Kicking Back with Mac: A Conversation with Mac Grealy

After my whirlwind trip to Townsville, it's been good watching the Reds get back to business at Ballymore. Two losses and one win into the trans-tasman series, the team is super-focused.

Photo cred: Saucey 

Ahead of their game against the Auckland Blues, I had the chance to catch up with Reds up-and-comer Mac Grealy! At 19, Mac is one of the youngest players on the team and I believe he has huge potential. We caught up about a bunch of things, including what he's working on in his personal game and one of his hobbies outside of rugby.

With players like Mac around, the future of the Reds is very bright!

Hey Mac, thanks heaps for your time.

No worries!

How’s this weeks training gone with the boys?

Yeah. To be honest, it’s been a bit tough, because there’s been a few injuries… It’s been a bit of a lighter training week, because it’s a Friday game... there’s a bit of excitement too, because it is a Friday game, last home game at Suncorp -we're looking forward to the challenge.

What have you been working on in your own game?

That’s a good question. Obviously, I'm just trying to crack Super Rugby, so there’s a lot of things I can improve. But when it comes to things I’m particularly working on, things like kicking, tackle technique, cos I’m a bit of a smaller guy, a younger guy, I’ve got to be quite technical, so they’re probably my two main focus areas. Obviously every other part of my game I can improve, but they’d be the two main ones.

I love hearing about people’s rugby journeys. What inspired you to first play rugby?

There’s a different few things. I’ve got two older brothers, one older sister but my older brothers, they started playing when they were eight and five, I think I was three at the time, so that’s when I started getting around the rugby environment. By the time I was five, my dad couldn’t keep me away. I think I started playing under-6s then, and I think I just loved the competitiveness of it. I’ve always been a very competitive person and sports always been something I loved. Throughout my life, I kind of got good at it and enjoyed that, and then got to take things to another level. I probably didn’t expect it to happen as fast as it has, because only a couple of years ago I hadn’t made the Queensland one team. Literally two years ago. Then the first time I did, I was 17 and I came off the bench. I suppose, just being from Toowoomba, I just loved playing footy and that’s all I wanted to do. I loved the camaraderie with my mates and to be able to now play as a lifestyle is a huge thing for me and I want to take it as far as I can, and play for as long as I can, because I just love playing footy. There’s been no family member or other person that made me, it’s just the enjoyment of getting out there and attacking it. 

You came from Toowoomba to Brisbane during your first year out of school and had an awesome season with Uni last year. I’m guessing it was study that brought you to Brisbane?

Yeah. Originally I was definitely looking to further my studies and the opportunity to play rugby was a huge one. Apart from my dad’s playing at South’s (he was a Souths old boy), I didn’t have a club affiliation and it made sense to to me personally to go to Uni, to compete against the best players, with historically, 10 grand finals in a row... So to be in that environment, I knew it would be beneficial for me and as the season went out, I knew I was getting the hardest type of game simulations at training and then I had the best players on my team. To be able to play with players that have been around the world that are so good at footy just makes it easier. Uni, it’s a great club. So yeah, study took me there and rugby kept me there.

Congrats on making the Reds academy and now the Reds squad. The future looks bright with players like you around. What are some of the big things you’ve learnt since being based here at Ballymore?

Some of the biggest things… There’s a lot of things on the field I’ve definitely learnt, just around how to prepare for my job and how the little things often are the biggest contributions in games... I’ve always been trying to make big plays and highlights and stuff, but to focus on those little plays has been huge. Off the field, it’s also been really beneficial, just learning how to prep for games and also how to enjoy life away from footy - that's been a huge part of it.

Can you tell us something about yourself that not many people may know?

Well, believe it or not I can play the piano. Growing up I always played piano, it was one of my little hobbies. I don’t think anyone else here would know that. I used to play a bit of “Dancing Queen” for Mum… it used to pop off (laughs).

Everyone needs a bit of music in their life! Thanks Mac for your time. See you at Suncorp on Friday! Let’s go Reds!

Cheers Tommy! Hopefully it’s another good win, and another good match-ball for you.