Michael Wright 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 South Melbourne

Sydney Swans

The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...

 in the Victorian 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...

 (VFL).

Wright was versatile key position player, recruited from Oakleigh Districts, the same club his brother Stephen

Stephen Wright (Australian rules footballer)

Stephen Wright is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Sydney Swans during the 1980s and early 90s. He coached Highett Football Club in 2007 & 2008 in the Southern Football League....

 started out at. Their father Jack holds the most games played record with the Box Hill Football Club.

He first played in the 1978 VFL season

1978 VFL season

Results and statistics for the Victorian Football League season of 1978.-Grand final:Hawthorn defeated North Melbourne 18.13 to 15.13 , in front of a crowd of 101704 people...

 and in his second game, against Fitzroy

Fitzroy Football Club

The Fitzroy Football Club, formerly nicknamed The Lions, is an Australian rules football club formed in 1883 to represent the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, Victoria and was a foundation member club of the Victorian Football League on its inception in 1897...

 at Junction Oval, he kicked five behinds, but only one goal. Despite starting as a forward he was often as a full-back by South Melbourne and he had his most productive season in 1979 with 17 appearances. He played some good football from centre half-forward in 1980 and in a win over Footscray took nine marks and had 21 disposals.

In 1981 he was involved in a three-way trade, which resulted in him joining SANFL

South Australian National Football League

The South Australian National Football League is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the governing body for the sport of Australian rules football in South Australia....

 club Central District. North Melbourne player Maurice Boyse

Maurice Boyse

Maurice Boyse is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Essendon, North Melbourne and South Melbourne in the Victorian Football League ....

 was Wright's replacement and North received Peter Jonas

Peter Jonas (footballer)

Peter Jonas is a former Australian rules footballer who played with North Melbourne in the VFL during the 1980s....

 from Central District.

As a forward, he was a regular fixture in the Central District team but after a pay dispute in 1984 left the club for North Adelaide.