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Retired 4. Andrew Mackie (2004-2017)

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Andrew Mackie


Fast Facts

Jumper No: 4
Height: 192 cm
Weight: 84 kg
DOB: 7 August 1984
Recruited From: Glenelg (SA)
 
Re: No. 4 Andrew Mackie

AFL Round 11 v Adelaide
Played well in the 2nd half after a quiet first half. Still giving some good run out of the backline, but still doesn't go well 1 on 1
 
Re: No. 4 Andrew Mackie

Mackie: I owe the Cats
30 June 2007 Herald-Sun
Jon Anderson

ANDREW Mackie's decision to remain a Geelong player at the end of last year was symptomatic of a group that knew it had under-achieved.

Despite what in Mackie's own words had been a "modest" 37 games since making his debut for Geelong in 2004, the versatile 192cm South Australian became a Port Adelaide target.

And the Power didn't muck around, putting a financially attractive three-year-deal on the table.The 22-year-old knew it was time to sit down and think.

Should he return home to family and friends he had seen very little of since being plucked at pick No. 7 in the 2002 draft as a green 18-year-old, or stick with the under-performing Cats? In the end it was a no-contest.

"Port's offer was a lot more than I deserved for what I had achieved with Geelong, even if my second half of last year was all right," Mackie said yesterday.

"Port had spoken with my manager during the year, but I wasn't aware of their interest until closer to the draft.

"What it came down to was me owing a lot of people down here (Geelong). They put a big investment in me, taking me where they did in the draft, and I owed them more than I had given.

"But that goes for us all. We owe this football club and owe this town, and I knew we had the team here to achieve more. The Geelong list is very deep."

Mackie is now at the forefront of that depth, playing as a regular across half-back, where his run and crisp delivery has been an important factor in Geelong's success.

This from a young man who was played as a forward on arrival at Skilled Stadium, despite the fact his 192cm, 74kg frame was never going to be strong enough to withstand forward-line buffeting.

Everyone who has given him advice during the past four years has highlighted his lack of strength, something of which Mackie is acutely aware.

"Because I wasn't in the mainstream system as a teenager, I didn't do the weights others did and I didn't understand hard work," Mackie said.

"I would go to the gym and do my weights, then come home and have a look in the mirror. I remember saying to myself, 'Hey Andrew, it just isn't happening for you, is it?'

"Last pre-season I did three extra 6am weight training sessions a week with people like Ken Hinkley, Steve Hocking and Brenton Sanderson. I put on 2kg to get to 83kg, about 5kg from where I want to end up."

Mackie is like most other AFL football players in that confidence is a huge part of his success. Although outgoing, he has previously had self-doubts about his game.

"I used to worry too much about what others thought and would get down on myself. Maybe it's a combination of maturity and confidence, but I now want to do well for myself as a matter of pride," said Mackie, who recently bought a house in the Geelong suburb of Newtown.

He knew that he had played his best junior football as a midfielder/defender, yet it was as a forward that Geelong continually used him.

He would play a couple of reasonable games then be straight back to the VFL when the team lost and his form followed suit.

Eventually he started to nag forward coach Ken Hinkley about a move up the ground with wing as the starting point. He got that chance against Carlton in Round 14 last year and hasn't looked back.

Wing became half-back, where Mackie is now learning from a man he regards as a total master in terms of versatility and desire.

"Darren Milburn plays like an animal and can play in so many spots. I'm in a good position to have someone like that to learn off," Mackie said before some more weight work.

So what's the difference in a Geelong side this year that 10 rounds out has won just one less game than it managed for the whole 2006 season?

As someone still making his way, Mackie doesn't profess to have all the answers. But he knows he plays with a club pushing in the same direction.

"From 'Bomber' (coach Mark Thompson) through to the guys on our list who aren't getting a senior game, we are moving together," he said. "In my time at the club, the leadership is set up so everyone gets their chance to have a say.

"Steve Johnson is a good example. He accepted the suspension handed out to him by the playing group and has come back really well, which is an absolute credit to him. Other clubs have since taken the same direction.

"It would have been hard for Steve to dramatically change his lifestyle, but maybe we are learning that is the way you have to go to take the next step."

For Mackie, the sacrifice involves neglecting that volatile investment portfolio known as the punt.

He has not had a bet in four months, and while not a big punter, would often find himself on his day off trying to make one favourite.

Now that time is spent with Western Bulldogs youngster Shaun Higgins working off their own bat for Our Women Our Children, a Geelong-based charity which aims to raise funds for a children's ward at Geelong Hospital.

There will be plenty of time for pursuing his love of thoroughbreds at the end of his career, although he and Brad Ottens recently took a quarter share in a highly rated broodmare.

Mackie has been warned that getting involved in racing horses is a risky and potentially costly business, but his passion is such that he wants to give it a crack.

Just as he wants to give his football a genuine crack with the Cats to repay them for faith shown during the past four years.
 
Re: No. 4 Andrew Mackie

So many AFL players love to punt, I have seen a well known player at my local TAB laying some bets. At least he is aware of his situation and actions, still needs that extra 5kgs, he must be an ectomorph :P
 

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Re: No. 4 Andrew Mackie

the next scarlett needs to get a bit more sollid but his running capacity is good
 
Re: No. 4 Andrew Mackie

Hard Target

ANDREW Mackie went to the football almost every weekend as a kid. With his mother and two elder brothers, he'd head off not to watch Glenelg, Norwood, West Adelaide or any particular South Australian side, but whichever two teams his father happened to be umpiring.

Always, Mackie was more interested in how the football was being played than what his dad was up to. "He used to come home talking about different umpiring decisions," he said, "and we'd all say, 'Dad, what are you going on about?' " But it was impossible not to sense, from the stands, that there was a certain amount of assessment going on.

"He'd get bagged a fair bit, and you'd hear all of that," Mackie said. "My mum can remember how I used to turn around at times and tell people that was my dad they were talking about. But I don't have any negative memories at all, really. I just used to love going off to the footy, and I suppose over time your skin grows a bit thicker and you don't even hear any of it. I suppose it's just what you know, what you were born into."

It has been a little like that at Geelong, too. Mackie is a smooth, adventurous footballer who did not slip straight into the senior side, or look comfortable there from day one. "I was just playing footy and not thinking too much about anything," he said. "I was just buzzing around, not believing I was really even here." His first three seasons, perhaps as a consequence, were only really half-seasons; they delivered just 37 games between them and unfolded in the forward line and the midfield. Mackie never felt truly settled.

From there, he moved to the back line, where his daring nature and surgical foot skills found a home alongside players who made him feel safe enough to use them. Alongside Matthew Scarlett, Tom Harley, Darren Milburn and others, Mackie felt able to figure out the player he could be, knowing his back was being watched. Now, having started the season without Harley and Josh Hunt in the side, and realising that Milburn won't be around forever, Mackie has come to understand that things could could soon start to change, and that he needs to appreciate these days, and the people he is sharing them with.

"This is my seventh year at the footy club and in a way you can tell, because you look around at the younger guys coming in each year and realise you've been here for a bit of time. But it's different with our club - we're lucky to still have a lot of players around who have probably now become older players, and to me it still feels like I'm doing my bit under them and looking up to them," Mackie said.

"From that point of view nothing's really changed, but you do start to think about it more. You start to realise there's a window we have to enjoy and make the most of, because some of these guys will only be around a couple more years and without them things are definitely going to be a lot more difficult. Darren Milburn's in the top few players for games played at this club, and to have this time with him, Tom Harley and even Matty Scarlett is something I'm a lot more aware of than I used to be.

"Like I said, I used to just buzz around and not take too much in. I'd been playing school footy back in Adelaide, and all of a sudden I was here. It took a couple of years to take it all in, because it was such a huge change, but the more time goes on, you mature and you start to realise that the people you have around you are so valuable.

"They're all such different people, personality-wise, but the thing that binds them together in a footy sense is just their desire, and the will they have to succeed. They've sort of shown me that, even if you go through stages in your career where you lose your form and your skills drop away, that can come back if you keep your desire up and always have that desperation to win.

"In the last couple of years I've really tried to soak in everything I can from all those guys, to learn and ask questions and even just watch what they do. I'm pretty lucky to play with them and that's something I'm always trying to be conscious of, to absorb whatever I can."

That said, Mackie's defensive duties have changed a lot, even in the two-and-a-bit years since he found his spot in the side. The 24-year-old is, he says, a relaxed person, someone who tends to be positive and not dwell on anything bad that might happen, off the field and on it. "I don't often get too down on myself, and that's probably just me as a person," Mackie said. "I like to think positively, and not stress about things too much. I think it's good place to be."

Off the field, he is relaxed but responsible. "I understand that there's a time for reflection and it's not like I brush everything away; there are definitely things that need dealing with whether they're to do with footy or anything else," Mackie explained. "I do think about the game and I have high standards, but I probably keep them within myself. Some people might not even think I have them, but it's just that I don't really talk about it much." On the ground, it means he will not necessarily take ridiculous risks, but that he usually will look for the most rewarding road.

"I try to live by the sword and die by it a bit, I guess," he said. "Sometimes in today's game you can be tempted to go wide, but then you stop and think: is that what the team really needs?

"I think to beat what's going on in the game today you've just got to back your leg and be willing to go up the middle and try and hit a target, even if it's a hard target. There's times when it doesn't come off and it looks shocking, but if you continue to do it and the team ends up getting two or three goals through it, then you'd take that.

"It does hurt me sometimes and I understand that, but I'm not one who'll sit back and dwell on it for the next five minutes. Once it's done, it's the next one that matters."

The changing game has also challenged Mackie's relaxed mind in other ways: mostly, it has just made him think more. There's knowing what you should be doing against particular opponents, and when guarding certain spaces. There's watching teams rush the ball towards you, and trying to pick which of eight, nine or 10 ways they will try to force a score. Then there's trying to anticipate which way games are going - predicting what might be about to happen, and having the courage to tell your teammates.

There is a difference, Mackie said, between being risky and being careless. "Half the problem with me is that I'm pretty laid-back. That can be my downfall at times, because I can seem to cruise along a bit," he said. "But with zoning and all the other things happening in games, it challenges you to keep on your toes constantly and that's something I've got to be switched on about and willing to embrace, because every game sets new challenges and you've got to be able to change and adapt really quickly to what's going on.

"There's so much information going through your head, but if you're someone who can sense what's happening in a game and you've got a feel for what might be happening, you've got to be strong enough to spread the word out in the team and say, 'we might have to do this; maybe we should do that.' There's times when you start to see teams trying something and you realise you have to change and adapt straight away, before it's too late and they've scored two or three goals.

"I guess you have to back your judgement in the first place, and then back yourself that your teammates are going to listen. And that's something that's come to me just recently, I think. In your first group of games it's not something that really happens. You start to have a few thoughts, but you're not brave enough to express them. But I think I'm getting there, and hopefully that keeps coming. You get to a point where you have confidence that your teammates have confidence in you, if that makes sense."

Cat calls for common sense

ANDREW Mackie's father, Mark, was a well-regarded SANFL umpire who officiated in 152 matches between 1983 and 1992, including the 1990 grand final. Andrew's older brother, Simon, also umpired for several years, and is now playing local football in Melbourne. But while he has experienced first-hand the scrutiny umpires live under, it hasn't instilled any huge sympathy for them in Geelong's running backman.

"Not really, to be honest. I mean, I obviously respect them and would respect them even if my dad hadn't done it, but as players we cop it. If we do something wrong, we cop it, and that's just the game we're in," Mackie said.

"In the AFL business it's part of things. People like to have an opinion and that's just how it is. First of all, I basically think that if you do a good job at something, no matter what job you do, then people will have no need to criticise you. And it's that old thing about not worrying about what people say, only worrying about what the people who are close to you think and tell you.

"It doesn't really worry me when people are yelling things out to me over the fence, and that's probably my outlook on the whole thing. You'd go into umpiring knowing that there's a bit of baggage that comes with it and if you're not interested in that or can't handle it then maybe it's not for you."

While believing strongly that umpire contact must be avoided wherever possible, Mackie did query the amount of money players were being fined for what appeared minor, accidental collisions.

"It's got to be how it is and you've got to try and avoid it, but I'm a big one for common sense prevailing," he said. "If it's a little brush when you're running past and it's minor and no one's hurt, then we should be sensible about it. If an opponent pushes someone into an umpire, then I think the one pushing should be copping the fines. It's a tactic players use and it's big money, it's a couple of thousand dollars in a fine and if you're getting pushed in, what can you do about it? I think common sense should come through in those situations."
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http://www.theage.com.au/news/rfnew...1240606649633.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2
 
Re: Like a phoenix from the ashes - Geelong Board player review is back!

(Apologies for the length.)

#4: ANDREW MACKIE , Geelong Board player review, 2011

The media, in the week before the Grand Final, was full of the Collingwood stories (the AFL Record was especially skewed towards the monochrome mob). Then the week or so since the epic victory of The Pivot has been full, appropriately enough, of Geelong stories. But it does seem somewhat wrong that not a lot of attention has been paid to one of the most compelling stories of 2011: that of Andrew Mackie.

Geelong is also described as an enigma of a club, and Andrew Mackie is probably one of its most enigmatic players. We all think that we know him, yet he doesn't actually open himself up very wide to public scrutiny. Since his infamous night out drinking with the pre-reformation Steve Johnson back in 2005, he has managed to keep a comparatively discreet public persona despite arguably being second only to Matty Scarlet in his ability to pick away verbally at opponent's psychological sensitivities in any given game. He has copped copious amounts of criticism from within the Geelong fan base for being soft and self centred, yet when we are able to catch a glimpse of the real Andrew Mackie, we see that he is actually anything but either.

So, let's set aside - at least for a moment or three - the amazing last rides of Dash & Moonz; the rise and rise of the great J-Pod & Domsy the Survivor; the redemption of Tomahawk & Travis; and the amazing opening salvos from Bundy, Denzel, 'Striker' Vardy, Westy, Dunc & some bloke called Scott, and consider the phoenix like rejuvenation of the career of one Andrew Mackie, three time premiership player.

 We all know the general background. Andrew was drafted with the Round 7 pick in 2002 from the Glenelg Under 19's and Reserves, and debuted with the firsts in Round 3 of the 2004 season. He was initially used as a fairly ordinary half forward flanker and spent a fair bit of his early career bouncing in and out of the AFL team. In 2006, he finally convinced the coaching staff to use him further back, and after some games on the wing he finally slotted in as a rebounding defender.

In 2010, Andrew Mackie played 22 games and amassed 487 possessions (only marginally down from his career best 506 of 2009). He ranked 3rd in the team for marks (144) and 5th for kicks (312). And, as we all know, because of dodgy decision making and a general drop in performance levels, he got dropped for Geelong's last two matches of the year. Both were finals. Whether or not his demotion was warranted is a moot point, but it was clearly a decision based on a philosophy that quality was far more important than mere quantity.

It hurt. In an interview with Jon Anderson published in the Herald Sun on 28/5/11, Andrew Mackie remembered it, saying:

"Getting dropped knocks your ego around because you are used to being seen as an AFL footballer.

"And playing in knockout finals is what it's all about, so it hurt very deeply."

But Andrew Mackie is also an intelligent man, and brave enough to accept responsibility without seeking somebody else to blame.

"Do I blame anyone for it, like my coach at the time in 'Bomber' (Mark Thompson)? No, my relationship with him was fine and I don't blame him at all."

"Being dropped taught me the level I needed to train," Mackie said.

"I became s---ty on myself that it took getting dropped to teach me where my training level needed to be.

"Initially, I thought I needed to go out and have a 30-possession game to become an important part of the team again. Now I know that's not what it's all about.

"I'm now excited by doing things that mightn't get noticed as much, but help the team achieve. I'm starting to get to where I want to be."


He was also humble and open enough to actively seek support and advice, and has been mentored throughout this year by Gerard Healy, particularly in an attempt to stabilise his fluctuating levels of confidence. Andrew also had full and frank discussions with Chris Scott pre-season concerning confidence issues and inconsistency, and has totally bought in to the Scott coaching paradigm. These are the actions of a man seeking answers rather than merely offering excuses. It's also the mark of a man whose performances are only going to get even better.

I totally respect Andrew Mackie for having the guts and the gumption to actually do something about his perceived weaknesses, and to be grounded enough to seek out constructive criticism and act upon it. This is why I have the very great pleasure of reviewing what has been an amazing 2011 season for the Sacred Heart Old Scholar (all the more pleasurable since I also grew up near Morphett Road - deep in the Glenelg Football Club heartland - myself).

Andrew Mackie's overall stats dropped in 2011. In 22 matches this year, his number of kicks dropped from 312 in 2010 to 287 (7th in the team); handballs from 175 to 146; possessions from 487 to 433 (8th) although he still averaged a very respectable 19.68 per game (9th). His marks declined from 144 to 122 (6th), but only Harry Taylor and Corey Enright took more among the backs (144 each). His scoring declined from 4.8 to 4.3 for the year, but obviously his rate of accuracy rose significantly.

This is a clear indicator that Mackie has absorbed the requirement to sublimate his natural desire to accumulate stats in order to achieve team success, and that he has become a willing embodiment of the "less is more" philosophy.

He achieved a career high 59 tackles in 2011, and only Corey Enright tackled more among the backs (64). He was the club leader in Rebounds from the 50 (86 prior to the Grand Final, Enright was 2nd with 77) and Long Kicks (110 up to the GF, Chapman was 2nd with 92). Andrew had 13 games this year where he accumulated 20+ disposals, and his level of disposal efficiency has soared.

We also got to see just how much the Geelong Football Club actually means to this man, because he was the player most obviously moved by the passing of Bobby Davis and the most determined to see the memory of the great man - an earlier wearer of Mack's beloved #4 guernsey - honoured by a victory. His show of respect for the Geelong Flyer after the final siren of that game really moved me.

His website (http://.andrewmackie.net.au) indicates a leaning towards the midfield, but I think that Andrew's Mackie's evolution - and I do mean this in the nicest possible way - is only going to go backwards. We have seen him taking on elite forwards with amazing success - think his blanketing of Buddy Franklin in the famous 1 point win against Hawthorn in 2009 after Scarlo & Harry went down with groin injuries; or his covering St Nick while Harry was reinserting his own lungs every so often during the 2009 Grand Final. More recently, he was once again moved to full back when Harry was injured against Sydney in round 23 this year.

I believe that Andrew Mackie will assume Scarlo's role from 2013. He is the same height, only a handful of kg's lighter, has exactly the same counter-attacking instincts and shoots from the lip every bit as effectively. His long raking kick, rapid acceleration and significant football intelligence will only see his game getting better. As good as 2011 has been, next year will only see Andrew Mackie perform even better and get the long overdue credit he deserves (including, I expect, eventual All-Australian selection).

2011 was a watershed year for the most enigmatic player of an enigmatic team, culminating in a Grand Final victory in his 150th game. Andrew Mackie's 2012 shows great early signs of being an utter triumph.
 
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...tember-contender/story-fni5f9de-1226712502642

KEITH THOMAS ON…HINKLEY GETTING BACK IN THE FRAME: "In Grand Final week I got a text from (Geelong defender) Andrew Mackie. I'd never spoken to him before. The text said: 'You've got to ring Ken Hinkley, he's changed his mind, he's available'. So I rang him, confirmed it, and said 'I'm almost too far gone, but if something happens are you telling me in the mix?' And he said `yes, I am'. So we got just past Grand Final week and I organised an interview and he blew us away, he was great. I've kept (Mackie's) text and I'll never forget it. I've never seen him, never spoken to him, but he'll go down in history as the guy that helped make it happen because I don't know if Ken would have rung."
Click to expand...
 
Mack... the ol' knots on cotton himself... has hung up the boots.

What a stellar career and a perfect representation of the GFC.
Best to him in the future - which apparently involves a role at the club.

GO Catters
 

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