteen matches of the year, before he was forced to miss the round sixteen match against Port Adelaide at the Adelaide Oval due to an ankle injury.[26] He returned to the side two weeks later for the seven point win against the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium in round eighteen,[27] before succumbing to a hamstring injury the next week and missed two weeks.[28] He returned from injury in the three point win against West Coast at Etihad Stadium in round twenty-one,[29] where he was named the best player for Essendon by The Age[30] and AFL Media.[31] He played the remainder of the season, including his first final in the twelve point loss against North Melbourne at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the second elimination final.[32] His form in the first half of the year before his injuries was praised within the industry, with Herald Sun journalist, Sam Landsberger, claiming he was in All-Australian form[33] and he signed a three-year contract with the club, tying him to the club until the end of the 2017 season.[34] He played nineteen matches for the season and finished fourth in the best and fairest count for the second consecutive season.[35]

Hibberd played every match for the 2015 season apart from the final round match against Collingwood due to a knee injury.[36] After strong seasons in 2013 and 2014, he had a dip in form after spending more time in the midfield.[37] Despite a drop in form, he managed a top-ten finish in the best and fairest, placing eighth[38] and he was named in Essendon's best players six times during the season by AFL Media.[39][40][41][42][43][44]

2016–present: Suspension and move to Melbourne

[edit]

Hibberd, along with 33 other Essendon players, was found guilty of using a banned performance-enhancing substance, thymosin beta-4, as part of Essendon's sports supplements program during the 2012 season. He and his teammates were initially found not guilty in March 2015 by the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal,[45] but a guilty verdict was returned in January 2016 after an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency. He was suspended for two years which, with backdating, ended in November 2016; as a result, he served approximately fourteen months of his suspension and missed the entire 2016 season.[46] After speculation surrounding whether he would return to Essendon once his suspension was finished,[47] he confirmed in August that he wanted to be traded to another club for a "fresh start" despite being contracted to Essendon until the end of 2017[48] and he nominated Melbourne as his preferred destination in September.[49] He was officially traded to Melbourne in October.[50]

Hibberd tackling Jack Macrae in round 13, 2017.

After experiencing patella tendinitis in his knee during 2016, Hibberd was eased back into pre-season training.[51] In addition to sustaining a hamstring injury which limited his training further and he was forced to miss the opening match of the 2017 JLT Community Series.[52] He played his first match in Melbourne colours in Melbourne's second match of the JLT Community Series, which was a fifty-four point win against Carlton at Casey Fields.[52] A few days later, he suffered an achilles injury at training,[53] which forced him to miss five weeks of football.[54] He returned to playing via the VFL with Melbourne's affiliate team, the Casey, in the round one clash against Williamstown at Burbank Oval, in which he recorded twenty-five disposals and was one of Casey's best players according to elite performance manager, Dave Misson.[55] He spent just the one week in the VFL before making his debut for Melbourne in the Anzac Day eve match against Richmond at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in round five where he recorded twenty-seven disposals, eight rebound 50s, six marks and a goal.[56] He was named Melbourne's best player by Herald Sun journalist, Sam Landsberger,[57] and was named in AFL Media's team of the week.[58]

He played every match for the remainder of the season to finish with eighteen games and averaged career-highs in disposals (27.4) and rebound 50s (6.8), the latter of which ranked second in the league; furthermore he averaged the highest metres gained per match (545.7) in the league.[59] He was highly praised for his debut season with Melbourne with the Australian Associated Press' Michael Ramsey writing Hibberd was almost certainly Melbourne's most valuable addition.[60] The Herald Sun's Rebecca Williams and AFL Media's Ben Guthrie furthered this notion by stating he had proven to be one of the top recruits in the league.[61][62] In addition, The Age reporter, Anthony Colangelo, said Hibberd was one of "Melbourne's best and most important players in their charge up the ladder."[63] His season was rewarded with his first All-Australian selection, where he was named in the back pocket,[64] he was one of three Melbourne nominees for the Leigh Matthews Trophy,[65] and was named in AFL Media's team of the week a further three times after his debut for Melbourne.[66][67][68] Despite being one of the favourites to win the best and fairest at Melbourne,[69] he ultimately finished sixth in the award.[70] He received international honours at the end of the season when he represented Australia in the International Rules Series against Ireland in November.[71]

Assault charge

[edit]

In August 2011, Hibbered was charged with assault after he punched and knocked a man out in Mornington on 31 July.[72] He pleaded guilty to the charges in September[73] and escaped conviction, but received a $2500 fine.[74]

Statistics

[edit]

Updated to the end of round 13, 2023.[18]

Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2011 Essendon 43 9 1 1 101 71 172 47 13 0.1 0.1 11.2 7.9 19.1 5.2 1.4 0
2012 Essendon 43 13 0 1 153 79 232 65 16 0.0 0.1 11.8 6.1 17.8 5.0 1.2 0
2013 Essendon 1 22 5 3 334 186 520 135 33 0.2 0.1 15.2 8.5 23.6 6.1 1.5 8
2014 Essendon 1 19 2 1 286 179 465 121 29 0.1 0.1 15.1 9.4 24.5 6.4 1.5 3
2015 Essendon 1 21 3 5 262 204 466 113 31 0.1 0.2 12.5 9.7 22.2 5.4 1.5 2
2016[a] Essendon 1 0 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
2017 Melbourne 14 18 1 1 305 188 493 97 23 0.1 0.1 17.0 10.4 27.4 5.4 1.3 7
2018 Melbourne 14 21 1 1 244 153 397 83 35 0.0 0.0 11.6 7.3 18.9 4.0 1.7 1
2019 Melbourne 14 19 0 2 197 127 324 75 29 0.0 0.1 10.4 6.7 17.1 4.0 1.5 0
2020[b] Melbourne 14 14 1 0 135 79 214 62 14 0.1 0.0 9.6 5.6 15.3 4.4 1.0 0
2021# Melbourne 14 17 0 0 127 100 227 58 35 0.0 0.0 7.5 5.9 13.4 3.4 2.1 0
2022 Melbourne 14 12 0 0 105 62 167 52 21 0.0 0.0 8.8 5.2 13.9 4.3 1.8 0
2023[c] Melbourne 14 8 0 0 64 36 100 28 6 0.0 0.0 8.0 4.5 12.5 3.5 0.8
Career 193 14 15 2313 1464 3777 936 285 0.1 0.1 12.0 7.6 19.6 4.8 1.5 21

Notes

  1. ^ Hibberd was unavailable to be selected for the entire 2016 season due to being one of the 34 players suspended as part of the Essendon Football Club supplements saga.
  2. ^ The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  3. ^ 2023 statistics include two games in which Hibberd was substituted out of the game (round 4 & 7).

Honours and achievements

[edit]

Team

Individual

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Hogan, Jesse (16 May 2011). "Fork in the road lifts Hibberd into big time". The Age. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  2. ^ Connolly, Rohan (10 May 2013). "Bomber slow to take off but now he's flying high". The Age. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  3. ^ "Gillies Named Stingrays Best". TACcup.com.au. Fox Sports Pulse. 2008. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  4. ^ Diamond, Brent (30 November 2010). "VFL hopefuls look to figure in rookie draft". The Age. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  5. ^ Amy, Paul (23 August 2010). "Hibberd VFL's most promising". Leader. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
  6. ^ "Bombers take Hibberd in pre-season draft". EssendonFC.com.au. Bigpond. 7 December 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  7. ^ Australian Associated Press (1 May 2011). "Ready to face Bombers". The Age. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  8. ^ Sproule, Grant (15 July 2011). "AFL peview season 2011, round 17". The Age. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  9. ^ Quayle, Emma (3 August 2011). "GWS may trade rights to rookies". The Age. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  10. ^ McFarlane, Glenn (25 April 2012). "Michael Hibberd adds to Essendon injury crisis". Herald Sun. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  11. ^ "Essendon defender Michael Hibberd to return from injury for Bendigo". News.com.au. 8 June 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  12. ^ Diamond, Brent (17 June 2012). "Bombers' rising options". The Age. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  13. ^ Quayle, Emma (22 June 2012). "Bombers axe three". The Age. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  14. ^ Porter, Ashley (15 July 2012). "Hird unfazed by injuries". The Age. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  15. ^ Hogan, Jesse (10 August 2012). "Kangaroos welcome finals-like challenge". The Age. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  16. ^ Quayle, Emma (4 October 2012). "Watson top Bomber again". The Age. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  17. ^ Quayle, Emma (4 December 2012). "Hibberd takes on a proud number". The Age. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  18. ^ a b "Michael Hibberd". AFL Tables. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  19. ^ Connolly, Rohan (9 May 2013). "Morale strong: Bomber". The Age. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  20. ^ Connolly, Rohan (14 June 2013). "All-star Swans lead the way". The Age. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  21. ^ Connolly, Rohan (6 May 2013). "Bombers play copycats". The Age. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  22. ^ Bowen, Nick (3 September 2013). "No Tigers in All Australian squad of 40". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  23. ^ Lloyd, Matthew (15 September 2013). "Meet the Abletts and Judds of tomorrow". The Age. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  24. ^ Sewell, Eliza (2 October 2013). "Essendon utility Brendon Goddard snares best-and-fairest, then talks premierships". Herald Sun. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  25. ^ Murnane, Matt (3 March 2014). "How your club fared in the NAB Challenge". The Age. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  26. ^ Buckle, Greg (5 July 2014). "Chapman challenged to lift game". The Age. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  27. ^ James, Matthew (18 July 2014). "Split round gives outsiders their chance". The Age. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  28. ^ "Injury list". The Age. 30 July 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  29. ^ Connolly, Rohan (12 August 2014). "Heat just got hotter". The Age. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  30. ^ Connolly, Rohan (17 August 2014). "Bombers ride wave to victory". The Age. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  31. ^ "Dons boost finals hopes with thrilling win over Eagles". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. 16 August 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  32. ^ "2014 AFL finals teams: week one". The Age. 4 September 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  33. ^ Landsberger, Sam (24 June 2014). "Essendon re-signs Heath Hocking and Michael Hibberd, both believe premiership push will come". Herald Sun. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  34. ^ "Hibberd, Hocking Re-Sign With Dons". Triple M. 25 June 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  35. ^ Phelan, Jennifer (1 October 2014). "Heppell's rise continues with dominant Essendon best and fairest victory". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  36. ^ "AFL Teams Round 23, 2015: Fremantle make 11 changes, North Melbourne nine, Trent Cotchin returns". Fox Sports (Australia). 3 September 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  37. ^ Twomey, Callum (17 July 2015). "Hibberd eyes form turnaround as Dons plug midfield gaps". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  38. ^ Baker, Grant (16 September 2015). "Cale Hooker awarded first Crichton Medal as Essendon's best and fairest". Herald Sun. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  39. ^ King, Travis (18 April 2015). "Dons scrape past Blues, Cooney may be hamstrung for Anzac Day". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  40. ^ Schmook, Nathan (24 May 2015). "Big second half enough for Bombers". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  41. ^ King, Travis (30 May 2015). "Dons' dream ends badly: Tigers spoil Fletch's big night". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  42. ^ Malcolm, Alex (13 June 2015). "Eagles' forward firepower blows away Dons". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  43. ^ Schmook, Nathan (2 August 2015). "It's a Dog day afternoon as Dons' demise continues". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  44. ^ Chong, Jordan (9 August 2015). "Giants run away from Bombers to stay in finals race". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Archived from the original on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  45. ^ Twomey, Callum (31 March 2015). "Thirty-four present and former Bombers cleared of all drug charges". AFL.com.au 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2017.
  46. ^ King, Travis (12 January 2016). "Guilty: court bans the Essendon 34 for 2016". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  47. ^ Callum, Twomey (9 June 2016). "Will they be back? Banned Dons mulling options". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  48. ^ Ben, Collins (20 August 2016). "Banned Bomber Michael Hibberd to leave Essendon". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  49. ^ "Michael Hibberd officially requests trade to Melbourne for 2017 season". Herald Sun. 20 September 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  50. ^ Twomey, Callum (19 October 2016). "Essendon defender Hibberd traded to Melbourne". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  51. ^ Burgan, Matt (9 January 2017). "List update: Hibberd, Hogan and Hulett". MelbourneFC.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  52. ^ a b Guthrie, Ben (22 February 2017). "Former Bomber set to step out for Demons". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  53. ^ "Michael Hibberd to sit out AFL pre-season game". The Age. 7 March 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  54. ^ Guthrie, Ben (22 March 2017). "New Demon still three weeks away as Achilles issue lingers". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  55. ^ Burgan, Matt (9 April 2017). "Hibberd makes strong return". MelbourneFC.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  56. ^ Gould, Russell (25 April 2017). "Michael Hibberd becomes latest banned Bomber to return to AFL action". Herald Sun. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  57. ^ Landsberger, Sam (26 April 2017). "Michael Hibberd was hesitant about comeback after 12-month drugs ban". Herald Sun. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  58. ^ Phelan, Jennifer (26 April 2017). "Team of the week, R5: Did we get it right?". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  59. ^ McGowan, Marc (3 September 2017). "Hibberd excited by potential Lever swoop". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  60. ^ Ramsey, Michael (14 June 2017). "How a former Don is steering the Dees to finals". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  61. ^ Williams, Rebecca (13 August 2017). "Melbourne defender Michael Hibberd is making the most of his new chapter at the Demons". Herald Sun. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  62. ^ Guthrie, Ben (12 July 2017). "Forced wait has paid off for new Demon". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  63. ^ Colangelo, Anthony (22 June 2017). "'Footy mattered to me more than I thought': Michael Hibberd on being back from the ban". The Age. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  64. ^ Wood, Lauren (30 August 2017). "Alex Rance named All-Australian captain at full-back, Paddy Ryder wins ruck battle". Herald Sun. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  65. ^ "Saints, Dogs, Dees, Eagles reveal MVP nomiees". AFL Players Association. 6 September 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  66. ^ Guthrie, Ben; Stephens, Romy (16 May 2017). "Team of the week, R8: Did we get it right?". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  67. ^ Phelan, Jennifer; Stephens, Romy (20 June 2017). "Team of the week, R13: Did we get it right?". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  68. ^ Navaratnam, Dinny (25 July 2017). "Team of the week, R18: Did we get it right?". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  69. ^ Burgan, Matt (9 October 2017). "Who will win this year's 'Bluey'?". MelbourneFC.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  70. ^ Guthrie, Ben (9 October 2017). "Second-year Demon wins B&F by 184 votes". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  71. ^ McGowan, Marc (12 October 2017). "Hibberd named in International Rules squad". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  72. ^ "Essendon confirm youngster Michael Hibberd has been charged with assault after incident on July 31". Fox Sports (Australia). 12 August 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  73. ^ Robin, Samantha (14 September 2011). "Rookie Hibberd fined over assault". The Age. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  74. ^ "Hibberd escapes assault conviction". ABC News. 14 September 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
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