| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 11 January 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Melbourne, Australia | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Frankston Pines | |||
| Victorian Institute of Sport | |||
| Australian Institute of Sport | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1996 | Frankston Pines | (6) | |
| 1997 | Old Scotch Waverley | (1) | |
| 1998–1999 | Gippsland Falcons | 15 | (0) |
| 2001–2002 | Bentleigh Greens | 46 | (3) |
| 2003 | Frankston Strikers | (10) | |
| 2006 | Frankston Pines | 25 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Michael Anderson (born 11 January 1979) is an Australian former association footballer who played as a defender, predominantly as a sweeper. He is best known for his time with Bentleigh Greens in the Victorian Premier League, where he was a key defensive figure during consecutive finals campaigns in the early 2000s, as well as for making his National Soccer League debut with the Gippsland Falcons.
Fresh from graduating from the Australian Institute of Sport, Anderson made his senior debut in the National Soccer League with the Gippsland Falcons at the start of the 1998–99 season.
On 11 October 1999, aged just 19, Anderson made his first NSL appearance in Round 1, playing the full match in a 2–1 away loss over championship-bound South Melbourne at Lakeside Stadium. [1]
He went on to make a total of 15 league appearances for the Falcons during the 1998–99 season, establishing himself as a reliable defensive option in the latter part of the campaign. [2]
After his time in the NSL, Anderson joined Bentleigh Greens in the Victorian Premier League, where he enjoyed the most prominent period of his club career. Operating primarily as a sweeper, he was a central figure in Bentleigh's defensive structure during the 2001 and 2002 seasons.
Bentleigh Greens qualified for the Victorian Premier League finals in both 2001 and 2002, with Anderson making 22 appearances and scoring three goals in 2001, followed by 24 appearances in 2002. [3] [4]
In 2006, Anderson returned to Frankston Pines, the club where he began his youth career. He made 25 league appearances during the Victorian Premier League season, providing experience and leadership in the back line. [5]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Frankston Pines | 1996 | Victorian State League Division 2 | – | 6 | 0 | 0 | – | 6 |
| Old Scotch Waverley | 1997 | Victorian State League Division 2 | – | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 |
| Gippsland Falcons | 1998–99 | National Soccer League | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Bentleigh Greens | 2001 | Victorian Premier League | 22 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 3 |
| 2002 | Victorian Premier League | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| Total | 46 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 3 | ||
| Frankston Strikers | 2003 | Victorian State League Division 2 South East | – | 10 | 0 | 0 | – | 10 |
| Frankston Pines | 2006 | Victorian Premier League | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Career total | 86 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 86 | 20 | ||