Mike Dabulas Leaves Old Glory DC

By Alistair Kirsch-Poole
Dec 3, 2024 - 9:00am

Mike Dabulas, nicknamed Chicken, has announced that he will no longer be playing for Old Glory DC in a post on Instagram. He has been a long time staple of the OGDC roster going back to the team's first MLR match in 2020. He played in just a couple matches that year, but showed major upside by scoring a try. The next season was a massive step forward, with Dabulas played in 14 matches, 12 of them in the starting lineup. He primarily played fullback, but when Jason Robertson went down injured Dabulas took up the 10 jersey and looked electric in the role. His great season got him noticed by the national team, giving him the opportunity to earn a couple caps with the national side.

Unfortunately, this is where the story turns. Due to injuries, Dabulas was largely unavailable to start the 2022 season, and shortly after the halfway mark, he once again went down with a season-ending injury. Despite only getting in six matches, he managed an impressive three tries. Things didn't improve in 2023, though, with another season-ending injury barely a third of the way into the season taking him out once again.

Having not played a full season in years, this past season was a rocky one for Dabulas. He struggled to regain the confident and electric form of his early career, and as such only earned three caps for a total of less than 50 minutes of playing time.

There have been positive signs since then. This offseason he had a great run out at the RugbyTown 7s, making their dream team, and he has started playing in BC Premiership, a high level amateur competition in Canada. Hopefully, he's able to rebuild his confidence in these competitions and find his way back to MLR form.

What is certain is that he will not be doing so at Old Glory DC for the foreseeable future. The team needed to move on from a player who, through no fault of his own, wasn't at a level where he could contribute to the team. Dabulas, meanwhile, could well benefit from the opportunity to start from a blank slate, somewhere the memories and echoes of past highs don't ring so loud. For fans, he will remain one of the team's greatest what-could-have-been's, an exciting career that has stalled just as it should have been gaining momentum.

Best of luck, Chicken.