Wednesday, March 13, 2013
By BEN HARRIS
If you type in Michael Mitchell into YouTube, two incredible sporting moments will come up.
Both are Australian Rules related and the words astonishing and unbelievable come to mind.
They are of Mitchell’s goal against Sydney Swans and mark against Fitzroy Lions.
Subsequently they were named the Goal of the Year and Mark of the Year for 1990.
In a past life, the 50-year-old touch football enthusiast played for the Richmond Tigers.
He represented the Tigers 81 times between 1987 and 1991.
He kicked 103 goals in his career but it was the one against the Swans that he’s best remembered. After gathering the ball near his team’s 50m line, Mitchell took one bounce, then another, and then five more, before calmly drilling home a goal.
It was such an extraordinary goal, not only did it get Goal of the Year, but it was later named the Goal of the Century for Richmond.
“It’s a little bit daunting knowing you got it for a century,” Mitchell said with a laugh.
“I go back for a legends game. They invite me back for the dreamtime… They treat me well when I go back there.”
Nowadays, Mitchell is still playing for the Tigers but for the Western Tigers at the 2013 X-Blades National Touch League at Coffs Harbour.
Touch football is not new for Mitchell, he has been playing since 1984.
“I went to the nationals in Sydney for the men’s open.
“[When I first saw touch football] thought ‘what is this bloody game’ and then it was a smart game and we changed a bit with our pace and skill and I have been playing ever since.”
Mitchell is representing Western Australia in the men’s 50s.
His team won one game and lost two on the first day of the tournament.
“We’ve got some pretty good players who have got the wheels [speed],” he said.
“We just don’t have the regular competition others do week-in and week-out. That’s where we miss out.”
“We just missed out on the semis last year. The Mets were two down with two minutes to go and scored two and drew the game and got in on the strength of that over us, so we are hoping to go one better and make the semis.”
You can keep up-to-date with all of the latest news and information from the 2013 X-Blades National Touch League in the following ways:
Websites
Social Media
Facebook – www.facebook.com/touchfootballaustralia
Twitter – www.twitter.com/touchfootyaus (be sure to use the hashtag #NTL2013)
Instagram – search for ‘Touch Football Australia’
YouTube - www.youtube.com/touchfootballaus
Touch Football Australia will be live streaming matches on their YouTube page.
- Links:
From AFL to touch
