Player Watch #11: Luke "Two Dogs" McDonald (Part II) - Steps down from Co-Captaincy for 2025

[Horizons_00]

Fumbles and getting outbodied aren't great signs either. He is not 18, needs to be stronger over the ball. Needs to stick tackles. This is basic stuff at his age.

I think this was the most disappointing element from last weeks game.

The crows made him look like a little school boy with the way they just pushed and bumped him out the way.

He has little to no strength at his age. Mind boggling.

We need to reinvent him. Somewhere or anywhere. We can’t keep trying the same thing over and over and expect different results. Even if it’s in the VFL.

 

[Psicosis]

Is it just me or has his kicking gone significantly downhill since he won the bnf in 2020? Feel like that year he was consistently hitting lasers and was one of the best intercept players in the competition.

 

[amaz199]

Is it just me or has his kicking gone significantly downhill since he won the bnf in 2020? Feel like that year he was consistently hitting lasers and was one of the best intercept players in the competition.

He had elite metres gained that year too. Was hitting 45m lace out kicks repeatedly.

Has regressed badly.

 

[Merlin007]

Is it just me or has his kicking gone significantly downhill since he won the bnf in 2020? Feel like that year he was consistently hitting lasers and was one of the best intercept players in the competition.

No, it’s definitely not just you

 

[DuckYeah]

Is it just me or has his kicking gone significantly downhill since he won the bnf in 2020? Feel like that year he was consistently hitting lasers and was one of the best intercept players in the competition.

His beard had magical powers

 

[DuckYeah]

Has to be dropped this week. Absolute must, no ifs, no buts, no “oh he’s the captain” go back to the scoobs

 

[FootySmartSimpson]

Suspect that's more because our senior players aren't capable of playing the system being implemented. Luke is a leader out there - if the backline is a "dog's breakfast" then that is largely on him.

And Captain! On field, the buck stops with him!

 

[Sphynx]

Is it just me or has his kicking gone significantly downhill since he won the bnf in 2020? Feel like that year he was consistently hitting lasers and was one of the best intercept players in the competition.

He played as a +1 loose defender for that entire season.

Basically the easiest role in footy possible.

Ziebell took that role in the subsequent years.

He's gone to water because he's now responsible for a forward and he's got some of the worst positioning for any defender in the AFL.

The amount of times he gets caught 4-5m off his opponent is absolutely mental. The amount of times a game you can see him mentally switching off and let's his opponent just stroll 4,5,6 meters away is unforgivable. He absolutely does not have the footspeed to bridge these gaps, and AWLAYS gets beaten on the lead trailing in that same 3-4 meters.

He plays as a half back like he played in the midfield for most of his formative years, which he did. Zero accountability.

You can see, his entire mentality is getting possessions and getting kicks.

His entire game suffers because his first thought isn't where his opponent is, it's what bit of space I can get my next kick in....

We've all said it (Dal Santo has also said it on radio taking the piss out of him), but he genuinely believes he's the best and most damaging user at the club, his first option with the ball is (how can I get my left side because I think I can roost it 80m), if he can't get his left side, he thinks he's Dustin Martin and tries to barge through the tackler. Very rarely is his first option ever a handball.


Seriously one of the lowest footy IQ's to ever pull on the jumper.

He's got natural talent for sure, but just incredibly dumb (and frankly, u/9's style selfish) in all of his decision making.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

He is not fair dinkum.
Not hungry enough to do whatever it takes to improve.
He is just happy to go through the motions, get paid well and retire having played 250 games.
Doesnt hate losing enough....

How long has he been in the system ? 6 or 7 years?
Yet you look at his upper body, and he looks like he has never seen a gym.

He deserves to get dropped and made an example of. But he wont....

That's why this rebuild is moving at snail speed....

This is his 10th season….

 

[Sphynx]

It's weird that it doesn't occur more in AFL, this is very much an EPL/Soccer thing:

But sometimes players need to be dropped for their own good.

When you keep playing them in this sort of form, they begin to be resented and hated by the fan base. To the point they are destroyed and can never return.

This is beginning to happen with LMAC, which is sad because of the BFNAAK and F/S aspect.

Sometimes you need to protect the player, continually playing them until the relationship between them and the fanbase is untenable, isn't the way.

See Kayne Turner

28

Kayne Turner

Age

29

Ht

180cm

Wt

71kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.3

3star

K

5.6

2star

HB

5.7

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

3.5

5star

MG

150.3

2star

No current season stats available

D

11.0

3star

K

6.8

3star

HB

4.2

4star

M

3.2

4star

T

4.8

5star

.....

A lot of this is on the coaches at the moment. They need to have the stones, this is precisely why we have Co-Captains.

If they keep playing him for another 18 months of similar footy, the only thing he will ever be remembered for is his last few years.

 

[Johnny99]

This is his 10th season….

Feck me !

Hasn't worked what's required out by now, he aint ever going to work it out.....

 

[Johnny99]

That's not true or fair at all.

LMac has a dip, and works his arse off for the club.

Problem is he doesnt have AFL level skills, speed or size. He gets enough of the ball, but butchers it, and is beaten 1:1 by bigger players and beaten in the open by smaller players.

Sooooooooo......what's he doing on an AFL list for 10 years ?

 

[leighlee13]

Sooooooooo......what's he doing on an AFL list for 10 years ?

With another 3 years left on his contract!

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

With another 3 years left on his contract!

Will become the worst 200 game player since Jarrod Crouch.

 

[Rockstar6]

Seriously needs a spell in the 2's. Ratten and/or Clarko need to make this call immediately.
Just because you are captain (co) doesn't make you immune from the pulling on the 2's jumper and playing VFL.
Give me Aiden Bonar

16

Aiden Bonar

Age

25

Ht

188cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.0

3star

K

4.8

2star

HB

5.3

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

3.8

5star

MG

101.0

2star

D

9.5

2star

K

4.0

1star

HB

5.5

3star

M

2.0

2star

T

3.5

4star

MG

101.0

2star

D

10.8

3star

K

5.2

2star

HB

5.6

4star

M

2.8

3star

T

4.2

5star

or Kayne Turner

28

Kayne Turner

Age

29

Ht

180cm

Wt

71kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.3

3star

K

5.6

2star

HB

5.7

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

3.5

5star

MG

150.3

2star

No current season stats available

D

11.0

3star

K

6.8

3star

HB

4.2

4star

M

3.2

4star

T

4.8

5star

before McDonald at the minute its that bad.

 

[Johnny99]

With another 3 years left on his contract!

Just shut up and buy a membership ! LOL

 

[The Nostradamus]

needs to study maynard tapes and be that role for us, maynard blankets dangerous forwards but also has an impact the other way

 

[chickenonachain]

I reckon we would be better off with captain Jack Sparrow than captain Luke McDonald

11

Luke Mcdonald

Age

29

Ht

189cm

Wt

87kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.9

4star

K

9.6

4star

HB

7.3

5star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.7

4star

MG

317.1

4star

D

14.1

3star

K

7.3

3star

HB

6.9

4star

M

2.4

3star

T

3.3

4star

MG

205.0

3star

D

19.2

5star

K

10.2

4star

HB

9.0

5star

M

3.2

4star

T

3.6

5star

 

[Secret Arden]

Seriously needs a spell in the 2's. Ratten and/or Clarko need to make this call immediately.
Just because you are captain (co) doesn't make you immune from the pulling on the 2's jumper and playing VFL.
Give me Aiden Bonar or Kayne Turner before McDonald at the minute its that bad.

A good club culture is built around accountability and equality of treatment ... there needs to be consequences for repeated failure to perform one's role to the levels expected, irrespective of whether you're a 10 year player or a first year player.

With every game he plays and continues to balls up in critical moments, it will only further undermine the culture of excellence that we all want to see develop (he's not pat malone there either). As has been flagged by many posters already, his ongoing selection is unfortunately representative of the apparent acceptance of mediocrity that we have long experienced ... he is sadly a poster-child for heart over head football department decision-making.

 

[justroyal]

I reckon we would be better off with captain Jack Sparrow than captain Luke McDonald

I reckon we’re better off with Amber Herd than Jack Sparrow, she even shits the bed less than Luke McDonald

 

[Kimbo]

Seriously needs a spell in the 2's. Ratten and/or Clarko need to make this call immediately.
Just because you are captain (co) doesn't make you immune from the pulling on the 2's jumper and playing VFL.

And yet, it's only this week that this sentiment has really become an orthodox view. Previously, everyone was saying 'No, we can't drop LMac, he's a captain!' or 'No, unfortunately we can't drop McDonalds, he's a co-captain.'

Standards are standards.

 

[Psychic Roo]

Luke is tough, never shirks. All of that.

But how the bloke has never developed any ability to kick on his right leaves me dumbfounded.

Leadership isn’t the Archer s**t. It’s taking time to work on weaknesses.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

I can live with the lack of right foot - plenty of left footers can be one sided but he is actually pretty poor on his left. Misses short, medium kicks and blasts long kicks. He doesnt look. Most are marked by the opp. Its what jmac used to do. It kills us - high, poorly directed bombs marked at 50. Then opp Lower their eyes and hit a short. Goal. Rinse, repeat.
The tragedy is that clarkson built a dynasty on hbs - esp left footers - exiting their 50 with precision. It needs targets to be hit exiting the 50. If the mids and forwards have to defend turnover - it breaks down. We, more than some other teams desperately need creative, attacking but precision use off hb. But we have this instead. Thats why sheezel is there. To counter it. Since lmac cant defend atm or be the organiser, he is a liability. Feel bad for him but he just cant play down there anymore. The reality is that he hasnt changed - has always been like this but confidence is clearly way down. Second guessing himself. He really looks mentally cooked. That may be the worst impact on a young team.

 

[brooksnk]

This is beginning to happen with LMAC, which is sad because of the BFNAAK and F/S aspect.

Can someone explain what BFNAAK means?

 

[Roscoe]

He's a seagull constantly calling for the ball 10 metres away, then gets it and immediately braces for the tackle which achieves nothing. Might be better suited playing for Williamstown Seagulls.

 

[The Nostradamus]