FIRE STILL BURNS
Veteran Mackie happy to fight for his place
VETERAN Geelong defender Andrew Mackie is attacking this season with the enthusiasm of his first, admitting he always feels the pressure to keep his spot in the side.
The 32-year-old is relishing the challenge of fighting for his spot at a time when the Cats are trying to squeeze draftee Tom Stewart, recruit Zach Tuohy and Jackson Thurlow into the back six.
“There hasn’t been a week in 15 years where I haven’t felt pressure for that sort of thing,” 257game Mackie said last night while visiting Bell Park as part of the AFL community camp.
“I think it’s always a great thing for any sportsman to feel that you have to perform to be able to warrant yourself a position — unless you’re Gary Ablett or someone like that, you’re probably not feeling that.
“But you wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The cutthroat nature of the AFL proves no player in their vintage years is im- mune from speculation about their place in the side.
Even Brownlow and Norm Smith medallist Jimmy Bartel had to endure debate about whether he was deserving of selection in Geelong’s finals teams last year.
Mackie, out of contract at season’s end, is the second-oldest player on Geelong’s list behind full back Tom Lonergan and knows the club is always looking to blood the next generation of players.
“I’m here to play footy like I was when I was 18 — and that’s play as hard as you can, play as well as you can every week,” Mackie said. “The mindset hasn’t changed from the day I first got here. I always want to get the best and most out of myself.
“What you do have to realise when you get older is the footy club has to keep evolving as well, and there’s no doubt we need to play guys that are coming through as well.
“And whether that be 32, or 30 or 26 (years old), your form has to warrant you getting picked each week.
“That’s a really good position to be in as a footy club and that never changes. It makes sure you drive everyone harder and hopefully as a club we’re better for it.”
Mackie, who was pick seven in the 2002 draft, said competition for spots was only a positive.
“As far as putting my footy club hat on, it’s a great thing,” he said.
“I’ve been there for 15 years, and love the footy club and want it to do well.
“That’s what I want, that’s how it should be, I wouldn’t change a thing, and it’s a great thing that blokes are going to be pushing each other.
“At the same, it’s a very unified group.
“Even when you talk about the backline, we’re a team within a team, that really needs to show a lot of control of the team.”
“When stuff isn’t going great, you need to stand up and look at each other and bounce off each other and, I suppose, be there for one another.
“That’s what makes a good team; having really good depth and everyone pushing each other.”