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2019 Player Reviews: #28 Oscar McDonald

Demonland
Demonland
in Melbourne Demons

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After playing all 25 games in 2018, Oscar McDonald’s progress was stymied as he battled with loss of form and injuries. Will need a strong preseason.

Date of Birth: 18 March, 1996

Height: 196 cm

Weight: 100 kg

Games MFC 2019: 12

Career Total: 74

Goals MFC 2019: 1

Career Total: 1

CDFC Games 2019: 4

CDFC Goals 2019: 0

Votes 2019 Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy:  28 votes

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    Rather fortunate to still have a spot on the list - hopefully can improve significantly in 2020

    Definitely behind May, Lever, Petty and probably Hore for mine 

    Probably kept his spot due to the movement of Frost who offered more atm IMO 

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    I am with Stevetheman, better to just quietly slink out quietly. 2019 was one of the worst performances from a Senior Player i have seen...

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    Expecting these gags to be highly original and creative...

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    Thought he was tracking well in the first half of ‘18 alongside Lever.  When Jake went down, the pressure and focus on Oscar went up and he has gone downhill since then.

    Ive always had a soft spot for him as a player as he has been, for the most part, unfairly maligned.  

    The excuses are running short now and (pardon the cliche) 2020 is a make or break year for him.  He’d now be listed by most people as ‘key position’ depth, and there’s only so long you can keep a depth player on your list if they repeatedly don’t seize their opportunities.

    He’ll start the year at Casey... the rest is over to him.

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    4 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

    Will play 22 games next year due to the genius move of trading Frost for a ham sandwich and the unreliability of our 2 expensive defenders.

    This is 100% my expectation as well. Thankfully Oscar is a much better player when fit and in the right head space than he is given credit for around here. 

    As an aside, Lever is not a genuine key defender, so I expect Oscar to play whether Lever is fit or not.  

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    I reckon Lever will more than likely play key position next year. I think they just tried to protect Lever a bit in his return from injury this year by having Frost playing along side him. but if both are fully fit, I expect we'll just play the two tall defenders in May and Lever most weeks.

    I think they showed in the first half of 2018 that this was the preferred set up, before Lever went down, when we hit a good patch of form towards the middle of the year with just Oscar and Lever as the KPDs, with Frost only playing 13 games mostly after Lever got injured.

    I think they plan on going back to that, and that's why they've now traded out Frost. so opportunities might be limited for Oscar next year if May and Lever stay on the park imo.

    Oscar and Petty as the KPD depth. good chance Petty will go past him as first option too if Oscar cant find a yard of pace and a bit more strength in the contest next year. 

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    Been watching a few of the 2018 games again, and Oscar did play some really good football. He was excellent in the final against Hawthorn. 

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    Needs to improve his running, kicking, awareness, though process, accountability, desperation, "connection" (whatever that is), fitness, desire, marking, spoiling, goal kicking, ruckwork, handball, diet, plus several attributes that seem to have held up his further development. Other than that he is obviously in our best 22 atm ! 

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    5 minutes ago, Stillwaiting said:

    Needs to improve his running, kicking, awareness, though process, accountability, desperation, "connection" (whatever that is), fitness, desire, marking, spoiling, goal kicking, ruckwork, handball, diet, plus several attributes that seem to have held up his further development. Other than that he is obviously in our best 22 atm ! 

    I'm still waiting for my sides to stop aching form all my laughter at this brilliant humour.

    Based on your assessment he is extremely unlikely to play senior AFL football next year. The joke will be on you i'm afraid.

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    On 10/21/2019 at 5:45 AM, Demonland said:

    OscarMcDonald2019Review.png

    After playing all 25 games in 2018, Oscar McDonald’s progress was stymied as he battled with loss of form and injuries. Will need a strong preseason.

    Date of Birth: 18 March, 1996

    Height: 196 cm

    Weight: 100 kg

    Games MFC 2019: 12

    Career Total: 74

    Goals MFC 2019: 1

    Career Total: 1

    CDFC Games 2019: 4

    CDFC Goals 2019: 0

    Votes 2019 Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy:  28 votes

    Oscar McDonald had the 4th hardest defensive matchups of the 57 key defenders to qualify. His defensive rating was the = 7th best of that group. Sam Frost's rating ranked 50th. Don't be too quick in writing off Oscar. #2020AFLProspectus @championdata

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    18 minutes ago, Pipefitter said:

    Some of his games this year were reminiscent of Zac Dawson’s 1st few games. 

    He is a poor man's Zac Dawson sadly.

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    On 10/21/2019 at 1:32 PM, Sir Why You Little said:

    I am with Stevetheman, better to just quietly slink out quietly. 2019 was one of the worst performances from a Senior Player i have seen...

    I'll go further and say EVER SEEN!

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    I call this year zero for Omac. Still on the list but there is some good news. He can’t get any worse. Not one I would tip to decline next season. Still have some hope for him.

    Edited by america de cali

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    44 minutes ago, america de cali said:

    I call this year zero for Omac. Still on the list but there is some good news. He can’t get any worse. Not one I would tip to decline next season. Still have some hope for him.

    My position on OMac is obviously well known. I think he will play regular senior footy next year. Bu i also acknowledge my confirmation bias. 

    But leaving that discussion alone i think it is worth seeing Omac's 2019 season (which was horrible, no question) in the context of his pre season hip surgery . In many ways he is a microcosm of the whole team and the season for many players.

    Hip surgery and the resulting rehab can't help with core strength or burst speed - two areas he is struggled with as many people noted on DL, much more so than in 2018 - an issue for a lock down defender of opposition key forwards. Then you add the impact on his ability to put good fitness and strength base down, add in the fact he is clearly a confidence player and struggled with that aspect and was in a back line missing most of it best players and you get a recipe for a poor season. 

    You could replace OMac's name (and type of surgery) with any number of players and you get the same result - poo seasons. On top of the list is Gus.

     

    Edited by binman

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    He can only improve, whether his improvement will be enough is the question. 

    Its frustrating watching him play. He seems enveloped in an unreality. He’s there on the ground but like the spectators he appears as an observer.  His lack of intensity and lack of response in pressure situations is strange to watch. His lack of physical energy and total lack of animated behaviour, in particular, his unresponsive Easter Island like face is striking.   

    Its like he is in a haze or fog. 

    Lets hope it lifts in 2020 otherwise   2021 will be a time that he reflects on what could have been.  

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    On 10/22/2019 at 5:02 PM, jnrmac said:

    He is a poor man's Zac Dawson sadly.

    Couldn't have said it any better. Oscar is up there with one of the worst players I have ever seen.

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    On 10/22/2019 at 2:02 PM, jnrmac said:

    He is a poor man's Zac Dawson sadly.

    Zac Dawson played to the team gameplan and did it very well.

    His job was simple... beat the forward... bring the ball to ground and give off to the designated runner.

    You don't play a 100 games unless you have something going for you.

     

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    On 10/23/2019 at 9:04 PM, hemingway said:

    He can only improve, whether his improvement will be enough is the question. 

    Its frustrating watching him play. He seems enveloped in an unreality. He’s there on the ground but like the spectators he appears as an observer.  His lack of intensity and lack of response in pressure situations is strange to watch. His lack of physical energy and total lack of animated behaviour, in particular, his unresponsive Easter Island like face is striking.   

    Its like he is in a haze or fog. 

    Lets hope it lifts in 2020 otherwise   2021 will be a time that he reflects on what could have been.  

    Eloquently phrased, as expected of such a great writer.  
    Far more enjoyable to read than much if the venom seen here particularly regarding this particular player

    I would also highly recommend that if he has ever even in passing looked at this site he desists from doing so.  The often personal invective cannot do anything for his self confidence as a player or indeed as a person 

    Edited by monoccular

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    12 minutes ago, monoccular said:

    Eloquently phrased, as expected of such a great writer.  
    Far more enjoyable to read than much if the venom seen here particularly regarding this particular player

    I would also highly recommend that if he has ever even in passing looked at this site he desists from doing so.  The often personal invective cannot do anything for his self confidence as a player or indeed as a person 

    I have no animosity to Oscar, I just can’t work out his persona. Unlike your standard AFL persona. It just does not seem to fit. Is it a lack of confidence? Perhaps but seems more than that. A lack of intensity perhaps is the simple explanation. That is born that cannot be created. 

    Any AFL player that reads this site needs to be psyche tested with a view to intensive psychotherapy. 

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