Donald McDonald (footballer)

Donald McDonald (born 10 May 1962) is a former Australian rules footballer and coach.[1]

Donald McDonald
Personal information
Full name Donald McDonald
Date of birth (1962-05-10) 10 May 1962
Original team(s) St. Brendan's
Height 191 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight 97 kg (214 lb)
Position(s) Ruck, key position
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1982–1992 North Melbourne 155 (165)
Coaching career3
Years Club Games (W–L–D)
2004 Hawthorn 5 (2–3–0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1992.
3 Coaching statistics correct as of 2004.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Playing career

Recruited from St. Brendan's, McDonald debuted with the North Melbourne Football Club in the VFL in 1982. He was a tall player who could play key position or in the ruck, and in 1984 won the Kangaroos' leading goalkicker award. He played in the VFL until 1992, having amassed 155 games and 165 goals.

Coaching career

McDonald became captain-coach of Werribee in the VFA, and coached the club to a premiership victory in 1993. He coached at Werribee from 1993 until 1999.[2]

From 2000 to 2002 he was non-playing coach of the Box Hill Hawks in the VFL, and coached the club to a premiership victory in 2001, defeating his former club Werribee in the grand final.

In 2004, McDonald took over from Peter Schwab when he was sacked from the Hawthorn Football Club coaching job late in the season following a dismal season. He was promoted from assistant coach to caretaker, with five matches left to go. Hawthorn won two matches but was not retained for the 2005 season with Alastair Clarkson signed as coach. McDonald became an assistant coach at his old club, North Melbourne Kangaroos, for the 2005 season. McDonald's son Luke was drafted by North Melbourne as a father-son recruit in 2013 National Draft with 8th pick.

He is currently the senior coach of the Avondale Heights Football Club who compete in the top division of the Essendon Region Football League.

References
  1. Holmesby, Russell; Main, Jim (2003). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers: every AFL/VFL player since 1897 (5th ed.). Melbourne, Victoria: Crown Content. p. 468. ISBN 1-74095-032-1.
  2. Marc Fiddian (2003), The Best of Football Trivia, Hastings, VIC: Galaxy Print and Design, p. 23
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