2013 Player Review - # 25 Tom McDonald

[Demonland 73,208]

An ankle and shoulder injury forced McDonald to miss five games in the first half of the season but the defender bounced back with a solid latter part of the year and finished tenth in the club B & F.

Games MFC 2013 17 Career Total 39

Goals MFC 2013 0 Career Total 0

Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 249 votes

[Whispering_Jack 30,725]

When coaches develop teams, they start with the backline. We have a good start with the likes of Tom, Colin Garland & Chip Frawley.

[Demoneyes 562]

T McDonald has to improve disposal. Terrible!

[old dee 23,873]

T McDonald has to improve disposal. Terrible!

Yes he makes McKenzie look reasonable.

[Demoneyes 562]

Great defensive work though! But no point winning the hard ball and then giving it straight back!

[Sydney Pennski 299]

I think he's improved a lot in the disposal aspect of his game and his decision making will also get better as the team gets better and there's less constant pressure on our defenders who are all the real unsung heroes of the club.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Another player that was adversely impacted under Neelds reign.

A good player who I hope will shine through under Roos.

Together with Chip and Garland is a cornerstone of our defence.

[Whispering_Jack 30,725]

Another player that was adversely impacted under Neelds reign.

How so?

In Neeld's first season, McDonald finished third in the club B & F.

This year, he missed five out of Neeld's 11 games with injury, took a few games to get himself right and then came back to still finish top 10.

There might have been players who struggled under Neeld and others who simply weren't prepared to do the work but this scapegoating of Neeld and revision of history is way out of line.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Sorry Jack. I'll remember to leave the revisionism to you.

IMO, I reckon McDonald lost confidence together with his skills over the journey with Neeld. The player that finished the 2013 season was not the exciting player that showed poise, strength and judgement in the first half of 2012. While his endeavour can't be faulted his ball skills and judgement tailed off from relentless pressure of continual opposition inside 50s. I can only imagine how he would have blossomed in a competitive side that was competently coached. He will be a good player for us with a lot of potential as we move up the ladder and definitely part of our future. I hope Roos brings the best out of him.

[Whispering_Jack 30,725]

Sorry Jack. I'll remember to leave the revisionism to you.

IMO, I reckon McDonald lost confidence together with his skills over the journey with Neeld. The player that finished the 2013 season was not the exciting player that showed poise, strength and judgement in the first half of 2012. While his endeavour can't be faulted his ball skills and judgement tailed off from relentless pressure of continual opposition inside 50s. I can only imagine how he would have blossomed in a competitive side that was competently coached. He will be a good player for us with a lot of potential as we move up the ladder and definitely part of our future. I hope Roos brings the best out of him.

Better you should leave logic and memory to me and revisionism to yourself.

McDonald showed that poise, strength and judgement throughout 2012, not just the first half as you grudgingly state. He was picking up Bluey votes even later in the season after that unfortunate collision against Brisbane left him with a collapsed lung having to travel back to Melbourne by road.

I've already pointed out the shoulder injury which derailed the first five or six weeks of the season. There's no evidence that his skill sets went into decline as a result of Neeld and the fact that he managed to finish tenth in the B & F suggests that your impression of the effect of Neeld's coaching is misguided or possibly even mischievous.

As someone pointed out here a while ago, the propaganda campaign has reached such a ridiculous state that the old guard are being blamed for the troubles in Egypt and Syria.

Now excuse me while I scour the vision of the rubble at Nairobi's Westgate Mall to see if I can find images of Cameron Schwab, Don McLardy or Neeld himself.

[Go the Biff 3,442]

Demoneyes is right (given the number of posts made - some had to be). Tom has to improve his disposal. He's never been a brilliant kick but when you've won the ball and are charging out of our defence, your options are limited. And that's a product of our increasingly disfunctional midfield under Neeld. I'll be interested to see what his kicking (and Terlich's) are like when they are trying to hit up someone who's made position and want's the ball.

In the meantime, Tommy should eat, drink, sleep with a Sherrin all through the off-season. He can already run like a Tanzanian postman. Time to address his weakness