Player Watch #11: Luke "Two Dogs" McDonald - Roo til end '26

[amaz199]

Elite.

 

[amaz199]

Right now, he's elite in:

• Effective disposals
• Tackles
• Pressure acts
• Rebound 50s

Also above avg in:

• Metres gained (elite at least last few weeks)
• Kicking efficiency (elite last few weeks)
• Score involvements
• Score launches

He's actually integrally important to our ability to extract the ball out of the back half. Those sorta numbers tell us he's giving us every chance. Defensively he's also doing that really well.

Really, really impressive. What's promising is I don't think he's at his best numbers yet. Those above avg marks will be elite throughout soon.

 

[cznsnowy91]

Guilty of writing him off here! Has been a shining light this year. Good on you Luke

Same, had completely written him off but he has been fantastic this year. Took him a while but he's become a really good player who's finally starting to show why he was a first round pick. Stoked!

 

[DuckYeah]

Be very tight in the BnF race with Goldy. He has been very good this year young happy meal

 

[Pykie]

Now the highest ranked defender in the comp in the last 6 rounds of football.

 

[Horizons_00]

As I’ve said before

He is our future captain

 

[DuckYeah]

As I’ve said before

He is our future captain

Never had this conversation.. would excel in leadership

 

[The Nostradamus]

 

[gokangas]

He would be neck & neck with Goldy.

You would think so. Having a great season.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Now the highest ranked defender in the comp in the last 6 rounds of football.

That definitely passes the eye test.

 

[LuvtheKangas]

.........and his kicking has gone from solid to sometimes shaky, and is now sublime.

17th in the comp for most effective disposals, and most of them are kicks considering he's ranked 13th in the league for that.

He's amongst the best handful of kicks in the league right now.

It's what was so frustrating about him in the past few years. We knew from early days that he could kick, but his kicking was generally very poor 2017-2019.

 

[Snake_Baker]

It's what was so frustrating about him in the past few years. We knew from early days that he could kick, but his kicking was generally very poor 2017-2019.

Again, a lot of it was structural stuff.

remember when Luke spent all day chasing blokes with his tongue hanging out under Brad Scott?

That's all gone now. He's in the traffic where he always belonged.

 

[LuvtheKangas]

Again, a lot of it was structural stuff.

remember when Luke spent all day chasing blokes with his tongue hanging out under Brad Scott?

That's all gone now. He's in the traffic where he always belonged.

Yeah, we kept commenting at the time about how he was being killed by the coach. But he was also partly to blame - seems like the fitness and attitude were just below where they needed to be. And he has remedied that big time.

 

[remfan101]

The best thing Shaw has done with him is taught him where to position himself to accumulate the footy.
Brilliant stuff by Rhyce and you can see how Sydney like Luke is based on where he gathers the footy. Lloyd/Rampe qualities.

I was thinking exactly that. Bit of Malceski about him with the beard too.

 

[Heaps of fun]

Luke has said himself that he was letting his career going past without getting the most out of himself.

 

[SMaturin]

Can’t imagine he is, but should absolutely be in AA conversations.

 

[Heaps of fun]

I copped a bit of flak in here when I said we should stop using him in a tagger role. Has shown elite ball finding ability since then and I think the midfield has looked more balance too.

 

[Devil Fish]

His GREAT year continues. Impressive.

 

[Billy Not Really]

Without him in current form, I really cannot see how we'd have any attack off halfback coming out of full defensive 50, he looked the only one likely to be getting it through the middle and penetrating into our forward of the ground.

Frankly I'm just glad I don't have to utter his name a single time out in agony watching him play anymore, he's making the game far less frustrating to watch.

 

[DuckYeah]

He’s not a bad kick either.. Its the beard, beards have magical powers

 

[Swallow_Wood]

Can’t imagine he is, but should absolutely be in AA conversations.

Putting together a season comparable with the likes of Maynard (Coll), Shephard (WCE) and Ryan (Fre), who are all in the conversation. But any suggestion of LMac being in the discussion will be scoffed at. He will need to back it up next year, and we will need to make finals for him to get any recognition outside the club.

 

[DuckYeah]

Putting together a season comparable with the likes of Maynard (Coll), Shephard (WCE) and Ryan (Fre), who are all in the conversation. But any suggestion of LMac being in the discussion will be scoffed at. He will need to back it up next year, and we will need to make finals for him to get any recognition outside the club.

AA is a *in joke.. the day fluke larcy picked wil minson over Goldy, was the day I knew the AA was a complete farce

 

[RobZombie]

Can’t imagine he is, but should absolutely be in AA conversations.

He’s had six good weeks and a couple of decent tagging jobs. He’s only just emerged from the Whipping Boy Clubhouse around here, let alone league wide.

 

[BigFatNorthFan]

If you told me he would have 30+ touches three times in the space of five games at the start of this year I would've collaped on the spot. And if you told me it would happen in 16-min quarters I'd be dialling 000.

 

[speedy]

Can’t imagine he is, but should absolutely be in AA conversations.

I think the media have already given that to Maynard. He's having a similar year to Luke only not in a North Melbourne jumper. If Luke keeps up this form for a couple more years he might be considered as "almost in AA contention".