Michael Desmond Rea (born 10 December 1956) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

in the

Victorian Football League The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...

(VFL) and

Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...

in the

West Australian Football League The West Australian Football League (WAFL) is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The league currently consists of ten teams, which play each other in a 20-round season usually lasting from March to September ...

(WAFL). Recruited from Edithvale-Aspendale, Rea made three appearances with Melbourne late in the

1978 VFL season The 1978 VFL season was the 82nd season of the Victorian Football League (VFL), the highest level senior Australian rules football competition in Victoria. The season featured twelve clubs, ran from 1 April until 30 September, and comprised a 2 ...

, all of which they lost. He wasn't kept on Melbourne's list the following year and joined

, with whom he would be a prolific forward until

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

, except for a brief stint with Mines Rovers in Collie during the 1984 season. Rea topped the goal-kicking at Perth every season between

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street bridges, 14th Street Bridge in ...

and 1988 and he won two

Bernie Naylor Medal The Bernie Naylor Medal is an Australian rules football award which is given to the leading goalkicker at the end of each home and away season in the West Australian Football League. It is named after South Fremantle full-forward Bernie Naylor. Be ...

s as the WAFL's leading goal-kicker. He won the first in 1985 when he kicked exactly 100 goals and he backed it up in 1986 with 90 goals as Perth played senior finals for the first time since 1978 and the third-last occasion as of 2014. Although Rea never reached double figures for Perth's senior team despite averaging 3.87 goals per match, in his last appearance when relegated after indifferent form to reserve grade he kicked fourteen goals.McDonald, Ron; 'Rea Is Ready to Bow Out'; ''The West Australian'', 22 August 1988, p. 117

References

*Holmesby, Russell and Main, Jim (2007). ''The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers''. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.

External links

*
Mick Rea's playing statistics
from WAFL Footy Facts
Demon Wiki profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rea, Mick 1956 births Living people Melbourne Football Club players Perth Football Club players Australian rules footballers from Victoria (Australia)