My Left Foote
Premiership Player
- Jan 27, 2020
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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.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).
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.
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