AFL 2022: Carlton spearhead Harry McKay not getting lost in hype after undefeated opening
It’s not all about goals for Carlton star Harry McKay, who has spoken about a new directive to take his team forward.
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Carlton players “know what’s real” and are not getting lost in the hype surrounding their undefeated start to 2022, with a determination to not fall back into the dark times that so many of them have endured.
The last time the Blues won the opening three games of the season was in 1995 when the club won its last premiership.
Coleman medallist Harry McKay knows wins have been rare in recent seasons, with only 30 Carlton victories since he made his debut in 2017, and it was “great to see fans smiling”.
But he echoed the view of new Carlton coach Michael Voss, who said the Blues were anything but a finished product.
McKay said the players were locked in on “the process” of being better at round 23 than they were now.
“We’ve been pretty good about talking about what’s real and what’s not,” McKay said on Tuesday.
“We haven’t been in this position for a long time, we know that we’ve still got a lot to improve on, it’s the start of a long year.
So nice I had to bring back Good Hands (Harry McKay) pic.twitter.com/6euVF0QIhw
— Good Hands (@GoodHan56971225) April 3, 2022
“We’re back to the process. It’s nice to see Carlton fans with a smile on their face after a tough few years. We’ve endured a bit of a tough trot as a footy club.
“We are very process driven here. We’re under no illusions that we’ll be playing better footy in round 23.”
The Blues escaped with a one-point win over Hawthorn last Sunday, with McKay, fellow tall forward Charlie Curnow and Jack Silvagni kicking six of their team’s 11 goals.
McKay said the abundance of big men, with youngster Tom de Koning also floating forward, ensured the Blues had plenty of “aerial threats”.
But the 204cm key forward, who was lauded for a chase-down tackle in the second quarter, said it was their new desire to be the first line of defence that could help Carlton take the next step in 2022.
“Bring heat, we are the first line of defence,” McKay said.
“And really putting the opposition under pressure. It doesn’t matter what your size or your role is, we are all expected to do that.
“No one needs to be Batman out there, everyone plays their role.
“For everyone to be playing their role well and contributing to wins has been strong. It’s only going to improve and get better, it’s exciting.”
Originally published as AFL 2022: Carlton spearhead Harry McKay not getting lost in hype after undefeated opening
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