plugga boots 100

With the hype and anticipation building for weeks, all eyes were on Adam ‘Plugga’ McKinlay this weekend. Adam was expected to become the first player to kick 100 goals for the season and cement his position as WA’s leading goal kicker.

But the former Swan Districts forward hadn’t seen the script and kept the crowd in suspense. Instead he seemed determined to do everything but break the century mark as he set about assisting his teammates add easy goals to their tallies.

In a performance as skilled as it was unselfish, McKinlay fired so many rapier-like passes forward within easy range, it began to look like he might be avoiding the issue entirely.

In the third quarter McKinlay finally put footy nerds out of their misery marking strongly to line up for goal at the forty metre mark. This range and angle are McKinlay’s ‘bread and butter’ and a safe, straight kick delivered his hundredth goal in a mundane fashion. Just like that, by game eleven, with an average over 9 goals per match, McKinlay put the milestone behind him.

After all the hype it was fun to see McKinlay take a different role and focus on other elements of his game. It was something of a revelation to see how damaging he could be through the centre and across half forward, forcing feeding the ball down the hungry gullets of the Cougar’s other forwards for easy shots on goal.

In a play that typified his mature performance, the goal of the day was set up by McKinlay – but he didn’t kick it.

Instead he speared a pass to Jack Flanagan who had made himself loose in front of the square. Flanagan played on to draw an isolated defender and passed over the top to Rusty Smith. Smith scored coolly under pressure to finish a sublime team goal that was as celebrated as McKinlay’s 100^th.

The Cougars obvious strength is how they patiently hone the odds down to a certainty.

McKinlay kicked seven for the day, he could easily have kicked double.

If the HFA is to continue to grow it is important to retain players of the calibre of Adam McKinlay.

Chidlow Cougars 39.14 (248) def. Forrestfield Rhinos 4.1 (25)

In other games;

Pickering Brook 25.17 (167) def. Mt Helena 12.8 (80)

Gidgegannup 22.21 (153) def. Wundowie 4.5 (29)

Mundaring (87) def. Bullsbrook (54)

Note: this week (July 14) is a scheduled bye for the HFA.

Round 13 fixtures