Gippsland Power coach and former Collingwood premiership player Leigh Brown spoke to the Gazette in the lead-up to the NAB National Draft about just what Warragul’s McKay twins would bring to AFL sides…
By RUSSELL BENNETT
SOME day soon, Warragul brothers Harry and Ben McKay will line up against each other on the biggest of stages with the ultimate bragging rights on the line.
The Gippsland Power identical twin giants were picked up by Carlton and North Melbourne respectively in the National Draft at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
They’ve both, literally, made huge impressions on the Power this year but they’ve done it in very different ways.
The boys will still be 17 when they officially begin their first AFL pre-seasons shortly – a mouth-watering prospect for both the Blues and the Kangaroos, given they both comfortably top the 200-centimetre and 90-kilo mark.
Harry is a natural key forward, while Ben – the older twin by around a minute – is more suited to a key defensive post.
Gippsland Power TAC Cup coach Leigh Brown knows exactly what their new clubs would be getting in drafting the pair, and he knows just how much of an impact they’re set to make.
“Their sheer size and height is clearly the first thing you notice,” said Brown, a former fifth overall draft pick, and Collingwood premiership player.
“They’ve come a long way, but they’ve still got a long way to go.
“It (2015) was their first year in an elite environment and they certainly learnt a lot about themselves and how hard they can push themselves. Their skills have come along really well also, but we think there’s still a hell of a lot of scope for development in them.”
In fact, with the McKay twins not turning 18 until late December, they’re only a few short days away from being eligible for next year’s draft.
Brown told the Gazette both boys could play either end of the ground, due to their skill-sets and athletic ability. And yet they’ve taken very different paths to get to this point.
“Harry did all the pre-season and started off kicking four goals in Round 2 (against the Stingrays and Jacob Weitering and Kieran Collins) and I think that really created a lot of confidence and a lot of momentum for him,” Brown said.
“He continued to work hard on his goal-kicking, the defensive side of his game and his work rate. We saw that improve week to week and he was eventually picked for Vic Country in the carnival, which is a great effort in your first year – particularly with the quality that was in that team going 6-0.”
Brown said Harry began to tire towards the back end of the season, whereas Ben was really starting to hit his straps at that point.
“Ben was a little bit different – he did the pre-season up until Christmas and from there he went back to Warragul and worked on some personal things and I guess tried to find himself a little bit,” Brown said.
“He went away and played some really good-quality footy at Warragul in the seniors and came back into the program probably midway through the year.
“He trained hard for a month or so before he was selected and from there he played probably his best game – against Oakleigh – as a key defender and from there we used him back and forward depending on match-ups.
“Ben has this ability to read the play and pick up those intercept marks as a key defender and that’s been really important for him – he uses the ball well by foot and his nickname is ‘Buckets’, so he obviously marks it well.
“Harry is that lead-up forward who comes up at the footy and attracts it, but also at 200 centimetres he has this ability to turn his opponent around and get back towards goal.
“They’re both very exciting AFL prospects.”
