Draft watch: Max Michalanney is hoping to join Adelaide as a father-son selection
Max Michalanney is not your usual father-son story — and his dad didn’t even play for the Adelaide Crows. Find out about his eligibility.
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A Norwood great having children later in life has Adelaide primed to possibly snare its first father-son draftee from its SANFL zones.
Four-time premiership forward Jim Michalanney’s son, Max, is aligned to the Crows due to his dad’s 211 games for the Redlegs from 1974-86.
Max, a 192cm key defender, is considered one of SA’s top draft prospects this year and is set to make his league debut for Norwood on Saturday.
To be eligible to be a father-son pick for Adelaide, a player must have a dad who either lined up in at least 100 AFL games for the club, or 200-plus SANFL matches for the Redlegs, Glenelg, South Adelaide or Sturt between 1970 and 1990.
The Crows famously missed out on being able to secure eventual No. 1 pick Bryce Gibbs in 2006 because his dad, Ross, fell nine short of the minimum games needed during the required period.
Adelaide’s two father-son draftees have been the offspring of club greats - Jackson Edwards in 2017 (dad Tyson) and Ben Jarman (Darren) in 2016.
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A rival club’s recruiter told News Corp it would be an unexpected bonus for the Crows to have access this year to a young gun whose dad played before the club’s inception.
Jim, 66, and Max, 18, are both Adelaide fans who are hopeful of becoming the latest father-son duo at West Lakes.
But they realise there are no guarantees and that Adelaide will not reveal its intentions until just before the draft, so Max is also happy to land anywhere in the AFL.
“I’d definitely love to end up at the Crows but they’re not going to take me if they don’t want me … and any club that gives me the opportunity, I’d be more than grateful to go there,” Max says.
Jim has two children from his first marriage and three boys, including Max, from his second.
He has asked Max if he feels a bit funny having a dad who is a bit older, but his son is not fazed.
“I love footy, I love watching him,” Jim says.
“I’m grateful that I’ve got these boys as an older parent, it’s kept me a lot younger and interested in footy and what they do.
“It’s just worked out that he falls into that (pre-1991 eligibility) category, which is good.”
Max adds: “To me he’s just a normal dad.”
“I’m thankful to have him supporting all my games. No one says anything.”
Max joined the Crows’ academy this year after player manager Peter Rohde alerted the club to his eligibility.
The Rostrevor College graduate had been training with Adelaide’s AFL squad once a week during pre-season.
“Getting to run out with your favourite players, like Tex Walker, Rory Sloane and Tom Doedee was pretty surreal at the start,” he says.
“It’s been big for my development.”
Max has been playing in defence for two years, moving from the midfield after not being able to make Norwood’s under-16 team as a bottom-ager.
Last year he played two games for both the under-17s and under-19s, including in the AFL grand final curtain-raiser in Perth.
Max was named SA’s under-17 MVP for 2021.
His football IQ, running ability, athleticism and evasiveness are among his strengths.
Jim recalls having derision for defenders during his playing career.
“I’ve had to change my mind,” the former key forward laughs.
Born 18 years after Jim’s retirement, Max has read about his dad and some other family members talk about him.
But Jim does not discuss his achievements.
His name is in Norwood’s change rooms on the No. 31 locker due to playing more than 100 games.
“I have watched a couple of old highlights,” Max says.
“He definitely crashed the packs.”
Jim jokes: “They were old black-and-white ones.”
Max grew up in a footy-mad household in Ceduna in SA’s Far West.
Many days were spent kicking the ball on his front lawn with his brothers Tom, now 20, and Jack, 16.
Jim, who moved to the town as principal of the local school, coached the trio at Ceduna Blues to several under-14 premierships in a row.
When the Michalanneys returned to Adelaide, Max joined Glenunga’s juniors and Norwood’s under-13s.
They live in Burnside in Sturt’s zone but Max is at Norwood as a father-son recruit.
Max rang his dad and mum, Amanda, from work on Wednesday morning, straight after Redlegs coach Jade Rawlings told him he would be debuting against North Adelaide at Prospect this Saturday.
“It’s a wonderful thrill for him, me and the family,” Jim says.
Max reckons it will be a dream come true if Adelaide drafts him.
“Over the last couple of years he’s developed tremendously, “ Jim says.
“Rostrevor, under their coach Jimmy Allan, the state program and training with the Crows have helped enormously.”
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