Michelangelo Rucci

Michelangelo Rucci (born 10 November 1963) is an Australian sports journalist, and writer.

Of Italian descent, Rucci grew up in the western suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia and graduated from Woodville High School. He is an award-winning sports writer in Adelaide and was the longest-serving the chief Australian rules football writer for The Advertiser, Adelaide's only daily newspaper. .[1]

Rucci also covered field hockey for News Limited in the 1988 and 2000 Summer Olympics. He also was a consultant to the president of the International Hockey Federation, Etienne Glichitch, in the 1990s and won the sport's high honour, the President's Award, in 1997.[2]

In 1999 Rucci published and co-authored Dynasty, the story of legendary Port Adelaide coach Fos Williams and his family's dynasty in football.[3]

The SANFL in 2007 awarded Rucci its Gold Media Award for his outstanding contribution to covering football in South Australia.[4]

The AFL in 2006 appointed Rucci to the selection panel for Australian football's Indigenous Team of the Century. The league also had Rucci as a judge for the Norm Smith Medal at the 1994 and 2005 grand finals, the Michael Tuck Medal at the 2008 and 2011 NAB Cup pre-season grand finals and the Allen Aylett Medal at the 2008 AFL Hall of Fame tribute match at the MCG. He is also a selector for the South Australian Football Hall of Fame.[5]

After 22 years at Adelaide radio station 1395FIVEaa, Rucci in 2019 moved to SEN1629SA to co-host the drive-time sports show with Kym Dillon. In the same year, Rucci ended his full-time commitment with The Advertiser after a 37-year stint. He remained as a Saturday columnist and online columnist during the AFL season until April 2020.

Rucci joined InDaily as a football analyst in July 2020.

Rucci was added to the Australian Football Hall of Fame selection committee in 2011.