Micky O Heading To Mogo
The 36-year-old, who played 303 games across 15 seasons with the bloods, highlighted by a 2005 premiership, will return to the heritage town for the second time in four years.
O’Loughlin’s mercurial brilliance on field earned him the nickname ‘magic’ during his playing days, and two years after his 2009 retirement the newly-formed Mogo Junior Football club re-branded as the ‘Mogo Magic’ in homage to their hero.
Since their inception the Magic have enjoyed a stellar run across all age groups in the South Coast Juniors League, winning premeirships in U12s and U14s in 2012, and never failing to feature in the finals in any grade.
The club is hoping to field an additional U16 team in 2014, and with a focus on spirit and community, volunteers are always welcome.
The tight knit Mogo community has a large Indigenous population, and O’Loughlin’s ties to the town are fitting, considering his standing as an Indigenous icon, underlined by his selection in the Indigenous Team of the Century in 2005.
On the morning of Saturday February 8 O’Loughlin will hold a clinic with local Auskick participants and their parents, before coordinating a training session for U12s, U 14s, and U16s.
After lunch and a quick visit to the Mogo Zoo with his family, O’Loughlin will touch base with youngsters being put through their paces at an Indigenous talent combine in the afternoon, before returning home to the Harbour City.
AFL NSW/ACT Indigenous Programs Coordinator Katriina Heikkanen is excited about the prospect of unearthing talent alongside O’Loughlin.
“Mogo has traditionally had a strong focus on Rugby League, but AFL is growing quickly in popularity,” Katriina Heikkanen said.
“There is so much potential and talent amongst the kids – there have been a handful of Mogo products who have been selected in the Indigenous Talent Academy in the last few years – so Michael and I will be watching with a lot of interest on Saturday.”
Here is the full schedule for Staurday February 8:
9:30 – 10:00am – Welcome to country address
10:00 – 11:00am – Michael O’Loughlin to have session with Auskick kids and parents.
11:00 – 12:00pm – Training session with Michael O’Loughlin and volunteers
12:00 – 1:00pm – Lunch
2:00 – 3:00pm – AFL staff and volunteers travel to Hanging Rock Sports Complex to set up for Indigenous Talent Combine
3:00 – 5:00pm -Indigenous Combine testing
5:30pm – Finish