Past Player of the Week - Michael Werner

[The Speaker]

Michael Werner

​

DOB: 10/06/1969

Height: 188 cm

Weight: 88 kg

Playing number: 24

Arrived: Drafted with pick nine in the 1988 VFL draft from West Torrens

Debut: Round 6 vs North Melbourne, 1989 – 951st Essendon player

Games: 40

Goals: 60

Departed: Traded to Sydney at the end of the 1992 season

Taken ahead of Michael Long due to a perceived need for talls, Michael Werner was selected at pick nine in 1988. A Canberran by birth, Werner played with Eastlake in his junior days, before donning the red and black at Manuka-Weston. His selection came off the back of a 38-goal season for West Torrens in the SANFL, playing at full forward. His best season was 1990, where he managed 27 goals in 14 games, helped by two bags of five to start the season.

He only managed six games in 1991, including four goals in the Elimination Final against Melbourne, which he followed up with two more four goal hauls upon his return in 1992. But he only managed one goal in his last six games for the club, and was traded off to Sydney at the end of 1992, where he lasted another two seasons. He went on to play for Gisborne in the Riddell District Football League, managing to kick 173 goals in 1997, helping them to the premiership.

 

[The Speaker]

So yes, this is a new weekly thread shamelessly stolen from the West Coast board (we have a better history, FiveStrings). Every week I will pick a player at random (leaning heavily towards players from eras we are more likely to remember) to profile. You can then talk about whatever you remember about him - if you remember him at all.

 

[Miguel Sanchez]

So yes, this is a new weekly thread shamelessly stolen from the West Coast board (we have a better history, FiveStrings). Every week I will pick a player at random (leaning heavily towards players from eras we are more likely to remember) to profile. You can then talk about whatever you remember about him - if you remember him at all.

Longer =/= better

 

[Blind Turn]

Frustrating and at times, dumb, footballer. Had talent but spent too long wasting space in our forward line threading daisy chains and licking toad's backs...

 

[BrunoV]

I think I remember the name but I don't remember him.

Can we do profiles on Jenkins, Monfries and Crameri in the next three weeks?

 

[The Speaker]

Can we do profiles on Jenkins, Monfries and Crameri in the next three weeks?

Retired players only for the time being.

 

[Doss]

The predecessor to Smokin' Joe in #24.

No memory of him- too young.

He managed another twenty games at Sydney over 1993-94, to end with sixty for his career.

Anyone know what he is up to now?

 

[Doss]

Here is a little breakdown of his career statistics from AFL Tables, as an aside: http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/M/Michael_Werner.html

 

[The Speaker]

Here is a little breakdown of his career statistics from AFL Tables, as an aside: http://afltables.com/afl/stats/players/M/Michael_Werner.html

How did he keep getting a game in '92?

 

[Jobe is King]

Should have hung onto him for a bit longer.. kicked 173 goals in a season for Gisborne in the Riddell District FL in '97, including a bag of 28 in a game. Not a bad effort.

 

[Doss]

How did he keep getting a game in '92?

Well, we did have a few kids in their first season and Terry Daniher and Simon Madden spent most of 1992 in the reserves.

 

[wba1977]

Looked a real player early in 1990. I remember his kicking 5 against the hawks (reigning premiers) in front of a big crowd early in the season and I thought he was the answer up forward. Unfortunately didn't pan out that way.

 

[HurlsMeister18]

I can't remember him but can remember my old man always telling me about a game Werner cost us against Collingwood at Waverley when he ran into an open goal and missed.

 

[biglaycock]

Played against him whilst he was at Gisborne and he was a machine ( loved smacking the smaller blokes around though and wasn't well liked in general), worked in tandem with another former bomber Brad Fox. I have a reasonably amusing story from one day when we played them if you can be arsed reading.

Anyway they were clearly the best team that year absolutely flogging everyone, we were ordinary, middle of the road and mainly full of kids, probably a 20-25 goal loss expected. One of our older guys says at Thursday night training "put me at full back and he won't kick 4 goals", everyone thought it hilarious as Werner had been killing even the other top sides.

our coach scoffing at the idea of this 5ft 7inch 70kg bloke keeping him under that amount says "if you do, beer is on me until midnight" , game starts and MW kicks 3 in the first 10 mins, everyone was finding it rather amusing as word had spread amongst the supporters. Anyhow ball comes out of middle and MW has a 10 metre break on our bloke and takes a chest mark 25 directly out, without warning our bloke keeps on running and shoves him straight in the back causing MW to land on the ball busting his rib (couldn't even take the free kick after 50 metres had been awarded which put him on the goal line) Our bloke calm as ever as MW being helped off looks up, smiles and says "told ya". Then walks to the bench and says, **** this I've done my job where is ya wallet I'm heading to the bar.

 

[windyhill]

I can't remember him but can remember my old man always telling me about a game Werner cost us against Collingwood at Waverley when he ran into an open goal and missed.

Oh. My.God. This was 1991, this was a little (only a little) chance of revenge for the disaster of '90 (way worse than '99 in my book) Wet slippery day,last quarter, Werner has the ball fall into his lap, I'm already out of my seat celebrating and he ****ing misses. Unforgivable. It summed his time at Essendon up, frustrating. ****, I'm not going to sleep tonight.

 

[Beerfish]

I think I remember the name but I don't remember him

Same. Had a moment or two last night as well when I read the names Tony Antrobus and Peter Berbakov.

Longer =/= better

That's true. It does equal longer though. How many times have you done Johnny Gastev?

 

[Pevers-Legend]

A spud in the best sense. He was a Sheddy special.

 

[84859300]

I can't remember him but can remember my old man always telling me about a game Werner cost us against Collingwood at Waverley when he ran into an open goal and missed.

Draws two players and had two open players on his right on a lesser angle.

Inside 50 starts at 2.37 in.

 

[yaco55]

UM Eggs summed Warner up perfectly. Had enough AFL attributes but was a dumb player.

 

[Bombers36]

Great thread and idea 'The Speaker', its always good to reminisce about past players at the club. I'm 41 & I remember this bloke - seemed a bit enigmatic but was talented, and he managed to play in a couple of finals & kicked his 60 goals in 40 games for us which isn't a bad effort. Sydney must have seen something in him also picking him up from us, not sure how good he was for them but certainly a serviceable player whilst he was at the Bombers.

 

[Yoda_]

Next weeks 'past player' tribute should be Terry Daniher in lue of his 'Open Mike' segment to appear on Fox Footy on Monday night at 830pm

 

[The Speaker]

Next weeks 'past player' tribute should be Terry Daniher in lue of his 'Open Mike' segment to appear on Fox Footy on Monday night at 830pm

shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[astrowizzle]

played against this guy through my junior days in canberra. Had a lot of talent but just not a team player and i couldnt believe we wasted a pick on him. CAnt say anymore about him - was not what i would call a good bloke whatsoever

 

[NAB777]

Weird... I did a couple of pre-seasons with him back in 89/90 or so, and he was a really good bloke, I thought.

 

[Doss]

We all have different tastes in people, I guess.

The Speaker, when you start the next past player thread, do you have any objection to this being moved to the History sub-board? And then the same thing being repeated with every thread?

I figure they'll get less 'lost' on the sub-board.