History repeats itself.
As Abbie McKay becomes the first father-daughter recruit in the AFL Women’s competition, the Carlton Football Club has emulated a piece of history achieved in 1951.
Abbie and Andrew McKay’s names will go into the history books just as Harvey Dunn Senior and Junior did some 67 years ago, with the latter the AFL’s first father-son recruit.
Despite being zoned to North Melbourne under the old recruiting rules, Dunn Junior headed to the Blues, where his dad played 71 games between 1924 and 1929.
Harvey Dunn Junior pictured with his dad's No.16 guernsey in 2007. (Photo: Supplied)
Dunn Junior unfortunately passed away in 2013: speaking in 2010, he said his time at the Club evoked great memories.
“It was absolutely beautiful to play for Carlton. It was one of the proudest moments of my life to put the Carlton guernsey on,” Dunn Junior said in 2010.
“In 1948 and 1949, I was getting desperate to play for dad’s team… He taught me all I knew about the game.
“I doubt I would’ve been able to get there if it wasn’t for the father-son rule… I’ve always been grateful for that rule.”
The late Harvey Dunn Junior said Carlton was "always" part of his life. (Photo: Supplied)
His recruitment paved the way for the likes of the Silvagnis, Jarrad Waite and Lance Whitnall to head to the Club which their fathers represented. Now, it’s McKay’s turn.
As fate would have it, Dunn Senior ran out for his 71 games in the No.16 guernsey: McKay will become a Blue with pick No.16 in tomorrow's draft.
Just as Dunn Junior was ‘football’s first son’, Abbie McKay will become football’s first daughter.
