Full name Michael Byrne Years Club Position(s) Ruckman | Height/Weight 200 cm / 86 kg Name Michael Byrne | |
 | ||
Date of birth (1958-12-02) 2 December 1958 (age 57) | ||
Original team(s) North Shore (Sydney) | ||
Michael Byrne (born 2 December 1958) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne, Hawthorn and Sydney in the Victorian Football League (VFL).
A 200 cm tall ruckman, Byrne started his career at Melbourne in 1977 and one game into his sixth season with the club decided to cross to Hawthorn. Byrne kicked 8 goals straight in his debut game for the Hawks against Footscray in 1982. He finished the year with 47 goals. In 1983, Byrne finished equal fifth in the Brownlow Medal and was a member of Hawthorn's premiership side, kicking three goals in the Grand Final.
He holds the Hawthorn record for the most behinds in a VFL/AFL game without a goal, after kicking 0.8 in a game against Melbourne in 1985. In the history of the league, only Stuart Spencer and Tom Allen are known to have kicked more behinds without a goal (11).
Byrne moved to Sydney in 1987, playing 21 games for the Swans before his retirement at the end of the 1989 VFL season. In all Byrne played 167 league games and kicked 150 goals.
Following his retirement, Byrne became involved in coaching, with his long kicking ability proving an advantage as he became a skills coach in rugby union. He has worked as a coach in England, Scotland, and New Zealand, and was an assistant coach with the Blues in Super Rugby. He is currently the skills coach for Australia.