Port Adelaide mid/forward Ewan Mackinlay is loving his time in the AFL, now with his first pre-season under his belt after being taken in the 2025 mid-season draft. 

Mackinlay featured in the side’s 73-point win on Sunday over West Coast, mixing his time between the wing and the forward line, showing off his contest and running power. 

Speaking with the Adelaide media on Tuesday, the 22-year-old recapped his performance in Perth, reflected on his debut game last season, and praised his fellow mid-season draftees. 

Mackinlay on his game against West Coast 
“I think the focus I wanted to have going to the game was about my role and contest. I thought I did well, so I was pretty happy to make those things to a few little moments I don't want to improve on, like the ball in hand, but think overall is pretty, pretty happy with what I did out there."

Mackinlay on his best position 
“It depends, I guess, a bit, on what Carry (Josh Carr) thinks it is, whether it's half forward or wing. I've added wing to my game, which has been pretty handy to do. I was probably about 50/50 on the weekend, between wing and half forward. So yeah, it's just either one of those two.” 

Mackinlay on his first AFL pre-season 
“Yeah, it's been great, I've loved it. Having that continuity with the boys, new coaches as well. So it's been good. Just to have a full year, they can see my game out there on the track, and I can build a lot more trust with my teammates and coaches.” 

Mackinlay on debuting in Round 24 last year  
“I think it was definitely getting a monkey off the back (by debuting in Round 24), and not worrying all pre-season about getting a game, I guess. But it helped me know what the level is, I think, and what I have to do to get out there and play. I knew at training what I had to work on to play AFL footy. I think that was probably the main thing I got out of the game, which was pretty good.” 

Mackinlay on the team’s pressure 
“It's obviously a big part of what we want to do, the playing group and the coaches. I think it's something I've got to improve on, my tackling, it’s something I want to get better at. And I think it is a part of my game that I've built on and gotten better at. I want to be able to contribute to what the team does so that’s bringing more tackling, more pressure, and to keep getting better at that.” 

Mackinlay on the potential for Round 1 selection 
“I'd like to think I'm around the mix. I'm not sure but obviously we’ve got Miles who’s pretty likely to come back in. Yeah, I think I'm around the mix. I’ll just wait and see what happens over the next week.” 

Mackinlay on ball movement  
“Carry (Josh Carr) hasn't wanted to move the ball just one way, and that's the only way. I think what you saw on the weekend was probably just that we just took what was there for us to do. We probably aren’t going to be able move the ball like that against every team, and sometimes it just sort of happens, and it’s your day, like in the third quarter (on Sunday), how we moved the ball. How we moved it was very good on the weekend, but it probably won't happen every single time.” 

Mackinlay on stepping up into the AFL 
“I've loved it. It's been, I guess, everything you'd want. Just the general process of getting better, being in a better environment, which I've really enjoyed. I think everyone wants to play AFL footy since we were kids. So I just love being in it and trying to play AFL footy” 

Mackinlay on fellow mid-season draftees Mani Liddy and Harrison Ramm 
“It was really good (being selected with them). I saw the way Lids (Liddy) came in last year and played about eight games. I think that gave me a bit of confidence that I suppose I could be out there too, playing. And watching Rammy this pre-season has been pretty impressive, seeing how he goes about it. He just wants to get better. You see him in the gym, he's one of the first in, last out every time. So it's been good coming in with them, having a little group of us that we have a connection with.”