AFLW 2024 - Round 10 - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
The big improvers
Emma Quayle
July 6, 2008
BRISBANE LIONS
Joel MacDonald
The Lions have a few good options, with both Joel Patfull and Daniel Merrett playing more compelling roles in defence this year.
But MacDonald, after missing most of 2006 and the first chunk of last season following a knee reconstruction, is playing the best football of his career.
He's a smart, strong-willed, tough-to-tackle defender who makes good decisions and is winning more of the ball than ever.
He's one of the competition's, not just the Lions', big improvers.
The stats say: Ranks third at the Lions in disposals and marks and equal seventh in the AFL for rebound 50s.
Den Diaries: Joel Macdonald
8:53 AM Thu 14 August, 2008
Goalsetting can be a tough gig sometimes.
At the start of this season, I desperately wanted to play 22 games.
It was important to me to play every one of the home-and-away games and prove that I am a durable athlete, having come off a knee reconstruction.
It was incredibly disappointing when the ankle injury that I thought might not even cost me one week turned into six matches out of the senior team.
It probably taught me a lesson that it was a bad goal to set because there are so many variables that can stuff you up with an aim like that.
At the end of the day, it’s all done and dusted now and I have had to reset my goals.
The first is to beat the Western Bulldogs at the Gabba on Saturday night if I get picked.
It was pretty embarrassing last time we played the Bulldogs down there in Melbourne.
I know I got toweled up by Robert Murphy on that occasion and it’s time to get some retribution for that.
I got through my first hit-out in the reserves last Friday night okay, although there were a few pot-holes in the ground and I was a bit sore afterwards.
I had to get through training last night if I was going to be up for selection this week and I did that, so I’m reasonably confident about my chances of getting out there on Saturday night.
The ankle was one of those things that I thought was just a bad sprain and tried to get through it.
It turned out I had torn the ligaments that hold the tibia to the fibula and the fibres in the ligament have to be extra strong or you should run or put any load on it.
I got it scanned after I had a collision with a teammate at training and found the problem.
When you are injured you tend to work twice as hard to try and get back onto the ground, but you don’t have that huge pressure to perform each week on you, so it is mentally refreshing in that regard.
I made a conscious effort to enjoy what I could in the off-field things that I do and turn whatever I could into a positive from the situation.
It was great to get back out onto the park last weekend, albeit in the reserves. There might have been a thought given to going straight back into the seniors, but the danger of a soft tissue injury was probably too great.
I had a good hit-out for the Suncoast Lions at Zillmere last Friday night and while it was nice to be written about so positively in the match reports from the game, I really didn’t go out there to have that sort of impact.
It’s just the way that the game panned out - I was more intent on trying to get through the game and running as hard as I could to get my fitness up.
One of the things that I have been able to really enjoy during my break has been our production of Mac & Bunno TV.
The club has put the first five episodes on lions.com.au and we’ve got some pretty good feedback to it.
It’s only going to get better too, because we’ve ditched the old camera that we had a few issues with and have got a brand new one.
We haven’t posted any our new stuff yet and we’re really looking forward to getting it up there.
Don’t miss the interview we’ve got with Travis Johnstone, it’s worth watching – he’s a real character.
From a personal development perspective it’s been really good because we’re learn how to speak and present better, while coming up with some creative ideas.
ONE of Brisbane Lions' missing links looks set to snap back into place with savvy defender Joel MacDonald poised to return in the last-chance saloon clash against Western Bulldogs at the Gabba on Saturday. The sharp-running back, who has been out for an extended stint with an ankle injury, was not far off his best when he was a shining light in the reserves last weekend.
It was an eye-catching performance that is likely to propel him straight back into the seniors this weekend, especially after he trained strongly at the Gabba on Wednesday.
Joel Macdonald charged with 'committing a public nuisance'
Brisbane Lions defender Joel Macdonald is in hot water after being charged with committing a public nuisance following an off-season incident in Brisbane early this morning.
Lions officials are making enquiries to fully understand the incident.
The news arrives just days after two alcohol-fuelled incidents involving Brisbane Bronco NRL players swept the media.
Apparently Jmac was caught stopping traffic. Shermo may be charged for this as well. See here: http://www.godsoffootball.com.au/vote/vote.php?player=22
Have just said on ch7 news that he was involved in a fight
Brisbane Lion caught in 'street fight'
Christine Kellet
September 20, 2008 - 3:20PM
Brisbane Lions player Joel Macdonald has been charged with public nuisance after an alleged street fight early this morning.
Police said a 23-year-old Bulimba man and a 23-year-old Fig Tree Pocket man had been arrested and charged over an altercation on Ann Street, in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, about 2am.
The Brisbane Lions have since confirmed Macdonald was the Bulimba man involved.
The fight is alleged to have involved several people, however police said nobody was injured or required hospitalisation.
Lions spokesman Sam Lord told brisbanetimes.com.au the club would investigate the incident, but had not yet spoken to Macdonald.
"The club has advised Joel Macdonald has been charged with committing public nuisance early this morning," Mr Lord said.
"We'll be looking further into it and make a full statement after that."
He said it was not yet known what had sparked the alleged altercation, or whether alcohol was involved.
"That will all be examined as part of our investigation," he said.
"We've got to speak to the player first."
Macdonald, a utility defender for the Lions, made his AFL debut in 2004.
He will face the Brisbane Magistrates Court on October 20
