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

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May 20, 2011
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If he plays round 1 Rhys will lose a lot of supporters... he’s not being picked on form, he’s not being picked for runs on the board... so he’s being picked on bias, which I thought we lost when brad ****** off
LMac's selection may not always have been Scott's fault and it may not be Shaw's fault. This is why you don't have relatives in a position of power at a footy club.
 

shimaburnsgrieg

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Did anybody even pay attention to Luke going back with flight and taking a great mark under extreme pressure... in a meaningless practice match today? I bet Rhyce did.


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Yeah - good mark - will ensure he gets 20 games this year.

The problem is the other 99% of his game outside of the one gutsy effort per match.
 
LMac's selection may not always have been Scott's fault and it may not be Shaw's fault. This is why you don't have relatives in a position of power at a footy club.
Called this out years ago and was hounded for even suggesting there was elements of nepotism to McDonald’s presence in the senior team.
 
Sep 21, 2008
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Did anybody even pay attention to Luke going back with flight and taking a great mark under extreme pressure... in a meaningless practice match today? I bet Rhyce did.


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You can’t fault the blokes courage, but where has that elite talent and game breaking kicking gone that was so prevalent in his junior years.
 

the flying ham

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You can’t fault the blokes courage, but where has that elite talent and game breaking kicking gone that was so prevalent in his junior years.
whilst I dont dispute LMac needs to better, you spruik the recruitment of also rans such as the worst Brayshaw at WC, and keeping Declan Mountford, who coincidentally 17 other clubs agree with North. If you are all in on delisting guys like LMac, then give the speculative recruiting crap a spell also. LMac is an infinitely better footballer than most of your so called moneyball picks. And this is not a personal crack, I enjoy your analysis but think you are too critical of our incumbents.
 
Sep 21, 2008
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whilst I dont dispute LMac needs to better, you spruik the recruitment of also rans such as the worst Brayshaw at WC, and keeping Declan Mountford, who coincidentally 17 other clubs agree with North. If you are all in on delisting guys like LMac, then give the speculative recruiting crap a spell also. LMac is an infinitely better footballer than most of your so called moneyball picks. And this is not a personal crack, I enjoy your analysis but think you are too critical of our incumbents.

I’ll wear that Ham. Often I’m drawn more to the speculative youngster than continually backing in players that have shown they are limited.

The frustration with Mcdonald is that I had such high hopes for him. As a junior he dominated and since that point he has been nothing more than a role player!


Also happy to admit both Mountford and Hibberd were favourites of mine and I still feel they weren’t gifted the extended amount of opportunity that other players were.
 

the flying ham

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I’ll wear that Ham. Often I’m drawn more to the speculative youngster than continually backing in players that have shown they are limited.

The frustration with Mcdonald is that I had such high hopes for him. As a junior he dominated and since that point he has been nothing more than a role player!


Also happy to admit both Mountford and Hibberd were favourites of mine and I still feel they weren’t gifted the extended amount of opportunity that other players were.
Look put LMac draft position aside, hes 25, played heaps of footy and may now have an opportunity to go further with his development. Give him a chance under Shaw. Give them all a chance.
 
My biggest qualms are his lack of urgency and that s**t eating smirk when he stuffs up. Takes the game way to laid back. Needs a proper extended run in the 2’s to see if he can wake and up get to where he should be because all crap aside he can play.

I thought we’d established that it isn’t a smirk - it’s a grimace . Subtle but important difference.


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Jun 9, 2001
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While I don’t think he was great, I don’t reckon he was as bad as many on here have made out.

I don't have much confidence as a supporter watching him these days, knowing he'll just as easily be outmarked as outrun by any half-decent opponent.

But he did put in as much as his body allowed yesterday and unfortunately due to our shitful list build over a few years, who else was there to play on Papley?

Marley is out and Scott Thompson has retired.

If you thought Luke on Papley got a bit ugly ponder for a moment what Jamie on Papley would've looked like.
 
Apr 24, 2013
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Papley was a bad matchup, and Luke is clearly underdone. I suspect we would put Atley on him in a proper match, if we played them in round 1.

Luke was far too loose, which is odd considering he was playing some very good hard lockdown footy prior to getting injured last year. I assume it's his fitness. He'll come good, not worried about anything long term.
 

Passmore

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I reckon Luke made a couple of bad judgment calls early but battled away and started to get better later in the game.

Papley is a gun imho. He snagged one of his goals when matched up on Murphy. I would concede 3 goals as an acceptable outcome tbh.


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GarnerSmash

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Yeah, he wasn't great. but he also wasn't too bad either. Some brain fade moments, like going third up and being utterly ineffective, then watching his man crumb and goal. It's basic stuff. If he is going to leave his man to get to a contest he needs to kill that contest. He just needs to continue to work and continue to stay focused.

Funnily enough I thought he improved as the game wore on, which correlates with the old the defence is only as good as the midfield allows it to be mantra.
 
Yeah, he wasn't great. but he also wasn't too bad either. Some brain fade moments, like going third up and being utterly ineffective, then watching his man crumb and goal. It's basic stuff. If he is going to leave his man to get to a contest he needs to kill that contest. He just needs to continue to work and continue to stay focused.

Funnily enough I thought he improved as the game wore on, which correlates with the old the defence is only as good as the midfield allows it to be mantra.

I had him sacked at half time. Better in the second half, but he's still a fair way off at this stage.
 

GarnerSmash

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I had him sacked at half time. Better in the second half, but he's still a fair way off at this stage.
If Williams was available for round 1 I have no doubt that McDonald would be playing VFL. As it stands though we may be seeing him line up against the Saints. I think we forget that he was pretty good defensively last year before injury. At least that is my recollection.
 
If Williams was available for round 1 I have no doubt that McDonald would be playing VFL. As it stands though we may be seeing him line up against the Saints. I think we forget that he was pretty good defensively last year before injury. At least that is my recollection.

He is definitely unfit and a bit out of touch. Still better than some people have said. He did alright on Papley but we need another small defender.
 
Apr 24, 2013
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He tries too much with ball in hand and lacks composure

I hope it clicks for him this year

You are a decent analyst, so here's some food for thought:

Is he really suited as a lock down defender? I don't think it's a natural part of his instincts, but he played the role admirably in 2019 anyway. He has never really settled in the spot that suits his skill set. My very strong suspicion is that he would be a hell of an attacking defender in a team with a skilled, quick midfield, which is something he has never really enjoyed so far at North.

Is it really just a random occurrence that he got better in the second half when our midfield grabbed the ascendancy?;)

I don't think enough attention is paid to this aspect when the overt criticism of our flankers and pockets predictably arrives from the "supercoach" elements when the side is performing poorly. The mystical "symbiosis" that I often comment about. ;)
 
Sep 11, 2014
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You are a decent analyst, so here's some food for thought:

Is he really suited as a lock down defender? I don't think it's a natural part of his instincts, but he played the role admirably in 2019 anyway. He has never really settled in the spot that suits his skill set. My very strong suspicion is that he would be a hell of an attacking defender in a team with a skilled, quick midfield, which is something he has never really enjoyed so far at North.

Is it really just a random occurrence that he got better in the second half when our midfield grabbed the ascendancy?;)

I don't think enough attention is paid to this aspect when the overt criticism of our flankers and pockets predictably arrives from the "supercoach" elements when the side is performing poorly. The mystical "symbiosis" that I often comment about. ;)

I always thought we could try him out as a tagger or a different role.

flankers never get the praise they deserve because it’s not a flashy position
 
Did anybody even pay attention to Luke going back with flight and taking a great mark under extreme pressure... in a meaningless practice match today? I bet Rhyce did.


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As much attention as the time he jumped in front of Daw only to spill the mark straight into the hands of his immediate opponent resulting in an easy goal.
 
As much attention as the time he jumped in front of Daw only to spill the mark straight into the hands of his immediate opponent resulting in an easy goal.

I never said he was perfect. I just think if the rest of the team hold up their end of the bargain, Luke will give us plenty.


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