Crows young guns battle home sickness

Kate Taeuber

August 18, 2009

Brent Reilly - David Mackay's mentor at the club.

Victorian Crows young guns, David Mackay and Richard Douglas have attributed their on-field success this season to the support of their team mates.

 

With more than half the Crows’s squad from interstate, Mackay, 20 and Douglas, 21, have established themselves as permanent fixtures in the team and overcome their homesickness by bonding with their fellow interstate team-mates.

 

Mackay, who has played 16 games this season after recovering from a chronic hamstring injury, said:

 

“We’ve got a lot of interstate boys at the moment so it definitely helps to bounce things off them…you’re all going through the same thing so it’s good help.”

 

Douglas, the Crows first round draft pick in 2005, who has played all but one game this season said:

 

“You don’t know anyone from Adelaide obviously and you can just feed off each other. If anyone’s got any problems you can talk about it and just help each other along.”

 

The pair, who recently signed two year contract extensions, which will see them both at the club until 2010, also contribute their successful transition to the Crows’s mentoring program. 

 

Douglas, who was mentored by retired Crow, Jason Torney, said:

 

“He helped me out with heaps of things like being away from home and settling in.”

 
Mackay, who is currently being mentored by fellow Victorian, Brent Reilly, said:

 

“It really helps having someone who’s been through the same thing as you.”

 

Sceptics questioned whether Crows first round draft pick, Victorian based, Patrick Dangerfield, would be able to handle moving interstate once he finished his schooling. 

 

Dangerfield, 19, who decided to stay in his Victorian hometown of Moggs Creek last year to complete Year 12, had spent more time playing with the under-18 Geelong Falcon’s than with the Crows. 

 

Douglas said it would be difficult for Dangerfield to move to Adelaide next year after living at home for his first year as an AFL player, as it is important to be around the team and mates from the start.

 

Mackay, who was taken with pick 48 at the 2006 National Draft, said:
 “I’ve found it better to be here…If you’ve finished school I definitely think it’s the best thing to do to come over here and get used to it as quickly as you can.”