Jump to content

Mark McVeigh

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mark McVeigh
McVeigh in August 2026
Personal information
Full name Mark McVeigh
Nickname Spike[1]
Born (1981-01-26) 26 January 1981 (age 45)
Melbourne
Original teams Killarney Vale Bombers, Pennant Hills Demons[2]
NSW/ACT Rams (TAC Cup)
Draft No. 9, 1998 National draft, Essendon
Height 184 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 85 kg (187 lb)
Position Utility
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1999–2012 Essendon 232 (107)
International team honours
Years Team Games (Goals)
2004 Australia 2 (0)
Coaching career3
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
2022 Greater Western Sydney (caretaker) 13 (4–9–0)
2027– Essendon
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2012.
3 Coaching statistics correct as of round 14, 2022.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Mark McVeigh (born 26 January 1981) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for and is currently the senior coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He served as the caretaker senior coach of the Greater Western Sydney Giants following the resignation of Leon Cameron in 2022. He has been the senior coach of the Essendon Football Club since August 2026.[3][4][5]

Early life and junior football

[edit]

McVeigh was born in Melbourne to mother Margaret (a former Victorian basketball player) and father Tony (a former Williamstown Football Club player).[6] Following their move from Melbourne to the Central Coast, Tony began coaching and captaining the Killarney Vale Bombers where Mark and his brother Jarrad would eventually play junior football.[6]

Playing career

[edit]

Essendon Football Club

[edit]

Early career (1999–2004)

[edit]

After having a slow start with a season high of 15 Disposals and 4 Marks, in his second season he suffered an injury and missed most of Essendons games. In McVeigh's third season however, it was clear that the game had grown on him as he stood up as an up-and-coming youngster. After playing 23 games in his third year of playing including the Grand Final against the Brisbane Lions in which Essendon lost, McVeigh had some promising stats with a consistent 11 – 18 in over half of every game he played. McVeigh also went on to play the next 3 seasons in stellar form with Essendon who reached 3 consecutive semi-finals in which McVeigh played in all.

Mid-career (2005–2008)

[edit]

In the next 3 seasons McVeigh was a stand out performer for Essendon, with a high disposal & efficiency rate he was one of the club's main contributors and eventually was to become a part of the Leadership group and a role model to his younger rookies. With disposals in the high 20s and a career high of 36 disposals, McVeigh was determined to get Essendon back on track. In 2008 McVeigh suffered an injury that sidelined him for almost half the season, nevertheless he claimed 13 Brownlow votes to his name in only 14 games, McVeigh finished in the top 20.

Retirement

[edit]

McVeigh retired from professional Australian rules football on 29 August 2012. Injuries to his hip, knee and hamstring restricted McVeigh to only three games during the 2012 season. McVeigh stated, "It's a decision that I've been to-ing and fro-ing with for about eight weeks. But I've been very fortunate to part ways with the club on really good terms," during a press conference at Windy Hill.[7][8] McVeigh shared the role of Vice-Captain of the Essendon Football Club with David Hille for most of his career. McVeigh played a total of 232 games and kicked 107 goals during his playing career for Essendon from 1999 until 2012.[9]

Media career

[edit]

In 2013, following his retirement, McVeigh began a media career with the Seven Network and SEN 1116.

Coaching career

[edit]

He also began taking developmental coaching roles in New South Wales and Canberra. He coached the Under-16 and Under-18 NSW/ACT Rams teams in the national championships.

Greater Western Sydney

[edit]

McVeigh then took a head coaching role at the Giants Academy, then transitioned into an assistant coaching role at the Greater Western Sydney Giants from 2015, serving as the defensive coach.[10][11] McVeigh was appointed as the caretaker senior coach of GWS Giants until the end of the 2022 season, following the mid-season resignation of senior coach Leon Cameron.[12][13][14][15][16][17] His first match in charge, in round 10, saw the Giants defeat West Coast by 52 points.[18]

McVeigh attracted some criticism from the media after calling out his team's performance against Sydney in Round 20, 2022[19] but with a mostly unchanged side they would defeat his old club Essendon by 27 points the following week.[20] The club ultimately finished 16th on the ladder with a 6–16 record, its lowest finish since the 2014 AFL season. At the end of the 2022 season, McVeigh was not retained as the senior coach of the GWS Giants and was replaced by Adam Kingsley.[21] On 10 October, McVeigh left the club.[22]

Sydney Swans

[edit]

In December 2022, McVeigh joined the Sydney Swans as an assistant coach under senior coach John Longmire, then later under senior coach Dean Cox.[23] McVeigh departed the Sydney Swans at the conclusion of the 2026 AFL season.[24]

Essendon

[edit]

On 24 August 2026, McVeigh was appointed the senior coach of the Essendon Football Club on the three year contract, returning to the club where he played his entire playing career.[25] McVeigh replaced caretaker senior coach Dean Solomon, who replaced senior coach Brad Scott after Scott was sacked in the middle of the 2026 AFL season.[26][27]

Personal life

[edit]

On 17 October 2009 McVeigh married his longtime girlfriend, Leanne Tucker. They have a daughter, Ariana, born in March 2011.[28] Mark also had a niece, Luella (the daughter of Sydney's Jarrad McVeigh), born on 25 July 2011 but she died from heart complications barely a month later. Following Essendon's seven-point victory over Port Adelaide, its first over the side since 2004, Mark 'blew a kiss towards to the heavens' in her memory. Essendon's players wore black armbands in the match.[29]

2016 suspension from coaching

[edit]

On 12 January 2016, McVeigh was named as one of 34 past and present Essendon players found guilty over their use of illegal supplements during the 2012 AFL season.[30] As a result, McVeigh was suspended from involvement in football for twenty-four months, which (due to back-dating and time served in provisional suspensions) saw him suspended until November 2016.[31] The terms of the suspension meant that McVeigh was unable to continue his assistant coaching role at Greater Western Sydney during 2016.[32]

Statistics

[edit]
Statistics are correct to end of AFL career[33][34]
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game)
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
1999 Essendon109254417611340.20.64.91.96.81.40.4
2000 Essendon10101202110.01.02.00.02.01.01.0
2001 Essendon102318111737424755570.80.57.53.210.72.42.5
2002 Essendon10247132236829173600.30.59.32.812.14.62.5
2003 Essendon1024972107828867640.40.38.83.212.02.82.7
2004 Essendon10183115510425955580.20.18.65.814.43.13.2
2005 Essendon1021782119030184530.30.410.04.314.34.02.5
2006 Essendon10219112169130777620.40.510.34.314.63.73.0
2007 Essendon10212016270116386104601.00.812.95.518.45.02.9
2008 Essendon10141472199631561441.00.515.66.922.54.43.1
2009 Essendon1012531108119133350.40.29.26.815.92.82.9
2010 Essendon1018741779226952520.40.29.85.114.92.92.9
2011 Essendon10235725210735965750.20.311.04.615.62.83.3
2012 Essendon103102811391530.30.09.33.713.05.01.0
Career 232 107 94 2290 1025 3315 755 628 0.5 0.4 9.9 4.4 14.3 3.3 2.7
Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Timms, Daryl (29 August 2012). "Essendon's Mark McVeigh retires". Archived from the original on 30 August 2012.
  2. ↑ "Mark McVeigh – Backline Coach". GWS Giants. Retrieved 26 December 2016.
  3. ↑ "Coaching Staff". gwsgiants.com.au. Greater Western Sydney Giants. Archived from the original on 9 September 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2015.
  4. ↑ "LEON RESIGNS: Giants coach quits after nine years in 'good decision'". AFL Media. 12 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  5. ↑ "'Clearly the best candidate': Bombers confirm appointment of McVeigh as new coach". afl.com.au. 24 August 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  6. 1 2 A Family Affair for Mark and Jarrad By Neil Cordy 27 July 2020
  7. ↑ "Veteran Bomber announces retirement". ABC News. 28 August 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  8. ↑ "McVeigh calls it a day". 28 August 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  9. ↑ "MARK MCVEIGH". Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  10. ↑ "Mark McVeigh". Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  11. ↑ "McVeigh Joins GIANTS". 10 September 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  12. ↑ "LEON RESIGNS: Giants coach quits after nine years in 'good decision'". AFL Media. 12 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  13. ↑ "'This is a good decision': Cameron, Giants make mutual call to part ways". 12 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  14. ↑ "Leon Cameron resigns as GWS coach, ending nine-year tenure at AFL club". ABC News. 12 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  15. ↑ "Leon Cameron explains why he resigned as Greater Western Sydney coach". 12 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  16. ↑ "Leon Cameron reveals what led to Giant break-up as coach steps down eight rounds into ninth AFL season". 12 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  17. ↑ "Leon Cameron explains why he resigned as Greater Western Sydney coach". 12 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  18. ↑ Kimber, Howard (22 May 2022). "McVeigh's mob hands Eagles a Giant thumping". AFL Media. Australian Associated Press. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  19. ↑ Garb, Daniel (18 August 2022). "McVeigh fights for full-time gig after caretaker role adds 'fuel to the fire'". AFL Media. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  20. ↑ Somerford, Ben (6 August 2022). "'I knew they would respond': McVeigh thrilled with Giants' effort". AFL Media. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  21. ↑ "Finally not the bridesmaid: GWS names Tigers assistant Adam Kingsley as new coach". 22 August 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  22. ↑ Gabelich, Josh (10 October 2022). "Montgomery joins Giants, long-time assistant departs". AFL Media. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  23. ↑ "Coaches: Mark McVeigh". 18 December 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  24. ↑ "Sydney Swans congratulate Mark McVeigh". sydneyswans.com.au. 24 August 2026. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
  25. ↑ "Bombers confirm appointment of McVeigh as new coach". afl.com.au. 24 August 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  26. ↑ "Mark McVeigh named Essendon coach effective immediately". 24 August 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  27. ↑ "McVeigh appointed as AFL Senior Coach". 24 August 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  28. ↑ McVeigh family welcome baby girl Archived 29 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  29. ↑ One from the heart – AFL.com.au Archived 10 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  30. ↑ "Essendon doping: 'job-lot' ban bars coach Mark McVeigh from job". 13 January 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  31. ↑ Travis King (12 January 2016). "Guilty: court bans the Essendon 34 for 2016". Australian Football League. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  32. ↑ Adam Curley (15 January 2016). "Giants scramble to cover loss of McVeigh". Australian Football League. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  33. ↑ "Mark McVeigh statistics". AFL Tables. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  34. ↑ "Mark McVeigh of the Essendon Bombers Career AFL Stats". footywire.com. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mark_McVeigh&oldid=1381709698"