Former Essendon star, All-Australian defender to play for Swan Hill this weekend

A promise to a mate has led a former Essendon star and All-Australian defender to play a country footy game this weekend.

Former Essendon Bomber Michael Hurley has made sure he has kept his promise to a Central Murray football club.

The 194-game AFL player will don the colours of Swan Hill this weekend to play for them against Nyah Nyah West.

Hurley, after retiring last year, has been playing for Macleod in the Northern Football League, kicking eight goals in three games.

This weekend he will not play for the Kangaroos, instead playing for the Swans and being part of a Sportsman’s dinner later in the night.

“He’s (Hurley) a good friend of one of our committee members,” Swan Hill president Chris Craig-Neal.

Michael Hurley playing for Macleod. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Michael Hurley playing for Essendon. Picture: Michael Klein

“He promised us a game a couple of years ago.

“We’re very excited (about him coming), it’s been something we’ve been planning for a little while.”

Confirmation of the game came about a week ago, despite it being two years in the making.

Swan Hill head into the contest with one win and one loss for the season.

The club has good form against Nyah Nyah West, winning four of their past six matches against the Demons.

The club is hoping Hurley’s involvement will be what the team needs to win its second match in a row.

“We’ll use him as required,” Craig-Neal said.

“We haven’t brought him in to bring change to the senior side, we’ve brought him in as a marquee player.

“Hopefully he’ll make a big difference with the existing squad.”

Craig-Neal said the team was rebuilding this season after falling away a little bit after Covid.

After making the finals from 2017 to 2019 the club hasn’t done it since.

“The competition is very competitive so the reason to rebuild is constant because of the competitiveness of the league,” Craig-Neal said.

“The first week we lost, it wasn’t as bad as what it looked on the scoreboard.

“There was a lot of skill errors and last week we played the Mallee Eagles and the performance was great (in the win).

“We’re going along nicely.”

Hurley will be in action at 2.30pm at the Swan Hill Recreation Reserve before the Sportsman’s dinner starts at 7.30pm.

Tickets for the night are $50 and can be purchased at Angus Finance in Swan Hill or at the club on Thursday night during training.

For more information about the event head here.