A Sporting Life Leads McNamara to 'Footy' Adventure
Whitefish Bay native aims to become first American in 119-year history to play Australian Rules Football for Collingwood.
To travel from Whitefish Bay to Melbourne, Australia, most folks would hop on a plane at General Mitchell and stop over in Chicago, Los Angeles and Sydney. That’s how Shae McNamara travels there, too. But his figurative journey from Whitefish Bay to Melbourne … well, that’s a bit more complex. It involves a crazy dream, four different sports, Digger Phelps and YouTube videos. And the journey is not yet complete, as McNamara works to become among the first true Americans to play at the highest level of Australian Rules Football. McNamara, 25, is training for his second season with the Collingwood Magpies, defending Australian Football League Premiership Champions. His first year in Australia was spent with the Magpies’ Victorian Football …
