Harry Lemmey sits down for the first Friday Feature of the new pre-season.
At IKON Park, Harry Lemmey doesn’t have to seek far for inspiration and mentorship.
Throughout his first year as a Carlton footballer, Lemmey has been his namesake Harry McKay’s shadow, and it’s one that the kid – and the 2021 Coleman Medallist – has relished.
When speaking to Carlton Media, the growing tall provided some light on his connection with McKay, who is well-known for his training standards at the Blues.
Me and ‘H’ are really close. We get along so well, I look up to him as a mentor,” Lemmey said.
“I always ask questions of him, and he’s happy to share. He’s a Coleman Medallist who’s got so much knowledge of the game, and is so professional off the field as well.
“For me, it’s about learning as much as I can from him. The more I can take from him to put into my game, the more I can pick his brain, the better footballer I’m going to come.
“Watching him train, him and ‘Walshy’ are definitely the two hardest trainers at the club. You take so much from that.”
Lemmey also shared a conversation he had with retired Blues veteran Ed Curnow during his first season at the Club, and how it proved to be the catalyst for his approach to this pre-season.
He claimed that he has gained “3-4kgs already this off-season” as part of his goal with the high-performance department.
“Ed Curnow drew me aside and spoke to me last year, saying ‘You haven’t played a game yet, ‘H’, and the only way you’ll get in is if you’re training like you’re playing’.
“For Ed to pick it up, pull me aside and say ‘I know you can do better, let’s go hard at this’.”
The 19-year-old enters his second season with the Blues still hoping for a debut but knowing he has the Club’s support.
Lemmey signed an extra year contract extension during the 2023 campaign, staying at IKON Park until at least the end of 2025. For Lemmey, who won’t enter his second season with the threat of being out of contract looming large, it’s a show of faith from the football club.
“Especially in my position as a developing tall, to get that contract a year before it was due to end gave me so much confidence that they’ve got belief in me and they know I’m going to work hard for what I want to become,” he said.
“It’s given me the confidence to go all in this year.” Getting that deal gave me complete confidence that they truly support me and believe in what I do.
“Making the most of the time I’ve got, learning off ‘H’ and Charlie and continue to learn my craft while getting closer and closer to the next step in my journey.”
The following steps for Lemmey are all about getting to where he wants to go. The post-match events in the elimination and semi-finals, where Carlton’s non-playing players erupted in the race, demonstrated the group’s unity.
“It just showed how we are as a footy club — we’re one club.
“To see us get there after so many years not being able to have those finals wins, it meant so much to the group. Hopefully there’s more of that to come where I’m involved in it — I guess we’ll wait and see.”
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