Evergreen Adelaide Crows wingman David Mackay just enjoying the moment
He’s on the wrong side of 30 and has chalked up more than 200 games but Adelaide wingman David Mackay cannot remember a time when he enjoyed his football more.
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He’s on the wrong side of 30 and has chalked up more than 200 games but Adelaide wingman David Mackay cannot remember a time when he enjoyed his football more.
Mackay is at the stage of his career when he signs one-year contracts, has more than 10 batches of players who arrived after him at the club chasing his spot and has punished his body with heavy training since 2006.
He has had to deal with injuries and the disappointment of being dropped to the reserves in his time since being moving across as a skinny teenager Melbourne’s from Melbourne’s Trinity College and TAC Cup side the Oakleigh Chargers.
Yet for all of that, he has been one of the Crows’ liveliest for the start of this season and was among the coaches’ votes as Adelaide finally brought the contest for four quarters in its home win against the Gold Coast.
He is at the stage of his career when nothing can be taken for granted.
There are players performing well in the reserves and few players’ spots are guaranteed.
Mackay also knows that every year could be his last, as is the case for most 30-year-olds.
The thing with Mackay is that the perceived pressure that comes with playing for his life has worked the other way.
Mackay is enjoying every moment, refuses to worry about the future and has learnt to appreciate every time he goes out to play.
With speed still his greatest currency, Mackay has added smarts and more contested football to his game and looks like a player who loves to tackle.
Mackay says he just loves to play.
“You look at things a little bit differently,” Mackay said. “At the moment and for the past few years I’ve basically had a week-to-week focus.
“I think that really helps; you don’t look too far ahead because things can change really quickly.
“For me, it’s just about focusing on my preparation and then performing on the weekend.
“I’m really enjoying that challenge, not knowing what’s coming up in the immediate future.
“But having that mindset has allowed by to really enjoy every moment.
“I’ve learnt to enjoy every situation I’m in and trying to make the most of it because it’s not going to last forever.”
For those close to Mackay, not much has changed since he was a star junior player.
He’s still one of the most diligent players at West Lakes when it comes to preparation even though family has given him a broader perspective.
In a tribute to Mackay ahead of his 200th game, former house mate and junior football teammate Andy Otten wrote glowingly of his mate on the AFL Players website.
“We know what he’s like on the field — he’s a silky-smooth mover — but he’s also one of the hardest working players off the field and is totally dedicated to being the best player he can,” Otten wrote.
“A specific memory I have of Dave is in Round 20, 2012 against the Dockers at Football Park. Dave collected the ball, ran past three or four opponents and slotted a goal from just inside 50, giving his famous finger point celebration — vintage D-Mac!”
“He puts a lot of pressure on himself each week but I’ve seen him relax with that over the journey.
“Getting married and having his family has really helped. The way his kids, family and wife look up to him is a joy to watch.”
Mackay says the pressure from underneath helps with his motivation.
Not just for him but for the entire side, which realises the value of having a deep list.
“History says that when you have a really strong squad and there’s pressure from underneath that if forces guys ahead of certain player to perform and be consistent,” Mackay said. “You look at all the teams who end up near the top of the ladder — they’ve all got good depth and selection pressure.
“As a club you try to establish that, the guys at the lower level performing.
“There are going to be injuries, that’s part of the game, and you’ve got to have guys who are able to step in straight away.”
Something clicked for the Crows against the Gold Coast.
The first quarter was scrappy, but Mackay believes Adelaide was eventually rewarded for bringing its contested brand for the entire match.
“I think just the consistency of our contest work … the week before against North Melbourne it wasn’t at the level for long enough,” Mackay said. “And we’re a team that needs to — at the very least — break even in that area of the game.
“And we need to play as much of the game in our forward half as we can; that’s the way we perform at our best.
“We hadn’t been giving ourselves the best opportunity to do that in the preceding weeks.
“But our pressure was there for the whole game at the weekend and got some flow back in our ball movement.”
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