Former Crows, Brisbane and West Adelaide star Mark Mickan having a big influence at St Michael’s College after Parkinson’s surgery
Ex-Crows star Mark Mickan remains passionate about coaching — even as he battles Parkinson’s disease. Two months after revolutionary surgery, he is having a big influence in college footy.
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- Mickan back coaching — weeks after surgery
- Coach keeping busy to help fight Parkinson’s
- Footy champ has revolutionary disease treatment
Before Mark Mickan blew his whistle to start his first training in his return to coaching, he was greeted by a series of handshakes.
One by one, each member of his team, St Michael’s College’s First XVIII, went up the SA Football Hall of Famer to welcome him back into the fold.
It was a symbolic moment.
The tremors in Mickan’s right hand have been the most noticeable sign of his Parkinson’s disease battle since being diagnosed in September 2016.
They have kept the former Crows, Brisbane and West Adelaide ruckman awake at night and he has been self-conscious about what people think about his constant trembling.
But when he rejoined St Michael’s last month — after six weeks in Melbourne where he had groundbreaking deep-brain stimulation surgery — his biggest vulnerability was front and centre at the beginning of that comeback session.
“I was feeling a bit self-conscious about it (right hand tremor) but I can stop it a bit easier since the operation,” Mickan, 58, says.
“It’s a good environment for me here and the boys respond well, and we have a good relationship.
“They all came up and shook my hand when I was first out here again.
“It was really nice to welcome me back in that way, and they’ve been responsive ever since.”
When Mickan headed to Melbourne with his family in April, his feet and right hand tremors were “going non-stop”.
They were stopping him from sleeping, he struggled to run and often felt lethargic.
The surgery — implanting a device, the Infinity DBS System, to deliver electrical impulses into his brain — has helped to quell his foot tremors and re-energised him.
So too has resuming coaching, which remains a passion nearly four years after leading his beloved Bloods to a drought-breaking SANFL flag.
“Coaching the boys certainly helps me,” says Mickan, the Crows’ inaugural best and fairest.
“I get inspired by them and what they do on gameday, and you can ask them to do anything at training or games and they’ll try as hard as they can, which is all you can ask.
“I’ve got much more energy and spark now, and am a lot sharper mentally.”
Mickan became St Michael’s coach after stepping down at West Adelaide in 2017.
He coached the college side last year and for one trial before this season, but handed the reins over to assistant Ben Mesisca after feeling tired leading up to his surgery.
St Michael’s has won its only two games this campaign since his return — by 53 points against Christian Brothers College (CBC) on June 1 then one goal versus Trinity on Tuesday.
In Mickan’s typical humility, he calls those results “coincidental” because of the quality of opposition and says the focus has been about the players finally winning, not him being back.
Try telling that to his charges.
St Michael’s footballer Cody Smith says “the boys were pumped” when Mickan returned and “wanted to work for him with what he’s been through”.
“When he came back, it gave us more motivation,” Smith says.
“It was obviously great to get that big win against CBC.
“He’s a really good bloke … and he just wants us to try our best.”
During training at the Henley Beach college last Thursday night, the affection between the players and Mickan is obvious.
Ranting and raving has never been in Mickan’s kitbag and that has not changed at St Michael’s, where he encourages players in his softly-spoken tone.
His rapport with them is built on a blend of mutual respect, willingness to learn and plenty of humour.
“I’m not sure if they really like my dad jokes — but they’ve got to put up with them,” he says with a laugh.
Mickan has also returned to relief teaching two days a week at St Michael’s and he rides a road bike about 1km from his house to both work and footy trainings.
Along with struggling to run before the surgery, he also was not confident cycling, concerned he would lose his balance.
Now he is “not running long distances or anything” but is jogging again, while bike riding has become a necessity because Mickan is unable to drive until July 13.
“Not that I’m counting,” he jokes.
Exercise has also become routine in his converted home gym, where his brother, Kym, puts him through his paces most days on a stationary bike, treadmill or rowing machine.
“Between us, we said we’d stick at it,” Mickan says.
“He sets the standard for us.”
Family is Mickan’s other big passion aside from footy and often they intertwine.
Mickan assists junior coaches at Henley Sharks and Fulham North Primary School, where his sons, Fletcher, 11, and Spencer, 7, play.
With his wife, Callie, Mickan loves watching Crows games with their boys, who are big Eddie Betts fans, and they go to a handful of matches a year.
When the Mickans were in Melbourne, the Crows organised for the youngsters to run out with the team for its game against St Kilda at Marvel Stadium on April 27.
“The boys loved that,” Mickan says.
That is just one example of the massive support Mickan has felt since his diagnosis became public in May 2017.
St Michael’s staff, including principal John Foley, reached out to Mickan while he was in Melbourne.
The trip there and surgery was organised by the AFL Players Association via its alumni manager Brad Fisher, who played for West Adelaide while Mickan was its head of football in 2012.
“They deserve a great deal of thank yous,” Mickan says of the AFLPA.
“They’ve got a fund for people with health conditions that I could tap in to and I was able to do that.
“I wouldn’t have been able to afford to get it done in Melbourne if it wasn’t for them.”
Mickan was greeted with another act of kindness after returning to Adelaide — some of his former SANFL teammates, players and opponents renovated his house.
Fellow 1983 West Adelaide premiership winner Bernie Conlen organised the refurbishment, which included 94-year-old Bloods champion Brian Faehse wielding a pick axe and helping replant the front lawn.
“I thought they might do a few things when I was away because they did ask and I said a couple of doorknobs needed fixing and a couple of sliding doors don’t work,” says Mickan, who also coached Woodville-West Torrens and Glenelg.
“But when I came home, it was unbelievable — new airconditioning, new carpet, painting, shower screens and wardrobes.
“It’s something I’ll never forget.”
Mickan is heading back to Melbourne next month to adjust the stimulus to help his right hand tremor, which has improved a bit but still trembles.
His neurologist can control the Infinity DBS system’s electrical impulses via Bluetooth on an iPad when he visits him and Mickan can adjust it at home with his own iPod.
Mickan continually rests his right hand on his hip to reduce the tremor during the day and places it under his pillow at night, ensuring a better sleep.
He is confident the tremor will improve over time with more treatment.
“I feel very well within myself and that’s the most important thing,” he says.
As Thursday’s training session ends and he prepares to part company, Mickan heads to his bike, but not before sharing a laugh and shaking hands.
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