Mark Robinson analyses Harry McKay’s problems ahead of Carlton’s crucial game against Geelong

Lochie O’Brien felt the blowtorch after one mistake last Thursday night but, Mark Robinson asks, why wasn’t the finger also pointed at a flawed superstar?

Harry McKay after a Blues loss in 2019.

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Poor Lochie O’Brien, always the whipping boy.

When really the whips should be cracking at Harry McKay.

O’Brien, the Carlton midfielder, was activated at three-quarter time last Thursday night and he apparently lost the game for the Blues in the final 90 seconds.

He got a head of steam on the Shane Warne wing and took four bounces, with a buggered Daniel Rioli unable to reel him in.

It was exciting and headstrong with time ticking, but O’Brien didn’t kick it to McKay, who was somewhat free galloping into the Carlton forward 50, and who then fell over.

Harry McKay after Carlton’s round 18 loss last season.

O’Brien found himself the focus of Monday’s media reviews and supporter wrath.

He should’ve kicked it to McKay earlier. He should’ve stopped and propped and kicked the ball sideways or backwards. He should’ve done anything other than that what he did.

Even if he did get the ball to McKay, who is to say McKay would’ve iced the game?

Winning and losing is a team performance, but if the finger is being pointed at individuals, this time O’Brien, then it should also be pointed at McKay.

Because, across the game, McKay made more mistakes than O’Brien.

The Blues powerhouse forward kicked 1.2 from four shots, the out of bounds coming when he marked and played on the in second quarter and splayed the kick to his left.

Harry McKay celebrates a goal.

McKay laments a missed opportunity in round 1 against Richmond.

In the third quarter, he missed a now-customary snap around the body after taking a mark 30m from goal.

About a minute later, he had a similar shot at goal from near-enough the same spot, this time missing with a set shot.

Clearly, the demon lives happily in McKay’s head.

Drop punt or around the body?

It’s a decision which seemingly spooks him.

Last season, he kicked 45.31. More to the point, from Round 18 to Round 1 this year, he kicked 10.13 at an average of 1.4 goals per game.

As well as his 1.2 against the Tigers, McKay had a game-high seven turnovers, yet some observers would still have you believe O’Brien lost the game.

McKay is a duffer kind of player.

He is commanding in parts of his game and calamitous in others, most pointedly his kicking for goal.

He looks superbly fit too, rock hard in the torso, and is playing high and deep as he works in tandem with Charlie Curnow.

You could easily argue he’s the best contested mark in the game.

But there’s always a but: His goalkicking is a major flaw.

As a package, he’s not unlike former Collingwood powerhouse forward Travis Cloke, left-foot and all.

At 25, the question is: Will McKay always be the Calamity Kid in front of goal or can he strangle his demon?

Cloke never did. He played 13 seasons and kicked 452 goals and 369 behinds.

McKay, playing in his seventh season seven, has kicked 175 goals and 124 behinds.

Both average exactly 1.4 behinds per game.

McKay is a dominant player, but can he be regarded as a superstar player when he’s so unreliable in front of goals? No. Not yet anyway.

And it’s hurting the Blues.

For example, the Blues last year lost three games by less than a goal and in two of those games — round 22 and 23 — McKay had 12 shots at goal and registered 5.4 and had three misses altogether.

Accurate goalkicking remains the most important stat in footy.

So, no, O’Brien didn’t lose the game for Carlton against Geelong a week ago.

Neither did McKay, but it’s fair to say he had more opportunities to win it than O’Brien did.

Originally published as Mark Robinson analyses Harry McKay’s problems ahead of Carlton’s crucial game against Geelong