Nick Malceski
2005-2014
176 games
67 goals
Premiership Player 2012 
All Australian 2014

Bio

Benjamin Franklin once said, 'Write injuries in dust, benefits in marble.' When Nick Malceski faced each of his three knee reconstructions, he applied Franklin's logic by focusing on the good and leaving misfortune behind.

After being drafted from the Eastern Ranges to the Sydney Swans with pick 64 in the 2002 national draft, Malceski impressed during his first season, growing in stature with every reserves match he played. Leading into the 2004 season, he looked primed for an AFL debut before rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a pre-season trial match in Canberra.

Malceski told Swans Media, "I guess the year I did have off, I learned a lot because I was helping out the twos and sitting in the coaches' box, and I think just from general knowledge of the game, and what the Swans wanted as a collective group, I learned a lot. It put me in good stead for the next year."

The Swans began the 2005 season slowly, and after a loss to St Kilda that coach Paul Roos described as 'The worst performance of the season', Malceski earned his long-awaited senior debut. "It's been a pretty long road for him, and it's an outstanding effort for him to be playing his first senior game so close to having a reconstruction," Roos said at the time

"He's a very good ball user, he's got good pace, and he's a pretty good decision-maker as well. We're not expecting him to revamp the whole team in one week because it's his first game, but we think he gives another dimension to the team."

Malceski kicked a goal with his first disposal and looked the part in the 25-point win. He played five senior games and was chosen as one of the three emergencies for the 2005 Grand Final win against West Coast. The following year, he played in finals victories over West Coast and Fremantle before taking his place in the Swans' 2006 Grand Final team that lost to the Eagles by a point.

Leading into the 2007 season, Malceski sensed an opportunity to play an even more significant role within the team. Utilising his supreme left-footed kicking ability, he became an attacking weapon, providing the Swans with speed and precision rebounding from defence. While the team couldn't quite reach the heights of '05 and '06, Macleski enjoyed a breakout season, finishing second in the best and fairest while earning selection in the preliminary All-Australian squad.

Yet, just as his career looked set to truly launch, a second ACL injury suffered during a 2008 pre-season game brought Macleski's world crashing down. This time, Malceski, alongside the Swans' medical staff — who'd travelled to some of Europe’s most prominent football clubs — investigated a revolutionary procedure. Known as LARS, the reconstruction method, which uses synthetic material, was largely experimental, and the extraordinary recovery time of 12 weeks helped shape Malceski's decision to opt in.

After 11 weeks, Malceski returned to football, playing 11 games, including two finals in 2008. Before the 2009 season, Macleski joined Jarrad McVeigh and Jarred Moore as new additions to the Swans' leadership group. The trio were selected because the club's senior players believed they could provide Roos with a younger perspective on the club's future direction.

Unfortunately, Malceski struggled for confidence and form in '09 before returning to his best footy in 2010, finishing seventh in the Swans' best and fairest. A third ACL injury before the 2011 season began brought his future under severe scrutiny, before he returned from a second LARS procedure to play his 100th match in June.

Ahead of his milestone match, when asked if he thought he'd ever reach his century of games, Malceski told The Age, "If you asked me that when I started at the Swans, I would have said no. I was a young kid back then, and getting 100 games is a big milestone in anyone's category."

"And doing three knees, that's another reason why I didn't think I was going to get there. If LARS wasn't around, I don't think I would have got there. I'm grateful for that."

In 2011, John Longmire accepted the senior coaching mantle from Paul Roos, and the Swans reached the semi-finals in his first year at the helm. Malceski played in both finals matches under his new coach, and Sydney approached the 2012 season confidently.

Longmire's game plan became known as 'slingshot' footy, enhanced by Nick Malceski's penetrative left boot, which rebounded the Swans from defence swiftly into attack. After a promising start to the year, Malceski was dropped for three games mid-season before returning with a renewed sense of purpose. From Round 15, he reclaimed and retained his spot, playing well in two magnificent finals victories over Adelaide and Collingwood that ensured the Swans' place in the 2012 Grand Final against Hawthorn.

Leading into the decider, Malceski shared his heartache of missing a premiership in '06, with the team's younger players. His perfectly executed left foot snap from an almost impossible angle to kick the Swans' first goal was instrumental in settling nerves and driving the team forward. Then, with 40 seconds remaining, his second goal was equally impressive and sealed the Swans' 10th premiership win.

"I kicked it out of mid-air," Malceski said after the match. "It went high. I was just hoping it went the distance. Once it did, I knew there wasn't much time to go, and we were up by 10 points. I just went nuts. I can't explain how good this feeling is. Everything I've been through in my career, I've done my knee three times. It just does not matter."

Malceski played an outstanding Grand Final, with his two goals coming from 17 possessions. He also laid seven tackles and executed his defensive role superbly. He played two more fine seasons for the Swans, with his final match in red and white culminating in a 26-disposal performance as one of the team's best in a disappointing 2014 Grand Final loss to Hawthorn.

An All-Australian in 2014, Malceski announced a week later that he would be finishing his career at the Gold Coast Suns. “I am sad to have to leave Sydney," he said. It has been great to me, and I owe the club so much. I came to the club as an 18-year-old and have become the person I am today because of this place and its people and culture.”

"To have mentors like John Longmire, Brett Kirk and Adam Goodes was such a privilege, and those habits, values, and behaviours are forever with me."

In return, John Longmire paid tribute, "I've been fortunate to be at the Swans for the entirety of Nick's football career, and he's been an absolute pleasure to coach and a great person to have around the club."

"While his performance in the 2012 Grand Final will go down in Swans history, his overall contribution to the Swans has been fantastic. He's shown determination to overcome three knee reconstructions, he's been a fantastic player for our football club, he's a great person, and I wish him a successful end to his career."

In 2018, Malceski's bookend goals in the 2012 Grand Final were added to the Swans Heritage List, etched forever in club history. One of a group of Swans players with three stars tattooed on their bodies, Malceksisymbolised the club's hard, disciplined, relentless ethos across his 12 seasons in Sydney.