The lowdown on Mackenzie Hawkesby

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'She will absolutely kill it in the WSL' says Mackenzie's former captain.

Richie Mills

2023-08-06T06:00:00Z

Mackenzie Hawkesby notched six goals and six assists in 20 A-League appearances last season.

Mackenzie Hawkesby’s captain at Sydney FC believes the new Albion signing will bring boundless energy and leadership beyond her years to the WSL side.

Natalie Tobin played alongside the midfielder between 2019-23 and believes the Albion have a real gem on their hands, following the 23-year-old’s July move from the Australian League title winners.

Together they helped Sydney finish first in the regular season in 2021, 2022, and 2023 and win the A-League Grand Final in late April this year, alongside new Albion teammate Madison Haley.

Tobin says the former Western Sydney Wanderers player, who also had a loan spell with Sydney Olympic, has many strings to her bow, including a goal threat, assisting others and being a pressing machine.

“She is one of the fittest players I have played with, she can just run all game, shut down players and win the ball high up the pitch due to her pressing,” said fellow midfielder and Sydney skipper Tobin.

Hawkesby ready for south coast challenge

“That has often led to turnovers in the final third and a goal as a result. Assisting others is another strong part of her game. In the 2021/22 season, she had the most assists in the league (10) – she was incredible.”

“She is best suited as a central midfielder, particularly in the attacking roles, as an eight or a ten. She bombs forward and helps out the strikers. She has a great engine and if the wingers put a ball into the box you can guarantee she will be there.”

Hawkesby, who scored six goals and bagged six assists in the 2022/23 campaign, boasted some of the best stats in the division last term. In the A-League, the Australian was in the top 10% in the league for assists, shots, non-penalty goals, touches, progressive passes received and shot-creating actions.

While she won the Player of the Season award for 2021/22, after scoring five goals and turning provider on ten occasions, Tobin believes there is more to come from Hawkesby.

“She creates a lot of chances and has a lot of shots during a match but I think she can improve the power behind her finishing,” she added. “But the fact she gets into those areas and has those efforts on goal is really pivotal in of itself. So if she can work on that she will be a goalscoring machine.”

Mackenzie received her first call-up to the Australia squad in June 2022.

Despite being just 23, Nolan said Hawkesby, who received call-ups to the Australian national team in 2022 and created the most chances in the league (48) in that year, led by example at Sydney.

Moreover, together with Haley, who also joined Brighton from Sydney in July, they developed a clinical partnership, with Hawkesby playing her part in helping the striker score 11 goals in 15 appearances last season.

“We have quite a young team so she [Hawkesby] was actually one of the more experienced players and she was able to take on that leadership role and step up in the big games,” said Tobin.

“Mackenzie is my best friend and we relied on each other. She provided a lot of support and was an inspiring player to play alongside as she leaves her heart out on the field and puts in 100% effort. In one game where she didn’t play we really lost that midfield energy and that was so pivotal.”

She added: “They [Haley and Hawkesby] had a great partnership in attack. Madison was so strong and she relied on the balls played into her by Mackenzie. Maddy can hold the ball up and Mackenzie can run in behind, so they combined really well.”

While Hawkesby is set to play in the WSL, it has not been an easy road to this point.

She herself admitted a lot of coaches didn’t believe in her during her late teens, partly due to her 5ft 3in frame, but Sydney head coach Ante Juric saw her talent in 2019, brought her to the club, and the rest is history.

“She had a rough run in her youth where a lot of coaches wrote her off as I think she was quite small,” said Tobin.

“But Ante, our Sydney coach, saw her play and said, ‘You are the type of player that I like and you bring so much energy and work ethic’. He took a chance on her and signed her up.

“In 2021/22 we had lost a couple of players to other clubs overseas and she really just stood up and made a name for herself. It’s great to see someone who never gave up now be rewarded.

“I think she will absolutely kill it in the WSL and I want nothing but success for her. She has been shredding it in the A-League and I think it is time for her to move on – as much as it pains me to say it.

“There have been a lot of tears but she is ready and she will thrive there. She is more ready now than she would have been a year ago.”