Player Watch #11: Luke "Two Dogs" McDonald - signed until end 2021

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Winter

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Not from what I've seen. Luke is more midfield ready than Atley is.

Luke hasn't played an AFL game and would likely get eaten alive by the likes of Hawthorn, Sydney, Fremantle and Collingwood's midfielders. Atley has spent three years building the core of an AFL player and only now looks ready to play midfield.

I don't want to pour cold water on this thread but I'd like to see expectations on McDonald tapered a little. Physically he is built like McKenzie and may take time to consistently deliver at AFL level. I'd be stoked if he plays 10+ games off the half back and contributes, anything more is an absolute bonus.

This isn't 2010, we aren't in a position where we need to play 18 year olds anymore because they're high draft picks. If & when Luke demonstrates he will contribute more than someone in the 22 he will play.
 

NiceCunnington

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Luke hasn't played an AFL game and would likely get eaten alive by the likes of Hawthorn, Sydney, Fremantle and Collingwood's midfielders. Atley has spent three years building the core of an AFL player and only now looks ready to play midfield.
There is more to playing midfield than just having core strength. Atley hasn't been playing midfield because he is better down back and that is his preferred position. It seems to be a little known fact that he only ever actually played a handful of midfield games in his junior career. I don't see Atley moving to the middle any time soon, and I'm not sure I want him to. I love him in defence.

Don't really want to get into an Atley vs McDonald debate. I just disagreed with your original point that he will be competing with Atley, Mullett, and MacMillan for a spot. He is more of a midfielder than those guys.

This isn't 2010, we aren't in a position where we need to play 18 year olds anymore because they're high draft picks.


Not sure what you mean by this. Luke will not be playing because he's a high draft pick. By the end of the year he was dominating VFL finals.

If & when Luke demonstrates he will contribute more than someone in the 22 he will play.
From what I've seen he's capable of contributing more than several other players who finished the year in the 22.

You can never predict how a kid will step up, but I rate him as our most talented draftee since Wells and probably our most ready-made ever. Time will tell.
 

Winter

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You can never predict how a kid will step up, but I rate him as our most talented draftee since Wells and probably our most ready-made ever. Time will tell.
Wells was runner-up in the Sandover Medal at 17 which is a phenomenal effort. (I still thank Carlton every day for him!)

I hope you're right, I'm a big fan of McDonald's and would be stoked to see him play Round 1. But I won't be disappointed or surprised if he doesn't.
 

Daz

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Mayes, MaCrae and Vlastuin aren't man-children like Wines/Crouch/O'Meara and they managed just fine in 2013. McDonald has a year of AFL training and VFL footy over them.
 

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jlind78

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His performances in the VFL finals have shown me that he will be ahead of a fair few guys who were playing regular games.
Throw him in against the Scum Round 1. Type of personality to love Friday Night/Rivalry atmosphere.

Confidence is a huge thing in footy and as soon as we lost confidence last year there was no confidence at 3q time we would hold a lead. Silver is the type to intercept a pass in defense and laser a 60m spear onto Black's tit to regain momentum in the forth.

#lovethekid
 

hiddink

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I think Luke will play round 1 along with NDS.

It won't hinder on the fact Atley plays half back, midfield, wing or even full forward.
Those 2 will play. Possibly Dumont too.
 

Kimbo

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Would like Atley to atleast be given an extended run at playing in the guts. He's one of the few gamebreakers we have, and would like him playing where he can have the most influence. IMO, that's as a ball-winning midfielder. He just seems like a wasted asset in defence.
I've watched this conversation around 'Atley to the guts' for a while now. Not saying it won't happen, nor be successful, but the two thoughts I have are:
  • I think the rebound/set up from HB is vitally important, and possibly underrated.
  • Will Atley get the same space to do what he does from HB in the middle?
 

roodav

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So do we have any other father son prospects likely to be drafted in the near future?
Don't think there are any imminent, there was an article earlier in the year that said they have 16 in the acedemy between 10-18(Assuming LMac was the 18 and the only one over about 13) and a few younger bros.

http://www.nmfc.com.au/news/2013-07-03/norths-rich-bloodline



Back row L-R: James Rock, Mitchell Larkin, Nicholas Blakey, Joel Crocker, Jackson Archer, Thomas Longmire. Front row L-R: Dylan Makepeace, Cooper Harvey, Billy Longmire, Jai Makepeace.

Apparently there is a son of Robert Scott up in QLD who is 13 and making the QLD rep sides but eligible for North, Geelong, GC & Brisbane
 
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I've watched this conversation around 'Atley to the guts' for a while now. Not saying it won't happen, nor be successful, but the two thoughts I have are:
  • I think the rebound/set up from HB is vitally important, and possibly underrated.
  • Will Atley get the same space to do what he does from HB in the middle?
Personally I think he was effectively tagged out of a few games this year.

For a player with his explosive speed I think it's harder to tag him out of the middle than it is to tag him when you can run the angles. If he gets clear of a contest he is literally unstoppable.
 

B Tron

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Atley should stay at hbf for ever and a day,we have plenty of depth in the middle now
There will come a time where we need to consider if having him dragged back deep where he is less damaging is what we want. Can we have someone else play the running half back role along with Mullett and push Atley to the midfield? With McDonald we will have three fast, damaging half back options. Perhaps McDonald and Atley will rotate off half back and through the wing/middle?
 

Liam Boy

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Atley should stay at hbf for ever and a day,we have plenty of depth in the middle now
Unless of course he can push someone out of the middle?

With a core midfield group of Jack Ziebell, Ben Cunnington, Andrew Swallow, Nick Dal Santo and Daniel Wells that's going to be difficult. Ok, it's just dawning on me how incredible our midfield is going to be.
 

spurs

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There will come a time where we need to consider if having him dragged back deep where he is less damaging is what we want. Can we have someone else play the running half back role along with Mullett and push Atley to the midfield? With McDonald we will have three fast, damaging half back options. Perhaps McDonald and Atley will rotate off half back and through the wing/middle?
Basti can play midfield too, and Adams who played best off hff and rotating in the midfield,With McKenzie running off the wing,hbf.
If he is dragged to the goal square we have plenty of options driving it forward, and he has stated his preferred option is hbf.Just like Hansen who always wanted to play in the back line, which is his preferred position.
Why tinker with something that works for the team
 
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So do we have any other father son prospects likely to be drafted in the near future?
I'm hoping there's a flood of illegitimate 18yr olds about to come knocking on the doors of Aegis Park in 2014, products of our players' 1996 post flag celebrations in the pubs and clubs.
 

B Tron

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I just think that we can have our cake and eat it too with Atley. His effectiveness is somewhat reduced by opposition coaches locking down on him, taking advantage of the predominantly defensive nature of his role. When released he can use his explosive pace to great effect. I think sooner or later we need to look at releasing him for the overall benefit of the team.
 

jlind78

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Sure, he does well in the backline, but seriously, he's way too good of a player to be wasted down there.
This bloke has got Brownlow quality about him.

Space? The bloke's game is perfectly suited to stoppages. I think he can work out how to find "space" on the outside if he needs to. He has decent endurance.

People are kidding themselves if they think this bloke is not going be tried to be made into a midfielder.
Only needs a 10cm headstart/gap and he's gone. I'm expecting a big year from Atley, especially as Mullett and Silver attract more attention. He started to take the game on more towards the end of 2013 too.
 
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