Port Adelaide mid-season draftee Ewan Mackinlay is no stranger to adversity.  

The type of adversity that’s much more than just being overlooked in the draft when he was a teenager.  

He’s experienced tragedy in its purest and most heartbreaking form – losing a parent when he was just 16 years old. 

Ewan’s story starts in regional New South Wales, in the tiny town of Holbrook, where he and his three older siblings were raised. 

The Mackinlays were a typical family; mum and dad were teachers at the local high school, and the four kids – Hamish, Greta, Freya and Ewan – were into everything regular country kids were into.  

“I grew up in Holbrook until I was 19,” Ewan recalled. 

“I loved it, it was the best town. When dad was sick, the community was amazing. Dad was involved with footy, cricket, everything. It's a good town. I love it there.” 

Despite being from another state, his connections to Port Adelaide would begin he was young. His dad George taught Jeremy Finlayson at Billabong High School. His older brother was captained by Todd Marshall in representative cricket. And he even played some football at the Murray Bushrangers, the club where Joe Richards, Joe Berry and Jack Whitlock all honed their craft.  

It was almost meant to be. 

“I remember Jeremy and I met, maybe once before I was here, but we had a connection through my dad,” Ewan said. 

“Dad was a PE teacher. Jeremy and I went to the same high school. Jez left before I got there but he loved my dad. 

“In 2019, when dad was sick, the year GWS made the grand final, Jez sent dad a guernsey signed by all the players, which was pretty cool. That was really nice.” 

Life was good when Ewan was young. It was simple. It was all about footy, mates, family. 

Until one afternoon, he came home from school and everything changed.  

“I was in year 10 and dad had had surgery on his ankle, and he'd been crook for a while,” he said. 

“I came home one day halfway through the year and found out he had cancer. In December that year, he passed away. 

“I’d just turned 16. It was obviously during the time where a fair bit of change is happening already in your life. I probably grew up a bit quicker. I was probably just a young smart ass, to be honest, until that point.  

“Obviously, we knew he wasn't going to see a lot of my life, but he wanted to see me play senior footy. And then I got a debut that year in Holbrook, and he saw me play my first four games. 

“It was pretty cool for him to see me do that.” 

Ewan’s dad George wasn’t a pushy footy dad – he always wanted to see his kids do what made them happy. 

He influenced Ewan in a way that a father should. He was encouraging and supportive, but in such a way that he wanted his kids to find their own path. 

“He was my first footy coach in year five and year six,” Ewan said. 

“He wasn't someone who pushed me and said, ‘oh, you have to be this’. He just wanted me to go out and just play and have fun. Even for my first game of senior footy, he didn't tell me to do this or do that. He just said go out there and play.” 

Getting to the 2025 AFL mid-season draft has certainly been an interesting journey for Ewan. 

When asked if he thought he’d be taken in his draft year in 2021, he responded laughing, “I didn't think I was going to go, because I didn't even nominate!” 

He was playing senior football at Holbrook during year 12, and the following season, joined the Murray Bushrangers.  

That year, Ewan made the decision to nominate for the draft as an over-ager, but wasn’t surprised to be overlooked. 

In 2023, he played a season for Lavington, which led to him being scouted by North Adelaide, with the unlikely assistance of a player from a rival club.  

“I had a year at Lavington at Ovens & Murray, under (head coach) Adam Schneider, and he was really good for me,” Ewan said. 

“The statistician at North, he’s mates with a bloke from Central District who was playing at Albury, which is Lavington’s rival. And those two would talk at the end of every year to see if they thought anyone could come over (to the SANFL) and play. He once mentioned my name to the statistician, who then spoke to the head coach. He always says I’ve got him to thank for my career!” 

Ewan’s gratitude for North Adelaide, and more specifically, his then head coach Jacob Surjan runs deep. Without his former club, he’s certain he wouldn’t have been in the position he is today. 

“I got a message one day when I was out whipper-snippering for my cousin” he said of the casual recruitment process.  

“It was from Jacob Surjan, and he was like, ‘I'm the head coach of the North Adelaide Roosters’. I wasn’t even sure what league they were in back then!” 

The resulting exchange was a success, and Ewan was offered the chance to play at state league level in Adelaide and properly give football a go. 

The 21-year-old went on to win the Roosters’ young player of the year award in 2024 and just a few months after that, the opportunity to join an AFL club came. 

While life has changed a lot in the last month for the young forward, he will continue his university studies, because living out one dream doesn’t have to be at the expense of another. 

When he graduates, he’ll be a PE teacher, just like his dad. 

“He would have been proud of me just having a go at whatever I did,” Ewan said. 

“He wouldn't have really cared what it was. A few people told me since he passed that he said, ‘I think Ewan could make it at footy’, which was something I didn't really know he thought. So it is pretty cool. 

“I think he'd be pretty proud and pretty happy.”