By Andrew Wu
Carlton have not placed a time frame on when star forward Harry McKay will return, saying they will put the person before the player after he withdrew from the club’s clash with the Western Bulldogs due to personal reasons.
McKay is no certainty to return next week for the club’s blockbuster game against Collingwood on Thursday night, with a decision to be made in the days leading up to the match.
Harry McKay will miss the Blues’ clash with the Western Bulldogs.Credit: Getty Images
The 2021 Coleman medallist was given time off after the Blues’ game against Hawthorn last Thursday night and did not return to training until Wednesday.
The club released a statement on Thursday morning confirming the news.
McKay played in the Blues’ season-opener against Richmond, kicking one goal in a 14-possession game, before withdrawing from the Hawks clash on the day of the game. At the time, the Blues said he was missing through illness.
Coach Michael Voss addressed McKay’s situation at his press conference on Thursday morning.
“He was dealing with a few things during the week,” Voss said.
“[He] took some time away from the club but he obviously felt best that he doesn’t play this week. Give him the space that he needs to be able to work through a few things and not necessarily put a time frame on it, but hopefully he’ll be back soon.”
A key pillar of the side, McKay’s unavailability comes as the Blues desperately seek a win after starting the season with two losses.
“It’s always player over performance in terms of being able to look after the player first,” Voss said. “And that’s the position we’ve taken. He’ll get the support he needs.
“As a footy club, clearly, we wrap our arms around him, as I hope the whole football industry does. We give him the time that he needs and focus on the football. That’s essentially what we do every single week, there’s a point in time in the week that it’s about what we need to do next and we’re at that point.”
Earlier, the Blues said McKay was absent from the club after the Hawthorn game “for a number of days due to personal reasons.
“He returned to the club on Wednesday and was able to train with teammates, however the 27-year-old’s wellbeing remains a focus as he continues to work through a personal matter,” the statement said.
“The club is providing the appropriate support to McKay, with his availability for round four to be determined next week.”
In McKay’s absence, son of a gun Jack Silvagni is likely to again be needed in attack to support spearhead Charlie Curnow and defender-turned-forward Brodie Kemp despite Voss’ wish for stability in the team. Silvagni trained as a defender in the pre-season but has played only three of eight quarters in that position this year.
Jack Silvagni is needed in attack, despite training in defence.Credit: AFL Photos
“One piece is not too big a piece when we’re talking about the overall stability, but it’s certainly a consideration for either [end] to be honest with you,” Voss said.
Voss acknowledged the Blues, with 17 goals from two games, needed to improve their ball movement, but his primary focus was on defence. Voss’s men ranked 14th for points conceded last year.
“We’ve spoken a lot about what we want to value over the course of the pre-season, you’ve heard me talk about it here – make no apologies for wanting to value defence first,” Voss said.
“If we’re building our base off a contest style and defence first, and we can tinker with some of the other things that’s the way we’re going to go forward with.”
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