Michael Firrito on Facebook

Promoted from the rookie list, Firrito made his debut in 2003 but only managed two games in his first season. He quickly became a regular for North Melbourne in the coming years, and a formidable opponent as a key backmen.

The former Box Hill Hawks tagger earned himself a NAB Rising Star nomination in 2004 and had the best season of his career in 2007 as the Roos made their way to a Preliminary Final.

The following year, Firrito was awarded the ultimate honour as Shinboner of the Century Glenn Archer presented him with the prized number 11 guernsey. The famous jumper would help Firrito to another strong season in 2008 in which he was selected to represent Australia during the International Rules Series against Ireland.

In 2009, former coach Dean Laidley gave Firrito more opportunities through the midfield. He played every match and averaged 17 possessions a game, also lifting his defensive work rate with 101 tackles for the season.

Darren Crocker 2009 review:
It was an interesting year for Spud. He'd have a good three- or four-week patch, then his form would tail off and then he'd have another couple of good games. By his own admission, it probably wasn't one of his better years. I also thought it was a big learning curve year for him, especially getting thrown back into the midfield and playing a few roles through there. It was very experimental with him and I don't know whether that hurt his year. Two years ago he was in line for All-Australian. He should be pretty motivated.

Draft history: 2003 rookie elevation (North Melbourne)
First game for North Melbourne: Round 12, 2003 v Essendon
Player honours: NAB AFL Rising Star nominee 2004, International Rules Series 2008

Player sponsors: Charles Bongiovanni - Rendina Real Estate, Strategic Financial Planning – Jason Sourasis

Become a North Melbourne fan on Facebook

Follow North Melbourne on Twitter