Michael Prior (born 6 September 1973) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the AFL's Essendon Football Club and the West Coast Eagles.
Drafted 3rd overall in the 1992 AFL Draft, he made the unusual choice at the time to remain with his original club, East Perth, for the 1993 season as he felt that playing regular league football in the WAFL would be better for his development. Kevin Sheedy disagreed with this theory but allowed him to do so.
He played 81 games for the Bombers between 1994 and 2000. After the 2000 season, he was dropped by the Bombers and then picked up by West Coast. He spent two seasons with the Eagles and played just 9 games for them due to a devastating knee injury suffered in Round 7 2001, he recovered and continued his tally of games with East Perth in the WAFL when not required and was a member of their 2002 premiership side.
After retiring from AFL football he continued to play with East Perth until the end of the 2003 season. In total he played 69 games for the Royals.
He was colourfully referred to by 3AW commentator Rex Hunt as "prior conviction".
At the end of 2007 he ended his stint as coach of East Perth Colts and is now a skills coach at Fremantle.
Famous quotes containing the words michael and/or prior:
“Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.”
—Monty Python’s Flying Circus. first broadcast Sept. 22, 1970. Michael Palin, in Monty Python’s Flying Circus (BBC TV comedy series)
“And ‘tis remarkable that they
Talk most who have the least to say.”
—Matthew Prior (1664–1721)