Beauly wing forward Jack MacDonald is the latest player to star in our weekly Shinty Spotlight.
The 29-year-old, whose Premiership side travel to face Strathglass this weekend in the MacTavish Cup, takes us through some of his highs and lows in the sport.
What is your earliest shinty memory?Â
From P1/2 at Beauly Primary, I recall being involved in the indoor and outdoor shinty tournaments which happened regularly throughout the year.
Who was your senior debut against and can you recall the result?
It was a 2-0 home victory against Kinlochshiel and I scored one of the goals.
What is your best moment in the sport so far?
Has to be lifting the Balliemore Cup in 2015 where we defeated Glasgow Mid Argyll 5-3 at The Dell at Kingussie.
And the worst?
Being defeated in the Balliemore Cup final against Bute in 2013.
What is the worst injury you have suffered in shinty?Â
I had back and hamstring-related injuries, which set me back a good season-and-a-half.
Who is the joker in your team?
Only one stand-out winner for this one…Ryan Mackay. He’s always at the heart of the hysterics in and out of the Beauly dressing room, winding up players and coaches – or being on the receiving end of the jokes or laughs himself.
What is your favourite away ground and why?Â
The Dell in Kingussie. The pitch is always in great condition and allows you to play a nice fast, flowing style of shinty and I also won my first trophy with Beauly there.
Who is the rival player you would love to have in your team and why?
Caberfeidh’s Blair Morrison. He’s rated one of the best defenders in the game to date. The quality he brings to a game is great to watch from a spectators’ point of view, but when playing against him, you’re in for a very tough 90 minutes of shinty.
What is the favourite goal scored by you or a team-mate?Â
It would be scoring the last-minute winner in the quarter-final of the Balliemore Cup at home to Skye, which we went on to lift last season.
Describe shinty in three words please?
Physical, fast and fun.
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