No doubt all eyes will be glued to Usain Bolt’s performance if he takes to the field for the Central Coast Mariners’ clash against the Wollongong Wolves.
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For Kiama’s Taylor McDonald it would be a chance to share the limelight, shoulder to shoulder with one of the world’s greatest ever athletes, if the 32-year-old is selected to take part in the contest.
The pre-season game, to be held at WIN Stadium on Friday, October 5, will no doubt attract an enthusiastic crowd keen to see the superstar sprinter in action.
A primary school teacher by day, McDonald, 22, said the opportunity to mark Bolt would be a privilege.
“I think i’ll be more excited than anything, it’s a huge opportunity,” he said.
The Wolves defender watched the Jamaican, when he made his debut for the Mariners in a friendly against a Central Coast Select XI on August 31 at Gosford's Central Coast Stadium.
Bolt made his way onto the field for the final 19-minutes of the one-sided affair, which saw the Mariners claim the win 6-1.
“He’s interesting, he’s an athlete so it should be a good match-up,” McDonald said.
“Obviously his strengths are his pace and height, but I think his general presence on the field is enough for people.”
McDonald admired Bolt’s ambition to become a professional football player worthy of an A-League contract.
“I think it’s great for the sport and great for the country and it’s putting Australia back on the map,” he said.
“Full credit to him to do that – playing at a professional level in two sports is huge.”
McDonald is confident his team has a good chance against the Mariners.
“I think we’ve got a good foundation of players and it should be an exciting game, with a pretty good atmosphere, I just want to encourage people to get down to watch it,” he said.
Wolves’ head coach, Luke Wilkshire has welcomed the Mariners with open arms and spoke highly of the opportunity for his players.
“This is a great opportunity to get an A-League team down here in Wollongong,” Wilkshire said.
“The game is a great showcase for football in Wollongong and for the region to show everyone how passionate we are about football.
“For our players who play in NPL 1, this is a chance to step up and show that they can match it with players in the A-League. It will be a really good test for them and we’re really looking forward to it.”
Kick-off is 7.30pm. Tickets available via ticketmaster.com.au
