- Nov 14, 2010
- 45,482
- 51,784
- AFL Club
- North Melbourne
-
AFLW 2024 - Round 8 - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Player Watch #11: Luke "Two Dogs" McDonald (Part II) - Roo til end '26 - 2023/24 co captain w/ Jy
- Thread starter roos_fanatic08
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Wonder if those grubs package their two first round picks to try and poach LDU
- Feb 23, 2010
- 2,227
- 2,983
- AFL Club
- North Melbourne
- Other Teams
- C's
I believe they’re referring to one of our more informed posters in roos_fanatic08
I daresay noting Luke’s standing in the BNF he’ll be praised for the year.
I was not impressed with LMac occasionally albeit not as harsh as the consensus seems to be here. But I thought the BnF was very interesting. To those who think he is putrid, how do you explain his relatively strong finish there?
- Apr 17, 2007
- 26,647
- 48,539
- AFL Club
- North Melbourne
- Other Teams
- hellas,liverpool,storm,au
If the club was really trying to retire him , I expect him to start in the vfl.
It’s no surprise the same people selecting him and even endorsing his captaincy are also voting for him.
Luke is a top bloke. I don't think that is, or has ever been in question. He also busts his guts for NM. And for that North Melbourne people will always love him. But if we were a better side, he'd be on the fringes. As for his B&F finish, at the moment it runs thin after a while. Anyway, I'm not comfortable putting shit on North people, but if we're to advance up the ladder, some decisions have to be made soon.
Last edited:
its also no surprise due to our lack of depth he gets a game every week and ranks votes, practically speaking it is what it is, people carry on about playing bergman and hardiman in place of him but put simply they haven't eclipsed him as of yet and may not.
we fall of a cliff after about 12 players into the list. i agree with franjon that if we had a better list he would be on the fringe. ideally he would be depth but we cant cover him at present.
Blightys Barrel
All Australian
- Jul 31, 2022
- 750
- 1,877
- AFL Club
- North Melbourne
There was a patch mid year where he played his role of sticking to small 25-30 kicks and not taking any undue risks coming out of the backline. Along with his courage at the contest and to at least halve his contests with his opponent it was “serviceable football” for the club and we got a few wins in there.
But as other have said on this forum, serviceable as the Captain of this footy club will not take us forward and up the ladder from 2025 onwards.
Contractually he has 2 more years, and what is the best possible outcome for him, the coaches, team mates and us long suffering fans.
1. Is removed from being Captain immediately so he can 100% focus on his game and role in the team. He can still ruffle hair as much as him team mates will tolerate
2. Puts in a pre-season where the focus is on the soft touch disposals. Become Mr Reliable anywhere inside 30 and also maintain his endurance and pace.
3. Lays the gauntlet down to Bergman/Hardeman/Goater and other Half Backs. If you want the role, then you better come real hard to take it off me. Cue scene from David Attenborough documentary with 2 horny Buffalos head butting the shite out of each other to win the girl.
The benefit of #3 is that we get to see if the new crop can improve and leap frog over LMac to win that position. For us to move forward they just have to do that.
If LMacs last 2 years are more VFL than AFL, then so be it. He is a good and loyal shinboner and can help the younger folks coming up in their careers with his 200 games of experience.
But as other have said on this forum, serviceable as the Captain of this footy club will not take us forward and up the ladder from 2025 onwards.
Contractually he has 2 more years, and what is the best possible outcome for him, the coaches, team mates and us long suffering fans.
1. Is removed from being Captain immediately so he can 100% focus on his game and role in the team. He can still ruffle hair as much as him team mates will tolerate
2. Puts in a pre-season where the focus is on the soft touch disposals. Become Mr Reliable anywhere inside 30 and also maintain his endurance and pace.
3. Lays the gauntlet down to Bergman/Hardeman/Goater and other Half Backs. If you want the role, then you better come real hard to take it off me. Cue scene from David Attenborough documentary with 2 horny Buffalos head butting the shite out of each other to win the girl.
The benefit of #3 is that we get to see if the new crop can improve and leap frog over LMac to win that position. For us to move forward they just have to do that.
If LMacs last 2 years are more VFL than AFL, then so be it. He is a good and loyal shinboner and can help the younger folks coming up in their careers with his 200 games of experience.
- Sep 11, 2014
- 11,671
- 22,659
- AFL Club
- North Melbourne
I agree completely. All the awesome leaders or competitors are usually not "top blokes" or even nice guys
- Feb 16, 2020
- 5,315
- 13,152
- AFL Club
- North Melbourne
Nor do they smile after a loss. Those are the personality types that take losses personally and put them in the memory bank for next time.
- Jul 18, 2013
- 4,707
- 18,172
- AFL Club
- North Melbourne
Luke played some pretty decent games, garnering B&F votes just around the time that Jy played some ordinary games so the people who are normally apoplectic over every mistake Luke makes and how unreasonable it is that he is our captain were distracted by the form of his co-captain. That's why it's good to have co-captains. Because the people holding the whips need to be whipping somebody.
It's been said before but he's played like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. An injection of experience will be good for him along with the extra year of experience from the defensive unit being built around him.
Can't underestimate how hard the last 5 years would have been on a guy trying to develop his own game. Hope he can focus on doing less but doing it better and regaining confidence.
Can't underestimate how hard the last 5 years would have been on a guy trying to develop his own game. Hope he can focus on doing less but doing it better and regaining confidence.
- Jun 7, 2019
- 6,120
- 21,975
- AFL Club
- North Melbourne
There will be distinct opinions about LMac and Jy, but I appreciate the opportunity to have a conversation about with slandering blokes who have done their best, even if that's been uneven. One issue I keep coming back to is that both had badly interrupted pre-seasons, LMac with hamstring surgery and Jy with that shocking concussion. If both get an uninterrupted crack at it going into 2025, hopefully there form will be there from the start of the season and not half way through it.
That said, I can see an argument to say to both that you need to concentrate on your own game, and we need to move onto a new captain (singular imo). The young ones aren't ready, so two years of Parker sounds good to me
ferball
desperately terminally-contrarian
North Melbourne - 2024 Hugh Greenwood Player Sponsor
Veteran
North Melbourne - 2023 Ailish Considine and Bella Eddy Player Sponsor
North Melbourne - 2023 Aaron Hall and Flynn Perez Player Sponsor
10k Posts
30k Posts
North Melbourne - 2022 Aaron Hall and Flynn Perez Player Sponsor
North Melbourne - 2022 Kaitlyn Ashmore and Aileen Gilroy Player Sponsor
- Jul 24, 2015
- 46,853
- 98,377
- AFL Club
- North Melbourne
Jy missed 4 or 5 weeks before the bye and came back in much better form. The difference between his first two months and the end of the year was pretty significant.
- Sep 11, 2014
- 11,671
- 22,659
- AFL Club
- North Melbourne
Lmac is not a captain nor a leader. It’s no wonder the players voted him in.
The players aren’t competitive enough to want to vote in a player who is going to break their balls or push them to the max (whether they like it or not). This attitude is changing which is nice to see (Sheezal, Chom and Parker)
True leaders like MJ was hated during their playing time with him, but after it’s all done, the amount of respect they have for him is something that can’t be bought.
The players aren’t competitive enough to want to vote in a player who is going to break their balls or push them to the max (whether they like it or not). This attitude is changing which is nice to see (Sheezal, Chom and Parker)
True leaders like MJ was hated during their playing time with him, but after it’s all done, the amount of respect they have for him is something that can’t be bought.
How? Is that a serious question? Oh I don’t know, maybe by the fact that we have won 15 games in 5 years? Maybe we aren’t that good?
Jones goes back-to-back in B&F
Nathan Jones has capped off an outstanding 2013, winning his second consecutive Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott Memorial Trophy
He can compare top finishes in B&F’s with Dean Terlich & Matt Jones!
Similarly, Wardlaw pre & post concussion was also a different player. Wasn’t nearly as one touch post concussion. I think we all are starting to realise just how impactful concussions can be to coordination, fitness etc
- Feb 16, 2020
- 5,315
- 13,152
- AFL Club
- North Melbourne
Enjoy the VFL Luke.
- Mar 12, 2016
- 3,713
- 3,080
- AFL Club
- North Melbourne
Won’t be playing VFL as if it goes to plan the players will vote him as captain so he starts in the AFL and the club wouldn’t want to embarrass itself by playing the AFL captain in the VFL.
Who says the players are getting a vote in the captaincy? Past outcomes are not a reliable indicator for future outcomes.
