Michael Stapleton – 300 Senior Games for Mt Lofty
Another incredible day of celebration awaits us.
Described by a former A Grade Coach as “A real club bloke” and a “big game player”, Michael Stapleton, will play his 300th Senior Game for Mt Lofty this week in his 21st season of senior football and 33 years since first wearing the red and white as a junior.
Such dedication to the club goes back to Michael, as a five year old playing in the under 10’s when, according to eldest brother Damien, he would take a football to bed with him. Speaking with Michael, he said he actually went to bed on Friday nights wearing his footy gear too, ready for the game ahead. History is repeating itself with Riley insisting on sleeping in his Mt Lofty polo shirt and Rufus regularly seen with a football under his arm.
Injury this year has delayed the wonderful 300 game achievement, which at one stage looked as though it might have occurred on the same day as brother in law, Brad Burch, when he played his 300th A Grade game in the side’s great win over Onkaparinga Valley. The whole Stapleton and Burch family will again be at the Heathfield Oval with wife Jess and sons Riley and Rufus watching very closely and barracking for Dad.
A novel twist is that Mt Lofty will be playing Bridgewater at Arkaba Oval and Michael has lived his whole life in Bridgewater or “Verdun Heights” as the family likes to refer to their home town. Mt Lofty was indeed extremely lucky to have Michael playing for the club and not Bridgewater, as his eldest brother Damien, chose to play footy with his best mate at St Catherine’s School, David Lovell. How fortunate have the Devils been to have had brothers Damien, Matthew and Michael play so many hundreds of games, each being members of A Grade Premiership sides.
Speaking with another member of a Mt Lofty family and former A Grade Coach, Bruce Dawes, who played 362 senior games for the club, Michael was described as having a huge football IQ, having good skills and always “fighting above his weight”. Bruce has always seen him as a “big game player” who in contests against bigger opponents would more often than not work his magic to win those one on one contests.
In support of the “big game player” description is the fact that Michael won the B Grade Best on Ground Award, the Harold Raymond Medal, 2 years in a row in the B Grade’s Premierships in 2006 and 2007. In 2008 came one of his favourite Mt Lofty memories when he played with brother Matthew and brother in law Brad Burch, in the third in a row A Grade Premiership.
While Michael is now playing in defence and is happy to do so at this stage of his career, his early years were spent up forward and on the wing which was his preferred position and where he played some outstanding football. First playing A Grade at 17 he had been in Sturt’s development squads and later played in their Under 17 and Under 19 sides before the lure of his mates and the Mt Lofty Devils drew him back.
Michael ‘s return to Mt Lofty saw him play all of his football in A Grade between 2001 and 2004 until hamstring injuries began to derail his seasons and then in 2010 a terrible accident where a vehicle ran into him as a pedestrian and broke his leg, saw him miss games in 2010 and 2011. Recovery from this and ongoing hamstring issues have seen him miss games and restrict his opportunities in A Grade, but he will have amassed 124 at A Grade level and 176 in the B Grade when he runs onto the field this week.
So after 300 Senior matches and 87 matches in Under 14 and Under 17, Michael’s list of honours is impressive:
- A Grade Premiership player in 2008,
- B Grade Premiership player in 2006, 2007 & 2014
- Harold Raymond Medallist in 2006 and 2007 as Best on Ground in the Grand Finals,
- Best and Fairest 2017 B Grade
- Runner up B&F B Grade in 2010, 2013 & 2019
- Best 1st year player in the A Grade 2001
- Association player in 2003 when the side was Captained by Brad Burch
- Member of Grand Final Sides in Under 14’s in 1995 and Under 17’s in 2000
Discussion of players and coaches highlighted that Michael really admired the efforts of team mates over the years including Adam “Trigger” Trzesinski , Andrew “Billy” Bawden, Sam Miles, brother in law Brad Burch and brother Matthew. Coaches to have had a significant influence include, Ben Coleman and Kym Bartlett with Michael Bawden in his first year at the club impressing Michael who used the word “gold” to describe the influence he is having on the young players promoted from the last two U18 Premierships.
Another question which is probably on everybody’s lips too is, how did he get the nick name “Nipple”, which is so much a part of his Mt Lofty identity? Michael attributes it to a very inventive junior team mate, Daniel Hampton, who turned a routine training handball exercise into something more creative by randomly assigning names to each player as they handled the ball. “Nipple” just came out of the blue from Daniel and stuck from that moment on. Don’t we all love footy clubs and their culture?
So what does the future hold for this 38 year old who is the Manager of the Murray Bridge jewellery store which is a part of the family group of Offe stores, also located in Mt Barker and Berri and for which Michael has worked for 18 years. Will he return to some of his interests with his young family, taking them snowboarding or wakeboarding which were such a great part of his earlier life where the Lovell and Dolman families would have their great friends up to their properties on the Murray River for hours of enjoyment on the water. Or, will his passion for the great Australian game and for Mt Lofty and his many friends, continue to draw him back as he “takes it year by year”?
A little further down the track it will probably include involvement in junior football as Stapleton/Burch sons, nephews and at least one niece rise through the ranks. This could see up to another ten family members wearing the red and white.
The answer as to when Michael might retire will no doubt be the subject of discussion within the Stapleton family with his beautiful wife and “Manager”, Jess, having knowledgeable and practical input, no doubt learned from her father, Rex Robinson and brothers Brett and Alex, all dedicated Mt Lofty clubmen. Alex was also part of the 2014 B Grade grand final with Michael.
Congratulations on becoming another Mt Lofty icon by achieving 300 wonderful games Michael. All Mt Lofty and Hills Football League people recognise this magnificent milestone and wish you the very best for the future.
