Young McGrath is a star

All-Australian honour

MACKENZIE McGrath, the daughter of Geelong champion Tim, says her “number one goal in life” is to play AFLW for the Cats after being crowned an All-Australian earlier this week.

The 15-year-old produced a School Sports Australia football championships campaign to remember, helping lead Victoria to a gold medal in Tasmania on Saturday.

In five games, Mackenzie was named in her team’s best players three times, and was labelled second best in Victoria’s 60-1 win over South Australia in the gold medal match.

“It was such a good opportunity to go into it,” she said.

“I played in it last year as well and was lucky enough to be in Victoria’s twos side because Tasmania didn’t have a team.

“But this year I got the opportunity to be vice-captain with another girl and it was such a great opportunity, leading the girls out and the experience of meeting new girls and the different ways of how they all played.

“And getting coached by Gilly (Leeann Gill), she’s done it for nine years now, so it was good to go under her and learn a lot more about my football and improve.”

Having played most of her footy at Geelong Amateur as a half-back flank, McGrath was given a new challenge at centre-half back and she thrived.

“To play centre-half back, key position, I thought that was good for her, playing on some girls that were taller than her and play that position at their club, I imagine,” dad Tim said.

“For her to be a little bit out of her comfort zone in relation to that was a good thing and gave us some confidence to know she can play there.”

McGrath, who watched the gold medal match via a live stream on YouTube, said he was extremely proud to see Mackenzie was one of six Victorian girls selected in the AllAustralian team.

“When she got in, I was in Perth and got a phone call from my wife saying she got All-Australian, we were all so proud of her, even her sisters and friends,” he said.

“It’s good recognition for her.

“Certainly if it’s taken the right way and used as a tool to get better as well, it’s a real positive, I think.”

Mackenzie said she hoped to launch a football career from the experience.

“The big goal this year would be to get into Falcons and my number one goal in life would be to hopefully get drafted to Geelong and go under the father-daughter rule if I got that opportunity,” she said.

“It would be such an honour because I know Dad would probably love to have a daughter playing at Geelong and I’d definitely love to play there.”