Michie was drafted in 2010, but a foot injury saw him sit out the entire 2011 and 2012 seasons.
The 21-year-old hardly kicked a football during this period, but in 2013 he has finally made it onto the playing field and excelled at WAFL level.
Selected as a travelling emergency for the game against Geelong, Michie was given the late news on Saturday morning that he’d be lining up against the Cats because defender Lee Spurr was unwell.
Knowing only that he was an emergency, Michie’s family – father, John, mother, Andrea, and sister, Della - made the trip to Geelong to spend the day with Viv.
It was there that his mother said they were given the good news.
“When he jumped in the car, he said ‘you’re not going to believe it, I’m going to be playing,” Andrea said.
“We were shocked, stunned, amazed and rapt.”
Andrea said her son’s AFL debut had meant so much to the entire family, considering the journey he had endured to get there.
“It was incredible after two and a half years, we were starting to wonder if it would ever happen,” she said.
“It’s been really tough lately. The longer it’s gone on, the tougher it’s got.
“But we’re very proud of him.
“It was a very exciting and stressful day.”
Despite being upset at the loss to Geelong, Viv was visibly emotional in the rooms after the game with his family.
“It was awesome, I was so glad they were here,” he said.
“They’ve been my main support throughout from an early age and definitely in the past couple of years through the injury and everything that has gone on.
“I was just happy that they got to be here and experience it with me.
“I’ll remember it forever.”
