Club Career
Mackay was a schoolboy rugby union representative with the Sydney Combined High Schools side. He was graded by Western Suburbs in 1987 and made his first grade debut in round 1 of the 1988 season. He was a regular first-grader in 1989 and a capable goal-kicker booting 19 conversions and scoring six tries in his second top-grade season. Indifferent form saw him make only eleven appearances in Wests' run-on side in 1990 and at the end of that season he was swapped by Wests in the short-lived and controversial draft system which existed in Australian rugby league solely in the 1991 season.
Mackay was 31st draft choice when snapped up by Penrith coach Phil Gould. His Penrith years were the highlight of his career and from there he made his state and national representative debuts. A strong runner and defender Mackay added the strength of an extra forward to the backline. He was a member of the Panthers successful 1991 premiership side. Following the grand final victory he travelled with the Panthers to England for the 1991 World Club Challenge which was lost to Wigan.
Mackay quit the Panthers at the end of 1994 to link with his former coach Gould at Easts. He spent the 1995 season there and returned to good goal-kicking form booting 20 goals in just 13 games.
In 1996 he joined the South Queensland Crushers for that club's second season in the ARL. Following a pay dispute with the cash-strapped Crushers, he joined the neighbouring Gold Coast Chargers and captained the Chargers during the final two years of the club’s existence. Following the demise of the Gold Coast, Mackay signed with his sixth club, the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles for the 1999 season.
In 2000 he journeyed to English rugby league playing with the Leeds Rhinos in 2000 and with the eventual English Super League premiers Bradford in 2001. The swansong of his long and varied first grade career was in 2002 with Hull F.C.
In 2003 he joined the Ipswich Jets under coach Trevor Gillmeister.
Mackay started coaching the Ormeau Shearers on the Gold Coast in 2012.
Read more about this topic: Graham Mackay
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