AFL round 7: Carlton vs. Geelong, Harry McKay opens up on mental health, injury
Harry McKay has opened up on his return to Carlton’s side after stepping away to deal with mental health, speaking to Jon Ralph about his starring role on Sunday, his secret injury and more.
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Harry McKay knew the moment had arrived to get Carlton’s season back on track.
There are intersections in an AFL season where you simply stand up to the pressure or watch your finals chances ebb away.
With his club’s season on a knife edge, he watched as Geelong had spent the early moments of the final quarter erasing a 28-point three-quarter time deficit to roar back into the contest.
Carlton fans had seen this horror movie before.
As Jeremy Cameron goaled 15 seconds into the final quarter and Patrick Dangerfield flicked the switch to Raging Bull mode, Carlton’s four second-half fade-outs this year hung heavy in the air.
As McKay soared to mark Lachie Fogarty’s squared shot 35 metres out deep in the quarter, what no one else realised was McKay’s secret.
Not the mental health battle that he has so bravely shared after taking time away from football this year.
Instead it was a series of fractures in his cheekbone that came after the concussion that he suffered colliding with West Coast’s Tom Gross in Gather Round.
McKay nailed that set shot, pumped his fist in ecstasy, and Carlton’s season was alive with a 3-4 record and games to come in the next seven weeks against St Kilda, Essendon, West Coast and North Melbourne.
It capped a spectacular return to form for McKay, who followed up that goal with a series of big contested marks down the line as the Blues ground Geelong into the dirt.
“Those are the moments you want. To have that ball as a forward, it’s what you want,” McKay said after a three-goal, 19-disposal game of real consequence.
“It’s always routine. Go back and give yourself the best chance, so it’s good to put it through.
“Sometimes you get caught up in the actual play and don’t necessarily realise how big those moments are, but it always comes back to routine and I am glad it went through.
“(When I was concussed) it was like ‘Gee, not ideal’. Then I had four fractures in my cheek (from the incident) so it was touch-and-go to wear a Batman mask today. I am glad I didn’t. I wouldn’t have been able to see. Obviously it caps an indifferent five or six weeks but to come back fresh is great.”
At least for a day at the MCG on Sunday, Michael Voss’s coaching masterplan was fully realised against Geelong.
Charlie Curnow and McKay (six goals between them) working in concert to mark or allow crumbers like Lachie Fogarty to go to work at ground level.
A proppy Jacob Weitering fought through the pain of his dodgy knee but around him Jack Silvagni (mostly on Patrick Dangerfield), Mitch McGovern and Nick Haynes combined perfectly to mop up opposition advances.
But above all else, the Carlton midfield wrecking crew absolutely obliterated Geelong in the area where finals are won and lost.
It is way too premature to believe in Carlton, given Sunday’s superb performance gave them their first scalp since round 17 last year after wins against easybeats like North Melbourne, Richmond and West Coast.
And yet as a result of that stunning midfield obliteration, a Carlton side at risk of wasting what could be a golden generation of talent is finally back into the season.
Best-and-fairest leader Hewett was brilliant and was joined by Patrick Cripps (29 touches, nine tackles, eight clearances) and Sam Walsh (30 touches, 20 in the first half), even if Adam Cerra limped off late with a groin injury.
When Cripps or Hewett spun in a tackle desperately looking for a quick handball Ollie Hollands, Blake Acres, Matt Cottrell or Adam Saad were there to spirit the ball forward.
This was Carlton hunting in a pack, with McKay thrilled with Hewett’s monster season but saving special love for his good mate Jack Silvagni.
“Mate, he’s been amazing. I don’t know who the AA (All Australian) selectors are. Every week he’s not only getting a job done but he’s generating offensive ball movement and he’s been huge so I love playing with SOS. I have spent a lot of time with him and to be back out playing footy with a smile is fantastic to see.”
His own smile is back after spending three weeks out of the side after being hit with mental health battles that came on suddenly in late February.
“I am feeling really good. Obviously the support has been really beautiful and I am really happy to be out doing something I love again and having fun,” he said.
“Everyone has been so beautiful and supportive so to be out playing footy again with my mates, it was great. Speaking to my brother Ben, sometimes it’s important when you have a platform to use it for good and use it in a positive way. If you can help one person, the job is done.
“It’s been really beautiful, the responses and a lot of shared experiences from people.”
Post-game, coach Michael Voss said he was rapt for McKay to make his way back into the side.
“I’m pleased because you go on a journey with every single one of your players and everyone has a really different one and you’ve got to appreciate that all of them bring different strengths and bring different things to the table and you’re just trying to maximise what those strengths are,” Voss said.
“And sometimes they’re working for you and sometimes they’re not and you know what I always believe as a coach? You’ve got to believe in your people and that’s so important to do - to believe in them.
“And when they’re going through tough times you’ve got to keep showing the way and he’s been able to work through some things and I don’t want to overplay this, but I’m just so pleased he’s able to come back.
“He’s a critically important person to us, we love him in our team.
“I’m rapt that our supporters were cheering every time he went near the ball, almost willing him into it at times.”
Voss hailed McKay’s ability to stand up in the big moments during the match, particularly in the final quarter when Geelong made their run and threatened to overturn their 28-point three-quarter time deficit.
None were bigger than his converted set shot from 40m out in front after taking a big pack mark to put the Blues up by 17 points.
“Regardless of what’s happened recently, Harry’s had an incredible pre-season. He’s probably in the shape of his life,” Voss said.
“He had a couple of really big moments down the line there that he needed to mark for us and win that contest for us and that big moment where he needed to finish the play in front of goal.
“It is big. You never walk to a game and say, ‘I’m gonna stand up in the moment’. You only ever stand up when the opportunity presents itself and it will show itself. You’ve just got to be ready for it.
“I felt quite comfortable that in his hands it was going to ultimately end up the right thing because he does put in the preparation.
“I’m just really pleased that he was able to get the result and obviously be able to stand up in that moment.”
HARRY REPAYS THE FAITH AS BLUES TROUNCE CATS
— Ronny Lerner
Carlton key forward Harry McKay has made a spectacular return to senior footy on Sunday, producing a statement match against premiership contenders Geelong to help the Blues record an upset 18-point win at the MCG.
McKay has been very open about the mental health struggles he has been battling this season, but he looked anything but a player that was burdened by those issues against the Cats, winding back the clock with a vintage performance that saw him register 19 disposals (10 contested), 12 marks (five) and three goals.
McKay was especially influential in the crucial final quarter as Geelong made their run and threatened to overturn their 28-point three-quarter time deficit.
Carlton looked like they had a matchwinning lead at the final change, but Geelong had other ideas, and after Patrick Dangerfield was thrown into the middle for the fourth quarter, the Cats booted three goals in a row, all from stoppage, to get back within 10 points in quick time.
Geelong had 10 of the first 11 clearances as Carlton’s running game that served them so well in the first three quarters disappeared.
McKay stood tall at the 13-minute mark to take a big pack mark and convert the set shot from 40m out for a crucial steadier to put his team up by 17 points.
Will White could’ve sealed the result for Carlton with a dribbler from a few metres out in the pocket with 8:10 to go, but instead of putting his side up by 24 points, his kick hit the post and shortly after, the Cats ran it down the other end of the ground where Brad Close snapped truly to get Geelong back within two goals.
But George Hewett ensured there would be no miracle Geelong comeback when he loaded up from 55m out and sent home a sensational set shot to put the Blues up by 18 points with 3:29 to go before running out 14.10 (94) to 12.4 (76) victors to get their season back on track.
The Blues’ pressure, particularly up forward, was as intense as it has been all season, and it led to numerous uncharacteristic skill errors from the usually slick Cats as they sent an inordinate amount of kicks out of bounds on the full.
Carlton smashed Geelong for points from turnover (67-21) and despite finishing with convincing buffers in disposals (395-328) and marks (117-69), Carlton also registered more tackles (71-67), so fierce was their pressure. Ultimately, the weight of numbers in forward entries also proved too much for Geelong to overcome as the Blues comfortably won that stat 63-44.
However, the win came at a cost for the Blues as Zac Williams’ wretched run with injury continued in the first quarter when he had to be subbed out after picking up a calf injury.
DE KONING STARS AGAIN
Star Blues ruckman Tom De Koning produced another top-notch performance that saw him register 20 touches (14 contested), 39 hit-outs, five clearances and a goal, while Patrick Cripps had a big say too with 29 possessions (14), nine tackles and eight clearances.
Jeremy Cameron (eight marks) kicked four goals for Geelong, while Bailey Smith picked up another 29 disposals, laid nine tackles and kicked a major.
WEITERING STOPS DANGER
With the Cats’ tails up early in the final term after they trimmed the margin to 22 points, Ollie Henry booted the ball deep into the forward line which featured only Dangerfield and Jacob Weitering. After Dangerfield won the foot race and collected the ball in the forward pocket, Weitering had the last laugh, tackling the Geelong captain on the boundary line and winning the free kick for holding the ball.
DURDIN FLIES HIGH
Carlton small forward Corey Durdin took an early mark-of-the-year contender midway through the third quarter when he flew over Geelong defender Sam De Koning and took a specular grab in the forward pocket before kicking the set shot and putting the Blues up by 20 points.
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Originally published as AFL round 7: Carlton vs. Geelong, Harry McKay opens up on mental health, injury
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