Player Watch #25 Tom McDonald - In to 2024

Feb 15, 2015
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I wish there was a dislike button so i could punish you for using the s**t-kicker footy word of the year: learnings

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It’s an annoying word. Has been word of the week for about a decade in the public service, which pretty much confirms its weasle status. The other one that gets up my nose is ‘space’. Means literally nothing the way it is used at work. “In the policy space, we need to consider learnings from the corporate space and the regulatory space in order to perameter the specifics from the strategic horizon scanning procedural space”. Yuck. I hope every manager at my work somehow strangles themselves before I get there today.

I’d rather talk about Tommy. I like Tom. He will kick 60 plus goals this year.
 

pjfairbairn

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Would be in my top 3 prospects for the Coleman, probably with Jack and Brown.

Buddy + Hawkins injury dependant, but definitely deserves to be in that Top 5 mix.
 

Russian Demon

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It’s an annoying word. Has been word of the week for about a decade in the public service, which pretty much confirms its weasle status. The other one that gets up my nose is ‘space’. Means literally nothing the way it is used at work. “In the policy space, we need to consider learnings from the corporate space and the regulatory space in order to perameter the specifics from the strategic horizon scanning procedural space”. Yuck. I hope every manager at my work somehow strangles themselves before I get there today.

I’d rather talk about Tommy. I like Tom. He will kick 60 plus goals this year.

The other one (and its possibly because I'm a scientist), its the phrase "as evidenced by"......... particularly popular in the public health social science space.

Makes me want to throw things...


Now back to Old MacDonald.... eeee iiii eeee iii ooooo
 

Cannon82

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The other one (and its possibly because I'm a scientist), its the phrase "as evidenced by"......... particularly popular in the public health social science space.

Makes me want to throw things...


Now back to Old MacDonald.... eeee iiii eeee iii ooooo

Ugghhh... had a group report for uni earlier this year, and a young lady in the group cobbled together many incoherent sentences where "evidenced by" was repeated around 20 or 30 times, I think. CTRL+F, del del del del del del del del del del del del del del del, ... proper words.
 
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Ugghhh... had a group report for uni earlier this year, and a young lady in the group cobbled together many incoherent sentences where "evidenced by" was repeated around 20 or 30 times, I think. CTRL+F, del del del del del del del del del del del del del del del, ... proper words.

giphy.gif
 

saj_21

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Based on his numbers the last 18 months he is in the top 5 if not top 3 key forwards in be game. When he first went forward I thought yeah he could be a handy key forward but never could of imagined he’d be this elite.
 
Jordan B. Peterson take a bow. Incredible turnaround from TMac this year. One thing I’ve noticed come back into his game is his ability to mark high balls which drop right on top of his head while he’s flat footed bc he’s being impeded by a defender, which is arguably the hardest way to take a grab. Critical to our structure.
 

stEdy

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Hard to believe our season was slipping away last year with Mcdonald fit but not getting picked on form whilst Preuss sat at FF and did zero.

Remarkable turn around from Tmac. I've been very critical of him the last 2 years but he's really put in the work and the results are showing.

Love his stupid cricket bat arms up in the air, ungainly, but still clunking grabs.
 

AmericanAFL

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Jordan B. Peterson take a bow. Incredible turnaround from TMac this year. One thing I’ve noticed come back into his game is his ability to mark high balls which drop right on top of his head while he’s flat footed bc he’s being impeded by a defender, which is arguably the hardest way to take a grab. Critical to our structure.

Oh man, what story did I miss aboht Tmac? Is he on a beef only diet? Or just cleaning his bedroom most days?
 

Deelighted

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Got his contested marking back not just running himself under it every time. Felt like 2018 TMac the way he nailed those set shots no dramas.

I had written him off but he is undroppable if he maintains current form.
 

Crusty Demon

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Huge turnaround. He really does remind me of Richo at the backend of his career running on the wing and drifting forward. He's probably lucky Weid and Brown were injured, but kudos to Goody for playing these guys in a position which highlights their strength. Tomlinson and TMac in particular, Hunt also.
 

Grimesy87

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Behind tex walker, probably the best key forward in the league this year.

Playing a similar game style to Nick Reiwoldt at the moment.

Going to be interesting how he goes against North when they flood back, similar to the GWS game. Hope he's learnt from that.
 
Behind tex walker, probably the best key forward in the league this year.

Playing a similar game style to Nick Reiwoldt at the moment.

Going to be interesting how he goes against North when they flood back, similar to the GWS game. Hope he's learnt from that.
He has a good year in his role and been hugely important to us, but 38 players have kicked more goals than him so far this year, many of them key forwards.
 

Grimesy87

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He has a good year in his role and been hugely important to us, but 38 players have kicked more goals than him so far this year, many of them key forwards.
Is goals kicked the only metric you use?

In that case, are you saying Ben/Max king, Cale Hooker, Mitch Geordiardes, Brody mihocek, buddy, Tom Hawkins, Aaron Naughton, Eric Hopwood, Harry Himmelberg and Jack reiwoldt have had better years so far than Tom?

Tom averages more disposals than all of them, more score involvements than all bar Naughton, more I50 entries, I50 tackles, metres gained, marks (bar Naughton) intercepts, contested marks (bar Naughton)

Of the rest I've left out, the following have also kicked more goals

Allen, Bruce, McKay, tabener and darling.

Allen, kicked a 5 and a 4, but also had 3 games where he has hardly touched it

Bruce, 10 goals against north, 4 other games where he hardly touched it

Tabener 8 goals over last 2 games, but only just going outside that.

McKay 17 goals over 3 games, but largely ineffective the other 3. Looks great when Carlton can use him, but a witches hat outside that.

Darling, putting together a very solid season, but probably not really starting just yet.

From my original statement, there is only walker definitely ahead, and you could throw a blanket over McDonald, McKay, Darling and Naughton next.
 
Key forwards are a bit up and down these days though and have different styles. McDonald gets around the ground a lot more than McKay or the Kings, for example, so not that surprising he gets more touches/marks and less goals.

He's doing his job for us and doing it well. Don't really care too much about what others are doing outside of that.
 
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