But even McKay was in awe of young ruckman Matthew Kreuzer, whose best-on-ground effort last Sunday against the Sydney Swans won McKay’s hard-earned praise.
McKay was among the crowd of more than 42,000 at Etihad Stadium and spoke in rapturous tones about Kreuzer.
"The way he burst through packs was so impressive and it is rare to see a bloke of his size so good at ground level," he said.
"He is such a powerful player who is only going to improve. He will end up as one of the elite to play at Carlton."
McKay, a four-time premiership player who spent time in the ruck and played alongside great ruckmen John Nicholls and Mike Fitzpatrick in his 263-game career, was also impressed with Kreuzer’s strong marking around the ground and work as a forward.
Kreuzer kick-started Carlton’s revival after a slow start with two first-quarter goals, finishing the game with 24 possessions, 13 hit-outs and seven tackles.
Blues coach Brett Ratten was in no doubt about Kreuzer’s efforts in only his second AFL game since returning from a year on the sidelines after a knee reconstruction.
"He was the best player on the ground," Ratten said.
Kreuzer’s influence becomes even more important in the next few weeks as the Blues seek to find a replacement for Shaun Hampson, whose form in the past month had been encouraging.
Hampson is expected be out for at least six weeks after straining his posterior cruciate ligament last Sunday.
