Andrew McKay

Andrew Ian McKay (born 14 July 1970) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) and Glenelg Football Club in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL).

McKay grew up in south eastern South Australia, and played junior football for Lucindale in the Kowree-Naracoorte Football League. Recruited by South Australian National Football League (SANFL) club Glenelg, McKay moved to Adelaide in 1991 and played 40 games for Glenelg as a half-back flanker, finishing second in the Magarey Medal in 1992 behind Port Adelaide's Nathan Buckley.[1]

McKay was recruited by Carlton Football Club with its first round selection in the 1992 AFL Draft (No. 13 overall), although he was later fined $10,000 when it emerged that he had contacted four of the AFL's struggling clubs (Sydney, Brisbane Bears, Richmond and Fitzroy) and warned them that he would stay in South Australia if one of those clubs drafted him – which contravened the AFL's draft tampering rules.[2] He nevertheless remained eligible to play for Carlton, and he made his debut in Round 1, 1993, immediately displaying the outstanding defensive skills that he had displayed at Glenelg. In his first AFL season, McKay was named on the half-back flank in the All-Australian team. He also represented South Australia at State of Origin that season, a feat he repeated in 1994 and 1995.[3] In 1995, McKay was a member of Carlton's premiership team, the only premiership in his senior career.[1]

While still playing in 1996, McKay began a degree in veterinary science, studying at the University of Queensland. To balance his study with his football career, McKay trained with the University of Queensland Australian Football Club whilst commuting to Melbourne on most weekends to play matches with Carlton.[1] McKay played 15 of Carlton's 24 matches that season. He returned to Melbourne in 1997.

Continuing with Carlton, McKay played two more matches for South Australia, and was the winner of the Fos Williams Medal before the end of top-level State of Origin football in 1999. He made the All-Australian team as half-back flanker three times consecutively in 1999, 2000 and 2001, bringing his career tally to four. In 2003, McKay's final season, he assumed the Carlton captaincy following the mid-season retirement of Brett Ratten, and also won Carlton's Best and Fairest award for the only time in his career.

McKay is a life member and Hall of Fame Inductee of the Carlton Football Club.[1] In 2007, he was inducted into the South Australian Football Hall of Fame.[3]

Since retiring, McKay has practised as a veterinarian. In addition to this, he joined the newly formed Match Review Panel, set up in 2005 as an overhaul of the AFL Tribunal system; from 2007 until 2009, he served as Chairman of that panel.[4] He has also been involved in the Laws of the Game Committee.[1]

In September 2018, McKay stepped down from his position as Head of Football at the Carlton Football Club. He was replaced by Brad Lloyd. [5]

He has three children, all of whom have played football in some capacity. In October 2018, Andrew's daughter Abbie was selected with Pick 16 in the 2018 AFL Women's Draft and in doing so made history being the first ever Father-Daughter selection in the Australian Rules Football history.[6]