The Mack Attack

It was the Return of the Mac on the weekend. And boy did he have a big one. Patrolling the backline with the slight strut and confidence to go with it, Eric Mackenzie, E-mac, Mack Attack…kicked his first goal of what’s going to be an illustrious AFL career and towelled up Drew ‘The Dish’ Petrie to stamp himself as a future superstar, or as much of one as a modern defender can be recognised, of the game.

This piece is for my fellow E-mac worshipper, cousin Brett, because the Mack Attack deserves some recognition and there’ll be plenty to come in the future from the football world, so I might aswell get the ball rolling. Every week Eric Mackenzie is looking more and more like ‘the man’ controlling the backline, and lookout when our fine servant and captain Darren Glass retires, because Eric will be taking over.

I knew we would be advancing to the second week of finals late last week when it was announced Mackenzie and my other main man, the ‘Q-stick’ Quinten Lynch, were coming back into the side. The presence of those two finely tuned men and athletes gave me the air of confidence to ensure North had no chance. He’s taken care of Cloke, Buddy and now ‘The Dish’ Petrie just to name a few, and look what happened when we didn’t have the Mac and big Q. Buddy kicks four goals in the first and there goes the game as well as our top four chances.

It’d just ticked over noon on Sunday here in Perth and I’m at cousin Brett’s pad in Leederville with my other cousin and older brother sitting in anticipation and pondering the the clash between our Eagles and the Roos,which we would be leaving for shortly. We were talking about the game and between Brett and myself it was no suprise that the Mac came up in conversation. Brett then threw up a comment for a laugh which went something like this: “Imagine if the Mac got forward and snagged a goal today”. Well about an hour later came the highlight of both our footy-watching years when about midway through the first quarter, the Mac took a mark, went back and never looked like missing from the pocket, which was followed by a sight which, along with the Q-stick celebrating a goal, can’t be matched. The sight I’m talking about is E-Mac casually strolling back to his defensive post unfazed as always and with a slight strut. All eyes were on him and the way he carries himself tells us he knows he’s landed in the AFL and watch this space because he’s stamped himself as the next premier defender of the game with all-Australian gongs to come.

He’s also taken a place alongside the Big Q as my main man and I must admit, I’ve got a love affair with both of them.

So onto this week and we’re up against the Pies. An in-form Travis Cloke awaits but that’s the least of my worries because the man, the Mac, will do his business and take another big scalp in a big game. Going on last week’s form we could even have the Q and the Mack attack together in he forward line. He’s good enough to do it all. But instead we’ll be seeing that sight again of the casual stroll with the slight strut unfazed as he takes his position next to Cloke.

This piece had to be written for myself and cousin Brett and for the return of the Mac on the weekend. Eric Mackenzie is here, so get around him and sit back and admire his work for now and many years to come.

Comments

  1. Gawd Brandon. Give him the outing on Travis Cloke before we go the crow.
    ‘Wreckless Eric’ as I like to call him, is the cautious antithesis of reckless. (For Almanackers under 40 – Wreckless Eric was an obscure British punk singer of the 1980’s on the same Stiff label as Elvis Costello).
    I rate ‘Mack’ as you call him as a strong reliable central defender. Kicking has been his weakness. Last week is the first in living memory where there was not a slow floating cross goal transfer intercepted for a turnover goal. I hope last week is the new norm.
    The other question mark is when teams kick over the back and turn him around, where he can be caught for leg speed (and the turning circle of the Queen Mary).
    What I like is that Woosha has shown confidence in him for 3 seasons now (remember Jack R kicking 10 on him in our 2010 Annus Horribilus). He has consistently got Buddy, Travis etc despite my cries of “put Glass on him.”
    As usual Woosha knew more than me and his faith will be rewarded this weekend.
    If Cloke gets 4 or less, Wreckless is BOG in my book and we win.
    Good stuff Brandon.

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