Essendon key position player Michael Hurley hopes to follow in the footsteps of veteran defender Dustin Fletcher by establishing himself as a key backman for the Bombers.

 

Hurley, who was named as the Round 18 Rising Star nominee, has spent time at both ends of the ground this season but says he hopes to establish a more permanent role at centre-half back.

 

""I am really enjoying it down back at the moment. It is really good to be able to play alongside guys like Dustin Fletcher and Cale Hooker and they help me out,” Hurley said.

 

“Fletch is just amazing. He has been doing the job in defence for so long and he is such a fantastic player. I suppose it is a great honour to be able to line up alongside him and hopefully I can continue to do it for a number of years to come.

 

“He is a great bloke to have around the club and the way he goes about everything is fantastic. I guess he’s a great bloke to learn off.""
 

 

The 20-year-old received the Round 18 Rising Star nomination following an impressive individual performance in the Bombers' 33-point win against the Saints in which he gathered 30 disposals (18 kicks and 12 handpasses) and 13 marks in a key defensive role.

 

He joins a select group of players who have been nominated for the NAB AFL Rising Star twice. The 193cm, key position player was first nominated in Round 20, 2009 after another Essendon victory against St Kilda.

 

“I am really happy to have received a second nomination because I hadn’t really thought too much about it until Matthew Knights came up to me before the  team meeting yesterday to congratulate me on the nomination,” Hurley said.

 

“I guess it is good to have started playing a bit better football and it is good to get acknowledged I suppose.

 

“I had a bit of a sluggish start to the year and I did struggle early on but I think being thrown down back and having played in the same position for the last three or four weeks has helped.

 

“I think a combination of a set role and a strong team performance has allowed my form to gradually get better and hopefully we will continue to improve as a side.”
 

 

Essendon Assistant Coach Gary O’Donnell praised Hurley’s recent form and says that the best of 20-year-old is still yet to come.

 

“We are going to see the best of him next year and in future years to come,” O’Donnell said.

 

“We think he is going to be a wonderful player for us and he has just showed glimpses of that in the last couple of weeks.

 

“We hope he has a good finish to the year.”