James Mcdonald

[Jordie_tackles 354]

James looked great tonight imo, hard as ever, setting the example for his young team mates. got his hands all over the pill.

Could use a guys like this as a leader over the last year or so....... i will admit i may be wrong on this one.

I supported the decision after his hamstring injuries, and maybe the year off helped James but he was the captain we needed this is now obvious.

Good luck Macca, and sorry

[Outside fifty 967]

Couldn't agree more Jordie. The old dog can still fetch a stick.

[Dr. Gonzo 22,523]

Yep - whether he can play out the year remains to be seen but if he could put together 16-18 games like that for the year you would definitely keep him on your list. Thought we made the right decision to get rid of him but this is one I'll be happy to be proved wrong on. Wish Junior all the best, he deserves it.

[RalphiusMaximus 5,993]

I've been telling people to get him early as a bargain on Dreamteam and supercoach. He's not the sort of guy who will sit back and only play a half dozen games. He's going to give it 100% and try to lead on the field for the entire year. Given his price,. the numbers he racks up are pretty good.

[dee-tox 4,827]

In retrospect, one of the stupidist decisions we've made. His presence would have been invaluable last season.

[Pates 9,537]

I hate GWS, but god it was great to see junior back imposing himself. He's lost none of his competitiveness (not that I'd expect him to), and I think he's taking a coach/teaching by example mantra. I was going to get him in dreamteam, decided not to because I can't be sure he'll play enough games, I'm regretting that choice now!

[Daz's Dee's 113]

I had no doubt he could come back and play as good as when we gave him the flick. I understand the clubs direction in going with "the youth policy" but we had enough dead wood on our list to keep him on a one year minimum wage contract just for experience even as a similar role to what he has at GWS. I was disappointed back then and am even more so disappointed now of the decision the club made! Anyway great game from him and good luck for the remainder of the season.

[dee-luded 2,958]

James looked great tonight imo, hard as ever, setting the example for his young team mates. got his hands all over the pill.

Could use a guys like this as a leader over the last year or so....... i will admit i may be wrong on this one.

I supported the decision after his hamstring injuries, and maybe the year off helped James but he was the captain we needed this is now obvious.

Good luck Macca, and sorry

Fair enough.

I never wanted him to leave, Buy I concede he may have hindered our list rebuilding.

I'm glad he's back playing & I hope he goes well.

Sorry Junior for games lost.

[Cards13 9,117]

While he looked ok in a side that had the collective age of a high school footy team can he last a full season at that pace with little support. Even Cornes had his moment and he looked slow as a wet week on a number of occasions, can Cornes last a full season, doubtful. Junior will at least have a few weeks rest after last night to recover.

In saying that it is disappointing seeing Junior in other colours.

[Ron Burgundy 8,584]

In retrospect, one of the stupidist decisions we've made. His presence would have been invaluable last season.

Thought this at the time, and history proved it to be the case. Why would you cut a popular, hard at it Captain when he was clearly still in our best 22 and wanted to continue playing, we had a dearth of effective senior players, Cameron Bruce was being belligerent about re-signing for the club, and we had on ball division with an aggregated body weight of 22 kilos?!

There is absolutely no way Neeld would've cut Junior had he been at the helm at the time. Ridiculous decision that clearly impacted on the playing group for the whole of 2011.

[Guest Jackie]

I was undecided whether it was the right move or not to retire Junior at the time. History has shown he certainly could have helped us last season and not just as a player but in leadership and mentoring too. I guess the club assumed many developing players were going to step up last season and the unexpected loss of Bruce did not help. The likes of Green, Rivers and Davey failed to step up as leaders. But too late now. He's gone and not coming back in the near future. Too much reflection will only be another negative distraction and Bailey and his crew are no more at this club.

Edited March 24, 2012 by Jackie

[Guest oldman emubitter]

Thought this at the time, and history proved it to be the case. Why would you cut a popular, hard at it Captain when he was clearly still in our best 22 and wanted to continue playing, we had a dearth of effective senior players, Cameron Bruce was being belligerent about re-signing for the club, and we had on ball division with an aggregated body weight of 22 kilos?!

There is absolutely no way Neeld would've cut Junior had he been at the helm at the time. Ridiculous decision that clearly impacted on the playing group for the whole of 2011.

as i've said earlier, dean proved he is a good assistant coach

[Biffen 12,353]

Not the best decision ever to cut Jnr .

Bailey was a battler but yoof is yoof .

[Redleg 37,823]

Can't believe people are saying that history ( one game for GWS ) is proving we made a mistake letting Junior go. He was rising 34 and injured and we had a stack of young kids that needed games to gain experience, like Jordie Mc, Gys and Nicholson etc. We are rebuilding not a GF side. If he doesn't get a kick next game what will "history" have showed us.

[Retrospective 104]

I don't think we cut him because he suddenly forgot how to play footy and it looks like a year off has let him get over a few lingering injuries.

Seemed a bit odd at the time to lose that leadership but let's see how many he strings together for the season before we revise history.

[Bay Riffin 1,420]

Can't believe people are saying that history ( one game for GWS ) is proving we made a mistake letting Junior go. He was rising 34 and injured and we had a stack of young kids that needed games to gain experience, like Jordie Mc, Gys and Nicholson etc. We are rebuilding not a GF side. If he doesn't get a kick next game what will "history" have showed us.

I agree. The idea was right, something had to give or we would have to chop one of these youngsters. It was the execution afterwards which left us so frustrated.

James was a good leader, but was getting injured and kicking was below par lets face it.

One decent game in round 1 doesn't change things.

I wonder who supporters would have chopped at the time to keep McDonald ?

[Ron Burgundy 8,584]

Can't believe people are saying that history ( one game for GWS ) is proving we made a mistake letting Junior go. He was rising 34 and injured and we had a stack of young kids that needed games to gain experience, like Jordie Mc, Gys and Nicholson etc. We are rebuilding not a GF side. If he doesn't get a kick next game what will "history" have showed us.

We needed his leadership and influence last year. I don't really think the issue is whether he has a good season with GWS this year.

Football lists continue to evolve. Players will always be coming and going - it's not a static thing, rather it's a continuum. In this context, just because McDonald was older and wouldn't have been around for a flag (or indeed even the next couple of seasons), doesn't mean you just cut him, particularly having regard to the leadership skills he brought to the list (ie, he clearly had a role to play last year and potentially also this year).

The previous football department seemed determined to part the red sea to get young players a game. It seems to me that all good clubs have real competition for spots, and that young players need to earn their selection, not just assume it. Players like McDonald create the benchmark for performance and attitude - I still find it bizarre that this seemed not to have been fully recognised at the time.

Edited March 25, 2012 by Ron Burgundy

[Robbie57 1,991]

We're wrong but not because he played a good game last night.

A great team player.

May be given a rest by the match review.

[Bitter but optimistic 21,339]

The way Melbourne dealt with him was shameful. I hope he has a stellar season.

[ox_5 163]

We're wrong but not because he played a good game last night.

A great team player.

May be given a rest by the match review.

Unfortunately, I think he will be getting a little holiday.

Nice first test for the MRP.

[RalphiusMaximus 5,993]

I don't think we made a mistake letting him go when we did. The error was in the way it was handled. He should have been aware from the outset that it was going to be his last season with us, and with the plan to transition him into coaching clearly spelled out. Instead, you had a guy who played a pretty good season and thought he'd done enough to be kept on when the non-playing part of the club had already stamped his papers.

You need to bear in mind that keeping Junior on the list would have cost us draft picks. We needed to move players on to make room for the next generation to come into the side. Who was going to go in his place so that we could take some kids in the draft? While I think it was poorly handled by the club, I also think that the way he responded was possibly the most selfish thing I've ever seen from him. He wanted to hang on for one more year with a body that was beginning to fail and prevent a kid from getting the chance that he was given. The club had a plan in place for him and were planning on having him move straight into a coaching/mentoring role, but he chose to walk away in a snit.

Basically, it was the right decision, but the way it was handled on both sides was pretty poor form.

[Redleg 37,823]

We needed his leadership and influence last year. I don't really think the issue is whether he has a good season with GWS this year.

Football lists continue to evolve. Players will always be coming and going - it's not a static thing, rather it's a continuum. In this context, just because McDonald was older and wouldn't have been around for a flag (or indeed even the next couple of seasons), doesn't mean you just cut him, particularly having regard to the leadership skills he brought to the list (ie, he clearly had a role to play last year and potentially also this year).

The previous football department seemed determined to part the red sea to get young players a game. It seems to me that all good clubs have real competition for spots, and that young players need to earn their selection, not just assume it. Players like McDonald create the benchmark for performance and attitude - I still find it bizarre that this seemed not to have been fully recognised at the time.

And you would rather Junior for one more year than who from the list below:

Melbourne

12. LUCAS COOK

(North Ballarat Rebels, 18, 196cm, 81kg)

Mobile, marking forward with clean hands and the ability to read the play well. Can head back into defence too. All-Australian 2010.

33. JEREMY HOWE

(Hobart, 20, 190cm, 80kg)

Tall, marking forward who can take hangers and run: he's posted a level 14 beep test.

50. TROY DAVIS

(Geelong Falcons, 18, 192cm, 90kg)

A tall defender who played a lot of school football in Geelong this year and really came in in the last half of the year. Strong, and competitive.

53. TOM McDONALD

(North Ballarat, 18, 194cm, 88kg)

Has grown up playing mostly in the ruck. The Dees are hoping he'll grow a bit more but if not see him as a forward: he has a good leap and can run.

81. JORDIE McKENZIE

(promoted rookie)

96. JAKE SPENCER

(promoted rookie)

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/2010-afl-national-draft-who-your-club-picked-20101118-17zfd.html#ixzz1q6CNKmLp

[DemonDave 1,078]

So what would some people rather have seen last year, 18 games from Junior or 15 from Gysberts or similar?

[Doggo 32]

Pity it looks like he'll be getting rubbed out for that high hip and shoulder.. Was shaping as a supercoach gem!

[Colesy 2]

The decision to cut Junior (at the time), was the right one. He's body was beginning to fail him and I was worried about him pushing on again. In addition, his departure meant an extra spot on the veterans list which was supposed to be for Cam Bruce. However, obviously Cam decided to walk and had we known that before, Junior may have retained his place.

Easy to say we should've retained Junior after playing one good game following a year off AFL. However, I just wish we knew Cam Bruce was going to be a nob a little sooner.

Edited March 25, 2012 by Colesy