David Mackay
Mackay playing for Adelaide in April 2017
Personal information
Full name David Mackay
Nickname(s) D-Mac
Date of birth (1988-07-25) 25 July 1988
Original team(s) Beverley Hills JFC
Trinity Grammar School
Oakleigh Chargers (TAC Cup)
Draft No. 48, 2006 national draft
Debut Round 1, 2008, Adelaide vs. Western Bulldogs, at Telstra Dome
Height 181 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 78 kg (172 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder, small defender
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2007–2021 Adelaide 248 (64)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2021.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

David Mackay (born 25 July 1988) is a retired professional Australian rules football player who played for the Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted by the club at pick 48 in the 2006 National Draft and stayed with the team until he retired at the end of the 2021 season. He played 248 games for Adelaide and was part of their team in the 2017 AFL Grand Final.

Pre-AFL career

Mackay came from Melbourne side, Oakleigh Chargers and appeared in the 2006 Victorian U/18 Metro side where he was inspirational in the grand final. He attended Trinity Grammar School, noted for producing star footballers including Wayne Schwass and Luke Power, and was House Captain of the school's Hindley House. Fellow 2006 draft pick Todd Goldstein was vice-captain of the same house.

AFL career

After a 2007 ruined by a recurring hamstring injury, Mackay made his debut for Adelaide in round 1 of the 2008 AFL season, in a loss to the Western Bulldogs. He played 19 games for the season, missing only four, and kicked his first AFL goal in round 17 against Sydney. He again was a regular for the side in 2009, playing 20 matches, and by this early stage of his career was rated a vital part of the Crows' young midfield.[1] He played 16 games in 2010.

In the first round of 2011, Mackay suffered a shoulder injury and underwent surgery that kept him out for three months.[2] He returned late in the season and showed good form, impressing both with his offensive running and defensive pressure. Mackay benefited from improved strength and durability the next season, playing 23 games and averaging 17 possessions and four tackles per game, while playing both in the midfield and across half-back.[3][4] At the end of the year he signed a three-year contract extension.[5]

Much like the team as a whole, Mackay struggled for consistency in 2013. He recaptured his best form in 2014, playing 19 games, averaging 18 disposals and kicking a personal best 11 goals for the year.[3] He signed a four-year contract extension midway through the season.[6]

Mackay started 2015 in good form, laying a career-best 13 tackles along with 23 disposals against Melbourne in wet conditions in round 3.[7] However, his old inconsistency resurfaced resulting in him being dropped late in the year.[8] He returned to the side to play in Adelaide's two finals.[3] At the end of 2016 he was made a life member of the Adelaide Football Club.[9] As part of his preparation for the 2017 season, Mackay spent as much time in the backline over the pre-season as he did in the midfield due to coach Don Pyke’s emphasis on flexibility.[9]

Against Hawthorn in round 2, Mackay tackled Paul Puopolo to the ground in the third quarter. Though the tackle appeared fair, the pair of players continued rolling, ending up with Mackay lying on Puopolo’s back and a free kick was paid against Mackay for a push in the back. The free kick was seen as questionable and prompted divided reaction on social media.[10][11] In the Showdown the next week, he kicked one of the goals of his career, snapping from the boundary line, bringing the Crows back within a goal of Port Adelaide in a pivotal moment of the game.[12]

Mackay and Andy Otten during the 2017 AFL Grand Final parade

Mackay was dropped from several matches throughout the season and played for the reserves in the SANFL, where he was told to work on his toughness at the contest. When he came back to the AFL side, the result was he increased the number of tackles he made per game from three to five.[13] When teammate Brodie Smith injured his anterior cruciate ligament, Mackay had to shift from his usual position on the wing to half-back to replace the former All-Australian in the finals.[13] Mackay ended up playing in Adelaide's first grand final since 1998, which they lost to Richmond by 48 points.[14]

In June 2021, Mackay was sent to the AFL Tribunal for a collision with St Kilda player Hunter Clark. Mackay and Clark clashed while competing for the ball on the ground. Clark suffered a broken jaw as a result of the collision and underwent surgery on multiple jaw fractures in the following week. The injury meant Clark was not expected to be able to play for at least six weeks.[15][16] Mackay was not reported for the incident by the game umpires, but the AFL's match review officer, Michael Christian, referred the incident directly to the tribunal. This went against the precedent set earlier in the season where similar incidents, also resulting in head injuries, were not referred to the tribunal because the players involved were contesting the ball.[17] Christian did not grade the incident on the table of offences, meaning the incident served as a test case for future incidents.[16] The AFL argued that Mackay been careless and unreasonable in his conduct, leading to Clark's injury, while Mackay's lawyer argued that it was an accidental collision and Mackay had done what he needed to protect himself.[15] The tribunal ruled Mackay was not guilty.[15]

Mackay retired from football at the end of the 2021 season, having played 248 AFL games. At the time, this was the ninth-most games of any player for the Adelaide Crows.[18]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of the 2021 AFL season.[19]
Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game)
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2008 Adelaide 14194213610624272310.20.17.25.612.73.81.6
2009 Adelaide 14207418422040474560.40.29.211.020.23.72.8
2010 Adelaide 14161414615630255330.10.39.19.818.93.42.1
2011 Adelaide 14833774812519250.40.49.66.015.62.43.1
2012 Adelaide 14239621117838989960.40.39.27.716.93.94.2
2013 Adelaide 14196717214331567660.30.49.17.516.63.53.5
2014 Adelaide 141911716817434258770.60.48.89.218.03.14.1
2015 Adelaide 14203315412227643720.20.27.76.113.82.23.6
2016 Adelaide 141921219717937649820.10.610.49.419.82.64.3
2017 Adelaide 14229822714437166760.40.410.36.516.93.03.5
2018 Adelaide 14172618010328357460.10.410.66.116.73.42.7
2019 Adelaide 14183118512531057500.20.110.36.917.23.22.8
2020 Adelaide 141022738215525160.20.27.38.215.52.51.6
2021 Adelaide 1418661479324042400.30.38.25.213.32.32.2
Career 248 68 17 2257 1873 4130 773 766 0.3 0.3 9.1 7.6 16.7 3.1 3.1

After AFL

After retiring from playing, Mackay joined the Hawthorn Football Club and their VFL affiliate Box Hill Football Club as part of their coaching staff. In 2022 he had a coaching role in the VFL program and was the midfield coach of Hawthorn's women's team. In 2023, he became Hawthorn's development coach.[20]

Personal life

In 2014, Mackay married his longtime partner Sarah Endersbee.[21]

References

  1. ↑ Lyon, Garry (18 June 2009). "Crows building for attack on the 2009 premiership". The Age. Archived from the original on 6 July 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  2. ↑ Homfray, Reece (30 March 2011). "Adelaide Crows lose talented midfielder David Mackay for three months with serious shoulder injury". The Advertiser.
  3. 1 2 3 "David Mackay - AFC.com.au". AFC.com.au. Adelaide Football Club. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  4. ↑ "David Mackay wings it to half-back". news.com.au. 15 July 2012. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  5. ↑ "Money not the only lure for David Mackay". news.com.au. 4 September 2012. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  6. ↑ "Mackay Commits To Crows". TripleM.com.au. Triple M. 30 July 2014. Archived from the original on 10 August 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  7. ↑ Homfray, Reece (19 April 2015). "Crows wingman David Mackay saluted for adding tough edge to his game". The Advertiser.
  8. ↑ "'He's just not in our best 22': Mackay's future cloudy". AFL.com.au. Australian Football League. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  9. 1 2 Fjeldstad, Jesper (30 April 2017). "Adelaide Crows' David Mackay has new sense of career on the field". The Advertiser. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  10. ↑ "In the back free kick to Paul Puopolo baffles in Hawthorn-Adelaide game at MCG". The West Australian. Seven West Media. 1 April 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  11. ↑ Morris, Tom (1 April 2017). "AFL greats slam 'horrible' umpiring decision as Paul Puopolo given free kick in Hawthorn v Adelaide". The Sunday Times. Seven West Media. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  12. ↑ Morgan, Kym (8 April 2017). "Five talking points: Port Adelaide v Adelaide". AFL.com.au. Australian Football League. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  13. 1 2 Capel, Andrew (28 September 2017). "The harsh words that turned David Mackay from SANFL to AFL grand final player with the Adelaide Crows". The Advertiser. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  14. ↑ Bowen, Nick (30 September 2017). "Match report: Terrific Tigers end 37-year wait". AFL.com.au. Bigpond. Archived from the original on 24 September 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  15. 1 2 3 "AFL tribunal clears Adelaide defender David Mackay of rough conduct over Hunter Clark's broken jaw". ABC News. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  16. 1 2 Hope, Shayne; Valencich, Glenn (14 June 2021). "'Changes the game': Dire warning as horrific extent of young gun's broken jaw revealed". 7NEWS. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  17. ↑ Laughton, Max (13 June 2021). "The AFL's 'dog's breakfast' Tribunal call could 'change the fabric of footy'... or save it". Fox Sports. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  18. ↑ Pollard, Kyle (19 August 2021). "Full list of AFL retirements, delistings, and free agent moves for 2021". ABC News. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  19. ↑ "AFL Tables - David Mackay statistics". AFL Tables.
  20. ↑ "Mackay steps into new role as development coach". Hawthorn Football Club. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  21. ↑ "Behind Crows Doors: Mackay gets married". Adelaide Football Club. 12 October 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
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