Player Watch #11: Luke "Two Dogs" McDonald (Part II) - Roo til end '26 - 2023/24 co captain w/ Jy

[My Left Foote]

There's been some excellent points made here about the downside consequences of people having influence because they lay claim to being part of the 'fabric' of the club. The case under discussion is LMac, but it's a wider issue - people complained (probably rightly) that Joel Crocker got a list spot on the back of F/S romance.

My recollection with LMac is that there were tensions about F/S and the family? Someone will recall....was it something about Donald's job at the club?

That said, I'm not so down on him as a player as most seem to be. IMO Luke lost a bit with the hamstring problems, first when he memorably ran down Cyril (it's hard to imagine a repeat now). That's left him with a role as back 6 organiser as a med defender, and the physical attribute that he's a seasoned, hardened AFL footballer. I think with that combination he's been ok, esp. in his BnF year, which I thought was characterised by thoughtful, short kicking.

Where he lets himself down big time is his determination - as many others have said - to kick long and as far as he can. Especially approaching F50, he seems set on rivalling Blight's barrel by kicking it over the proverbial grandstand.

If I were coaching him, I'd be setting a team rule instructing LMac to find a short leading target in F50, or take a tackle trying. Now that we've got some tall forwards, if LMac kicks it to space, they will lead to it. Kicking for goal from 50 plus? Forbidden.

And yes, time to hand over the captaincy (next year).

If my memory serves me correct, and it may not, I think Eugene Arocca had issues with Donald's role as Head of Football in the years leading up to Luke being drafted.

From memory JB sided with Donald and this was one of the reasons that led to Eugene leaving / being pushed out of the club, which BTW is one of the worst things to happen to our football club and huge reason why the last 10 years has been so horrific.

Donald did move into the commercial side of the club in Luke's first year something that he could have and should have done a lot earlier.

 

[Kanga Glory]

If my memory serves me correct, and it may not, I think Eugene Arocca had issues with Donald's role as Head of Football in the years leading up to Luke being drafted.

From memory JB sided with Donald and this was one of the reasons that led to Eugene leaving / being pushed out of the club, which BTW is one of the worst things to happen to our football club and huge reason why that last 10 years has been so horrific.

Donald did move into the commercial side of the club in Luke's first year something that he could have and should have done a lot earlier.

I have heard some whispers Donald still pokes his nose around the club, even though he doesn't work there anymore

 

[Merlin007]

If my memory serves me correct, and it may not, I think Eugene Arocca had issues with Donald's role as Head of Football in the years leading up to Luke being drafted.

From memory JB sided with Donald and this was one of the reasons that led to Eugene leaving / being pushed out of the club, which BTW is one of the worst things to happen to our football club and huge reason why that last 10 years has been so horrific.

Donald did move into the commercial side of the club in Luke's first year something that he could have and should have done a lot earlier.

do I also have a memory of the family running the line that Donald needed to be looked after or there'd be no F/S nomination?

 

[Daniltchenko You Beauty]

I’m more concerned about the stats for fumbles and long bombs to no-one. He’d be leading those categories too.

Averages 1.6 clangers a game which is far less than most defenders and 80% KE.

Look, I'm not saying Luke is great player. But he's filling a role, providing some experience and doing well defensively. He's not a long term part of the team.

A lot of people getting carried away with the ball that clean bowled him and JUH goaled. He looked stupid and it cost us. But he’s been a good contributor over the last six weeks.

 

[hotchilli]

Averages 1.6 clangers a game which is far less than most defenders and 80% KE.

Look, I'm not saying Luke is great player. But he's filling a role, providing some experience and doing well defensively. He's not a long term part of the team.

A lot of people getting carried away with the ball that clean bowled him and JUH goaled.

Calm down.

Hard to care about kicking efficiency stats with information like this out there.

"A kick down the line about 45 metres in length is effective 90 per cent of the time, but is only retained approximately 30 per cent of the time,"

It's an age-old question: What makes a good kick in the AFL?

What constitutes an effective or ineffective kick has been discussed for years, but one data scientist thinks he may have unlocked the next evolution of settling this debate, write Cody Atkinson and Sean Lawson.

www.abc.net.au

 

[amaz199]

In his best seasons, he was kicking lower and more direct. I feel like he bombs it far too long and it gives defenders every chance to get back.

You can go long, but you can go long with purpose.

 

[Daniltchenko You Beauty]

Hard to care about kicking efficiency stats with information like this out there.

"A kick down the line about 45 metres in length is effective 90 per cent of the time, but is only retained approximately 30 per cent of the time,"

It's an age-old question: What makes a good kick in the AFL?

What constitutes an effective or ineffective kick has been discussed for years, but one data scientist thinks he may have unlocked the next evolution of settling this debate, write Cody Atkinson and Sean Lawson.

www.abc.net.au

Dodgy stat but his numbers are still better than most. Same with clangers.

The dump kick is sometimes the right call too. It has its place.

 

[The Dougster]

I love the guy but surely he'll be under pressure to keep his spot if he has another poor game.

 

[hotchilli]

Dodgy stat but his numbers are still better than most. Same with clangers.

The dump kick is sometimes the right call too. It has its place.

It's an extremely pointless stat, defenders numbers are always inflated by the long kicks that are almost always classified as effective along side the short chipping around.

 

[Hopper10]

Winning Powerball and LMac being dropped are similar odds.

 

[koshari]

I remember reading that the Archer family was close to the McDonald family and Glenn had taken Luke under his wing. There was then an expectation that young Luke would then be managed by Glenn and his agency.

McDonald family said no, this is business and went elsewhere much to Archer's disappointment.

Well this is business.

I dont think Glenn's business acumen is his strongest attribute.

 

[Topparoo]

He's a bit like the umpires in that if you don't notice him he must have been okay.

 

[Devington]

do I also have a memory of the family running the line that Donald needed to be looked after or there'd be no F/S nomination?

Fact.

 

[Merlin007]

Fact.

...the fish rots at the head

 

[Daniltchenko You Beauty]

It's an extremely pointless stat, defenders numbers are always inflated by the long kicks that are almost always classified as effective along side the short chipping around.

I get that but i was comparing it with other defenders who are measured by the same stat.

Clangers is a much more reputable stat and he’s very good on that too, much better than some of our other defenders.

 

[Mr north man]

I love the guy but surely he'll be under pressure to keep his spot if he has another poor game.

Can be poor for the rest of year won’t be dropped

 

[SonofSamsquanch]

I get that but i was comparing it with other defenders who are measured by the same stat.

Clangers is a much more reputable stat and he’s very good on that too, much better than some of our other defenders.

Elite

 

[The Law]

not sure who it was but someone in here said LMac legitimately thinks he's the best kick at the club. not only for accuracy but distance. i believe to be 100% true because it's the only plausible reason as to why he has kicked the ball the same exact way ever since he was recruited. It's as though he's trying to break the distance record every time he gets the ball. The club should have booked him into the grand final distance kick years ago. Maybe then he'd get it through his head when fevola beats him by 30M.

^^^ Lmac every time he gets the ball in a game thinking he'll definitely kick a goal from halfway this time.

 

[Devington]

not sure who it was but someone in here said LMac legitimately thinks he's the best kick at the club. not only for accuracy but distance. i believe to be 100% true because it's the only plausible reason as to why he has kicked the ball the same exact way ever since he was recruited. It's as though he's trying to break the distance record every time he gets the ball. The club should have booked him into the grand final distance kick years ago. Maybe then he'd get it through his head when fevola beats him by 30M.

^^^ Lmac every time he gets the ball in a game thinking he'll definitely kick a goal from halfway this time.

Eh, I think Luke just has **** all chill once he has the ball in hand and some space. His brain just shits the bed and he can't see an option even if it's there, so he just goes for distance (the fact he also goes for height and airtime just makes it so much worse.)

 

[nelroo]

Nicky Dal said such a thing when he was commentating once. Can’t remember his exact words but it was along the lines of LMAC has an overrated opinion of his own kicking ability.

 

[Colby Cheer Squad]

Eh, I think Luke just has **** all chill once he has the ball in hand and some space. His brain just shits the bed and he can't see an option even if it's there, so he just goes for distance (the fact he also goes for height and airtime just makes it so much worse.)

Well, hang time is just as important as distance (sometimes more so). It's just that he's playing the wrong sport.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Well, hang time is just as important as distance (sometimes more so). It's just that he's playing the wrong sport.

His wind up is so long and exaggerated, he’d be snapped in half if he was to punt in the NFL.

 

[Better Loosen Up]

Averages 1.6 clangers a game which is far less than most defenders and 80% KE.

Look, I'm not saying Luke is great player. But he's filling a role, providing some experience and doing well defensively. He's not a long term part of the team.

A lot of people getting carried away with the ball that clean bowled him and JUH goaled. He looked stupid and it cost us. But he’s been a good contributor over the last six weeks.

So essentially what you are saying is that he's a very limited footballer. Which means he's preventing someone else being given an opportunity to develop. Luckily that "someone" isn't Arch Jnr but it could have easily been. But we still have Hardeman and Bergman in the two's who have far more upside. Not forgetting Logue who is not too far away either.

If our focus is all about the future, McDonald should have been gone month's ago. Never to be seen again. Not because we have to play the kids at all costs, but because between Bergman and Hardeman, we've actually had a better player sitting in the two's every week.

 

[Daniltchenko You Beauty]

So essentially what you are saying is that he's a very limited footballer. Which means he's preventing someone else being given an opportunity to develop. Luckily that "someone" isn't Arch Jnr but it could have easily been. But we still have Hardeman and Bergman in the two's who have far more upside. Not forgetting Logue who is not too far away either.

If our focus is all about the future, McDonald should have been gone month's ago. Never to be seen again. Not because we have to play the kids at all costs, but because between Bergman and Hardeman, we've actually had a better player sitting in the two's every week.

Can't play all the kids at once.

 

[Better Loosen Up]

Can't play all the kids at once.

So we can't do without him because of his on field leadership?

The sort of on field leadership like his long bombs to no one out of defense?

"We need him to provide on field direction"

Well for starters, unfortunately we have Corr there as well who can also do this and even better, Logue when he gets back. But also, this is what we have training for each week, review footage for each week and have trainers for.

As a leader, you can't afford to be having a negative impact on the team each week. Even he admitted himself that his football was not up to standard. He's probably had 2 games this season where you could say he did ok and contributed positively to the team.