Carlton Blues rookie Sophie McKay has created one of the most memorable moments of the AFLW finals series with an eye-catching goal celebration that left fans amused and her famous father less than impressed.
The Celebration That Stole the Show
During Carlton's elimination final demolition of West Coast, the 19-year-old rising star decided to mark her brilliant goal in wet conditions with a fake hamstring injury followed by the "stanky leg" dance move. The celebration immediately went viral and became one of the talking points of the first week of AFLW finals action.
Despite the matchwinning performance during Carlton's scintillating 6.2 third-quarter blitz, Sophie came off the field to face criticism from an unexpected source - her own father, Carlton great Andrew McKay.
Family Reactions to the Viral Moment
Andrew McKay, who played 244 games for Carlton and fathered both Sophie and Blues captain Abbie, was less than impressed with his youngest daughter's antics. "He just said, 'Don't you ever do that again,'" Sophie revealed before Carlton training on Tuesday.
"A couple of my family friends who were standing with him said he had a heart attack. Probably shouldn't have done that one, but it was funny," she added with a laugh.
The celebration wasn't entirely spontaneous - Sophie had rehearsed the move as a joke during Friday's training session in front of Blues veteran Darcy Vescio. While she initially decided against using it in the actual game, teammates eventually coaxed her into pulling off the celebration when she slotted her goal.
Sisterly Support and Social Media Stardom
Abbie McKay, who became Carlton captain ahead of this season and turns 25 on Saturday, had mixed feelings about her younger sister's celebration. "I just roll my eyes when she does some of the celebrations, but it's hilarious," the Blues skipper said.
"She lifts the energy of the whole team up and gets us all going. But dad wasn't so happy with the hammy celebration... it was funny that she even decides to do that."
The McKay sisters have developed a growing social media presence, maintaining a shared TikTok account with more than 4000 followers. Their contrasting personalities - Abbie's leadership and Sophie's youthful exuberance - have played a significant role in Carlton's first AFLW finals appearance since 2020.
Sophie's performance confirmed her status as one of the AFLW's most exciting young players and a genuine contender for the league's Rising Star award.
Looking Ahead to the Semi-Final
Carlton now prepares to face injury-hit Hawthorn in a semi-final on Saturday night, with the Hawks coming off back-to-back defeats to undefeated reigning premiers North Melbourne.
Abbie highlighted the team's significant roster changes, noting 10 new players joined the list this year, representing approximately one-third of their total squad. "We've just been chipping away at things for the last few years, and it's all coming into place this year and paying off, so it's really nice," she said.
If Carlton can defeat Hawthorn, they will advance to a preliminary final showdown against the Brisbane Lions, continuing their unexpected finals campaign that has been energized by both Sophie's on-field brilliance and her now-famous celebration style.
