HE IS flying high on the race track at the moment – but if Shell V-Power Racing’s Scott McLaughlin has his way he might be flying on the footy field soon too.

The Kiwi is an avid fan of Aussie Rules Football and has tabled his candidacy to take to the field during the annual AFL EJ Whitten Legends Game held each year.

The match, which raises funds for Prostate Cancer research via the EJ Whitten Foundation, was first staged in 1996 and pits a Victorian side against an All-Stars outfit, both made up of former AFL players, athletes and celebrities.

McLaughlin is an avid fan of the Western Bulldogs and a regular guest on AFL360, the top-rating, nightly news and opinion show on FOX Footy.

Speaking on the latest episode of Motorsport Podcast On The Grid, now live on mypodcasthouse.com, McLaughlin said he was keen to exchange his racing shoes for footy boots at some point in the future.

“I big a fan of AFL – I’m a Kiwi though and through so love my rugby, but since living in Melbourne for such a long time I’ve always enjoyed it. I love my Western Bulldogs.

“I’ve watched the E.J Whitten Legends Game and I’ve asked and tried and tried every year to get into it. I think it was harder when it was on Channel Nine, I think now going back to Channel Seven with the association with FOX Sports might help me a little bit.”

On the Grid, in association with The Race Torque will commence a campaign to gain McLaughlin a spot in this year’s game – usually played in the off-weekend between the final round of the regular season and the first week of the AFL Finals series.

Helpfully, that weekend sits just two weeks prior to the annual Sandown 500, potentially giving Supercars and FOX Sports a handy tie-in to help promote the event amidst the busy Footy finals period in Melbourne.

Unlike some of his more diminutive rivals, we’d suggest McLaughlin’s height would see him an asset on the footy field – perhaps as a full forward, high-marking option for the All Stars side.

“If you guys can help point me into the right direction that would be awesome!” McLaughlin said.

“I feel like I’d be a great addition! There are people that wouldn’t believe it but a Kiwi can actually kick a footy some times!”

In a more serious discussion, McLaughlin spoke passionately of his stirring victory in the second race at Barbagallo on the weekend.

“We had a lot of luck, great car speed and some good opportunities,” he said.

“The driver was the reason we were back there in the first place thanks to a mistake in qualifying – the car was probably good enough to be on pole. I was very upset with myself. if anything it was a bit of redemption and it was nice to get into victory lane.

“For me, I never gave up. I always believed in myself over the time, especially after the incidents last year you saw I lacked a bit of self confidence.

“If there’s a race that gets that back for you, I tell you what, it’s that one.”

The Falcon ace said the continued front-running form had changed the mindset within the team – and especially, the driver.

“In some ways, 2017 – and this is perhaps my best example – we came into the year hoping to get a couple of wins here and there,” he explained.

“I ended up being dominant, as everyone saw, and there was belief there that we got to each track and we believed that we could win.

“Back then it was more of a panic when we got to that position: now we understand what to do in these positions. I think 90% of it is me being calm, speaking on the radio calm, giving the right information about the car back to ludo to make us faster.”

Four straight wins has the Shell V-Power driver now well atop the standings heading into the next round of the championship, to be held at Winton Raceway in two weeks.

WORDS: Richard Craill
IMAGES: Shell V-Power Racing