David Mackay has returned to the senior Adelaide side after being overlooked for the start of the season, but his mediocrity is not helping the team dig itself out of the hole is finds itself in any time soon. He is a cream player, capable of occasional good games but much more likely to be firmly at the bottom end of the 22 in most important stats. How he got to 200 AFL games is a mystery worth a PhD paper, which would probably be entitled Why Adelaide FC Sucks So Badly Since Darren Jarman Retired. This will hopefully be the last time FanFooty writes about him.
David Mackay has returned to the senior Adelaide side after being overlooked for the start of the season, but his mediocrity is not helping the team dig itself out of the hole is finds itself in any time soon. He is a cream player, capable of occasional good games but much more likely to be firmly at the bottom end of the 22 in most important stats. How he got to 200 AFL games is a mystery worth a PhD paper, which would probably be entitled Why Adelaide FC Sucks So Badly Since Darren Jarman Retired. This will hopefully be the last time FanFooty writes about him.
Mackay keeps on trucking
It's a sweet gig that David Mackay has parlayed into a 200-game career: never averaging 20 touches, lurking at the back half of midfield for the cheapest ball possible, never punished for lack of accountability for a man. He crested the midfield baseline just twice in 18 forgettable games in 2019. Mackay is the opposite of a talisman, he's a weather vane. The wind has been blowing against his team for years now, but even so it looks like he might get to 250 deplorable games if Crows management keep accepting his worthless brand of blancmange footy. Don't repeat their mistake.
Mackay at end of line
Three game-ending injuries and a lack of impact on the game didn't stop David Mackay trudging past the 200-game milestone during 2018. Going into his twelfth season at senior level, he's more of a millstone on the team with a possession rate that never crested 20 and is now closer to 15. Off-season Achilles surgery had him on a modified program. If the Crows are to surge back into finals contention, they need young blokes like Wayne Milera and Chayce Jones to go past Mackay. In particular, the return of Brodie Smith could mean Milera gets pushed up the ground to occupy Mackay's wing, which would benefit the team as his disposal efficiency is ten points better. Avoid.
Clouds over Mackay
A terrible May by David Mackay last year saw him dropped to the SANFL. On his senior return he managed four out of five games topping 20 possessions, then a collision with Richard Douglas in round 20 after which he didn't reach 20 again, including a disappointing grand final. Five of his average of 17 disposals are contested. Mackay’s role has been to finish off hard work by others. When he’s making plays, you know the Crows are dominating. He doesn’t contribute enough otherwise, so his only fantasy relevance is if he moves to a HBF to cover the loss of Brodie Smith, as did Nathan van Berlo years ago. That is a long shot.
