23-year-old forward Liam McMahon has been dazzling the AFL community. His out of this world performance in only his fourth ever game has really shocked the world of football. The young talent grabbed the media capitals’ attention when he bagged four goals in the match. He notched 11 disposals, on top of that natural scoring instinct. This incredible victory comes on the heels of a tough road. Drafted by AFL club Collingwood in 2020, he endured the frustration of being unfortunately delisted at the end of 2022 without having played a senior match.
Prior to joining Essendon, McMahon played as an amateur for the Carlton VFL mainly developing his on-field skills. This year he’s taken a big step, scoring a combined 51 goals at all levels. Perhaps even more impressively, he’s managed to kick eight of those goals at the AFL level. His two goals per game average at this level has wreaked havoc in the best possible way on defenders and received high praise from fans and commentators.
Matthew Richardson, McMahon’s childhood hero and former Richmond superstar, was in attendance at the Friday night match. The bond between McMahon and Richardson goes way back, starting with the fact that McMahon grew up idolizing him. He remembers wearing Richardson’s famed number 12 guernsey and getting it signed by the AFL legend as a kid.
“That is so cool because I was a massive Richmond fan growing up, and Matthew Richardson was my favorite player,” – Liam McMahon
The notable appearance of Richardson buoyed McMahon’s spirits and pushed her to fight harder throughout the match. His tap performance not only wowed the audience, it knocked the socks off Richardson himself.
“Oh, I did not know that. I didn’t know. So that’s lovely,” – Matthew Richardson
McMahon looks back on his unique journey from VFL player to premiership player on AFL.com.au. He has never felt more professionally and personally satisfied.
“But yeah, I’m really happy to be here. It’s where I wanted to be since I was a little kid. It’s a genuine dream. I’m able to look up and see my family in the stands, and it’s, umm, yeah, it’s a real big pinch me moment, and I’m absolutely loving it,” – Liam McMahon
Commentators have highlighted McMahon’s potential as a key forward in the league. His extraordinary forward art earned him incredibly high praise from one commentator, who said that he “knows where the goals are.” Richardson echoed this sentiment during the broadcast.
“This kid can play. We talked about him during the call. He’s got natural forward craft. And, you know, he just knows where the goals are,” – Matthew Richardson
McMahon continues to make strides in his chosen field of music and entertainment. It’s support he knows he can count on from family and friends who watched him climb the pecking order. His path to the league serves as motivation for future players. They have ambitions to one day make it into the top tier of Australian football.
