DESPITE a tough outing at IKON Park, there was plenty to celebrate following the game, with Abbie McKay finishing up her 50th game.
Presenting her milestone frame was her father Andrew McKay, a premiership player, captain and Hall of Fame member at Carlton.
No stranger to the ups and downs of football, McKay was a proud and glowing father when speaking about his daughter’s resilience and determination.
“It was a proud parent moment for our family seeing the No.5 running out in the Navy Blue,” McKay said.
“2020 season wasn’t a great season for 'Abs', she didn’t get picked the whole year – she had to make a decision at the end of the year whether she would continue to play or not, she lost confidence and really lost the desire to play.”
McKay saw his daughter completely shift her mindset, willing herself to be better, to be noticed amongst the coaching and high-performance staff.
Tapping into the experience from every member of her family - including Andrew - Abbie couldn’t be stopped once she started her climb to the top.
“She got really fit at the end of that year, she trained with her brother, she even trained with me and she trained with the rest of the family as well,” he said.
“She made a statement, she came back in the 2021 pre-season and went from the slowest running group to the fastest running group.
“From then, she didn’t look back, she has hardly missed a game since except for a couple of injuries.”
While becoming the youngest player in Navy Blue to reach 50 AFLW games is impressive, Andrew was more proud of the way that Abbie has made every game count.
Being consistently ranked in Carlton’s top five players each game, Abbie has become a mainstay of the side, a co-vice captain and a reliable midfielder week in and week out.
“I will always believe that you shouldn’t count your games, you should make your games count,” he said.
“I know the last few years 'Abs' has made her games count and that’s what I’m really proud of.
“She’s low-key, she’s laid back, she’s quiet, yes she’s monotone, but she’s bloody determined when she wants to do something. That determination has got her to 50 games relatively quickly and that determination will hold her in good stead for the rest of her career.”
