CARLTON Football Club is delighted to announce that Harry McKay has signed a two-year contract extension with the Club.
The 20-year-old has put pen to paper on a new deal that will see the emerging forward proudly wear navy blue until at least the end of the 2021 season.
Selected at pick No.10 in the 2015 NAB AFL Draft, McKay spent the first two seasons of his development playing with the Northern Blues in the VFL before giving the Carlton faithful a first-hand glimpse of his potential in 2018.
The 200cm, 95kg tall booted 21 goals from 13 games this season to finish second in the Club’s goalkicking behind Charlie Curnow.
McKay’s decision to re-sign follows that of stars Patrick Cripps, Charlie Curnow, Marc Murphy and Kade Simpson as well as exciting young talent Paddy Dow, Lochie O’Brien, Tom De Koning, Zac Fisher, Cameron Polson and Patrick Kerr who have all committed this year to remain at Ikon Park.
The promising youngster said his decision to sign on was an easy one, given he could clearly see the exciting direction in which the Club is heading.
“We’re a tight knit playing group and I want to be working hard alongside these boys to bring success to our club once again,” McKay said.
“Seeing so many of the boys re-sign this year is a clear sign that we want to stick together and do everything we possibly can for our members and supporters, to make this next era an exciting one for us all.
“I know I still have a lot of hard work ahead of me to get to where I want to be as a player and that will be my focus in 2019 – to continue to learn as much as I can from the coaches and my teammates so that I can take that next step in my career.”
McKay’s supreme aerial ability and natural goal sense adds to a potentially dynamic young forward line for the Blues next year that includes Curnow and new recruit Mitch McGovern.
Carlton coach Brendon Bolton said the commitment to the Club shown by McKay and his teammates was a clear sign that phase two was now in full swing.
“We have brought in some emerging young talent to our football Club in recent years and now the next step is to grow together as a group. We look forward to Harry, Charlie, Sam Petrevski-Seton, Zac Fisher and Jacob Weitering, who have been in our system for a few years now, really driving that next phase of our development,” Bolton said.
“To have so many of our key players commit to be part of this next phase of growth for our football club shows how committed we are to achieve success together.
“Harry up forward alongside Charlie, Mitch and Alex Fasolo as well as several youngsters coming through is exciting for our members and supporters. We are now well-placed heading into the new year to continue the hard work in pre-season and make the year ahead one that our entire club can be proud of.”
