{"id":142570,"date":"2023-09-27T14:56:43","date_gmt":"2023-09-27T04:56:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/?p=142570"},"modified":"2023-09-27T14:56:51","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T04:56:51","slug":"marvellous-mackin-makes-memorable-debut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/2023\/09\/27\/marvellous-mackin-makes-memorable-debut\/","title":{"rendered":"Marvellous Mackin makes memorable debut"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

MELBOURNE\u2019s newest Irish recruit Aimee Mackin<\/a> finally got her chance to debut on the AFL Women\u2019s stage over the weekend, and certainly made an impact in the Dees\u2019 win over the Hawks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking post-match, Mackin was happy she had finally made her debut, and did so in a win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think once you get the first one you\u2019re sort of going in knowing what it\u2019s going to be like, so it\u2019s good to get a feel for it and I enjoyed being out there with the girls\u201d Mackin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEspecially coming over and training with them for the last few weeks, I knew the quality that they had so be out amongst it was brilliant and I enjoyed every minute.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although she was happy with her performance, she did admit she had some nerves pre-match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah a wee bit nervous, it\u2019s the same at home,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have good nerves, it\u2019s just about controlling it. The most important thing for me today was to just enjoy it all. It\u2019s over now in a flash, it\u2019s onto the next one already so yeah I just enjoyed it all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She is not the first Mackin to grace the AFLW stage, with sister Blaithin<\/a> in her second season at the club. Mackin said that having her sister out there on the field definitely helped her in her debut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019s always someone I can bounce off,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cObviously coming over, new sport, new surroundings, so she\u2019s always there to have my back and any questions I have she\u2019s always got an answer for them, so it\u2019s great. She\u2019s been here, experienced it all last year so she knows a lot more than me, so I\u2019m just learning as much off her, and off the rest of the girls.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mackin almost had an even more memorable debut with a goal attempt that cruelly bounced before the line that was ultimately picked up by her sister and slotted through the middle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ever the team player, the first gamer Mackin was not annoyed that her initial attempt did not go over the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was just glad it over the line\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think Blaithin actually said to me she was cheering thinking it was going over when I kicked it and then she had to realise \u2018oh no, I have to get it!\u2019. It was a quick turnaround for her, I think in her mind she was near celebrating. I was just glad it got over the line and got a score on the board so that was the most important thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Playing across both the midfield and forward line in her debut, Mackin said that she preferred to play in the forwardline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think being in a forward role is more natural because at home that\u2019s the position I play,” she said. “But mid\u2019s good too because you can get on the ball and you have it all in front of you. I\u2019ve done a bit of both in the scrimmage games so either or, I\u2019m happy enough to play wherever I\u2019m asked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has been a whirlwind few months for the newest Dee, with there only being a month or two between her arrival in Australia and her debut. Like any new recruit to the game, there are areas of the game that came more and less naturally to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think there\u2019s a few similarities to home. In terms of running and carrying the ball we sort of do that at home, so that came a wee bit naturally. But then you have to be aware of tackles coming around you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Tackles is definitely a lot to learn from, we can\u2019t tackle as much back at home, but I think that adjustment with knowing when you can run with it and then using your speed and just adapting to that because at home you can kick the ball and run long, you\u2019re not going to have someone chasing you down from behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I think the tackling and the shape of the ball\u2019s obviously a lot different, so we have to kick it a bit different, but once you repeat it a few times it comes a bit more natural.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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