Rookie rides to Blues’ rescue
COACH Brendon Bolton says young tall forward Harry McKay has earnt his spot ahead of their clash with West Coast this afternoon.
McKay comes in for just his third game since being drafted two picks before Charlie Curnow in the 2015 draft. The 21-year-old headlines the ins to the weakened Blues team without their top four players in last year’s bestand-fairest.
“He’s worked incredibly hard but the story doesn’t change, he didn’t have a lot of continuity,” Bolton said. “He’s now had a few games in the VFL uninterrupted ... we're really looking forward to seeing what he brings.”
The Carlton faithful have been calling for McKay’s inclusion for some time and Bolton took the opportunity to poke fun at his cliched responses in press conferences of late.
“I better get a few cliches around that one, let me check my notes,” Bolton joked. “We’ll take it one week at a time, we want our boys to play their role, Harry [McKay] will get an opportunity when he deserves it — I’ve got plenty more.”
Bolton played a straight bat with beleaguered youngster Jacob Weitering, another member of the 2015 draft class, who is listed with a thigh injury.
“He got corked up and that just hasn’t come up this week, so he misses,” he said.
He is replaced by Sam Rowe who plays his first game since his seasonending ACL injury in Round 9 last year. Bolton said this was another thing keeping morale high despite dismal on-field results. “[Sam’s] eager, but also the playing group want him to do well and welcome him back.”
In more positive news for the struggling side, top-10 draftee Lochie O’Brien has committed to the club until the end of 2021.