Michael Collica is a former Australian rules football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

er who played with Hawthorn

Hawthorn Football Club

The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...

 and the West Coast Eagles

West Coast Eagles

The West Coast Eagles are an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League. The club is based in Perth, Western Australia. The club was founded in 1986 and played its first games in the 1987 season. Its current home ground is Subiaco Oval...

 in the Australian Football League

Australian Football League

The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

 (AFL).

Playing with East Fremantle

East Fremantle Football Club

The East Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Sharks, is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League . The team's home ground is East Fremantle Oval...

 in the WAFL

West Australian Football League

The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...

, Collica was hampered by hamstring problems early in his career but had a good 1998 season when he was a half back flanker in their premiership winning team. Hawthorn picked him up with the 20th selection of the 1998 AFL Draft

1998 AFL Draft

The 1998 AFL Draft consisted of a pre-season draft, a national draft, a trade period and a rookie elevation. The AFL Draft is the annual draft of talented players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League.In 1998 there...

 and he played every game in his debut season, often matching up against taller forwards. He found himself out of favour with new coach Peter Schwab

Peter Schwab

Peter Schwab is a former Australian rules footballer and coach in the VFL/AFL.-Playing career:Recruited from Bennettswood, he played with Hawthorn from 1980-1991, going on to play 171 games and boot 38 goals...

 in 2000 and at the end of the year was traded to West Coast along with Richard Taylor

Richard Taylor (footballer)

Richard Taylor is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Hawthorn and West Coast in the AFL.Taylor was a rover and made his debut for Hawthorn in a game again Essendon in 1992, contributing 3 goals in a 160 point win. After suffering a knee injury in 1993 he was delisted but was...

, in return for pick 21 in the draft, which Hawthorn used on Nick Ries

Nick Ries

Nick Ries is a former Australian rules footballer who played as a midfielder for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League . He was drafted at pick 21 in the 2000 AFL Draft....

.

Under coach Ken Judge

Ken Judge

- Playing career :He was recruited from East Fremantle Football Club to Hawthorn and made an immediate impact in his VFL debut in 1983, being part of a premiership side in his first season and winning the Hawks' Best First Year Player award...

, who had been in charge of Hawthorn when he started his league career, Collica proved a durable player at half back. He did not miss any of the 45 games which West Coast played in 2001 and 2002, including an elimination final against Essendon

Essendon Football Club

The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...

.

After being delisted following an injury plagued 2003 season, Collica continued his career at East Fremantle before retiring in 2006.