James McDonald
Melbourne and GWS
AFL career
264 games60 goals
- Debut
- R17 1997 v COL27 July 1997
- Most recent
- R23 2012 v NTH1 Sept 2012
Stats
2012 | GWS | 13 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 15.3 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 5.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 67 | 65 |
2010 | MEL | 16 | 11.4 | 11.1 | 22.5 | 3.1 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 7.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 95 | 100 |
2009 | MEL | 18 | 9.8 | 9.5 | 19.3 | 4.6 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 4.8 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 79 | 74 |
2008 | MEL | 19 | 10.2 | 9.7 | 19.9 | 4.4 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 4.6 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 81 | 86 |
2007 | MEL | 21 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 23.3 | 4.3 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 6.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 96 | 99 |
2006 | MEL | 24 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 23.1 | 4.8 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 6.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 98 | - |
2005 | MEL | 21 | 9.4 | 6.3 | 15.7 | 3.7 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 3.3 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 63 | - |
2004 | MEL | 18 | 11.8 | 6.8 | 18.6 | 4.2 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 4.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 79 | - |
2003 | MEL | 21 | 11.0 | 10.0 | 21.0 | 5.0 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 4.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 85 | - |
2002 | MEL | 20 | 8.8 | 6.2 | 15.0 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 59 | - |
2001 | MEL | 15 | 10.8 | 6.3 | 17.1 | 3.9 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 2.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 68 | - |
2000 | MEL | 17 | 8.1 | 5.9 | 13.9 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 55 | - |
1999 | MEL | 15 | 8.0 | 3.9 | 11.9 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 45 | - |
1998 | MEL | 22 | 7.2 | 3.7 | 10.9 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 41 | - |
1997 | MEL | 4 | 6.5 | 3.0 | 9.5 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 39 | - |
NTH | SKO | R23 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 37 | 28 |
STK | ES | R22 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 | 43 | 63 |
MEL | MO | R21 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1.0 | 47 | 52 |
HAW | MCG | R15 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 31 | 40 |
SYD | ANZ | R14 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.0 | 70 | 36 |
MEL | MCG | R13 | 10 | 6 | 16 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0.0 | 77 | 66 |
RCH | SKO | R12 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1.0 | 73 | 68 |
GEE | SS | R10 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0.0 | 58 | 74 |
ESS | SKO | R9 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1.1 | 72 | 74 |
CAR | ES | R6 | 11 | 15 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0.2 | 92 | 84 |
WBD | MO | R5 | 12 | 13 | 25 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.0 | 90 | 79 |
ADE | AAMI | R4 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0.0 | 84 | 78 |
SYD | ANZ | R1 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1.0 | 101 | 99 |
Bio
James McDonald's career is a testament to perseverance, evolving from a speculative rookie list selection into one of Melbourne's most respected captains. Arriving at the Demons alongside his older brother Anthony—earning him the enduring nickname "Junior"—he initially carved out a niche as a disciplined run-with player tasked with nullifying the opposition's prime movers. As his confidence grew, McDonald transformed into a premier two-way midfielder, renowned for his elite tackling pressure, clearance work, and relentless work ethic. His peak years saw him recognised as one of the competition's most consistent contributors, claiming back-to-back Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medals in 2006 and 2007, along with All-Australian selection in 2006.
His departure from Melbourne at the end of 2010 was a point of contention among supporters, as the club declined to renew his contract despite his solid form, opting instead to prioritise youth under a rebuilding strategy. After a season out of the AFL system, McDonald was lured out of retirement by the newly formed Greater Western Sydney Giants in 2012. Serving as a playing assistant coach, he provided crucial on-field mentorship to a raw squad in their inaugural season. He retired permanently following that stint, leaving the game as a Melbourne Life Member and a player widely admired for his professionalism and leadership.
Profile
- Born
- 05 Oct 1976 (age 50y 16d)
- Height
- 180 cm
- Weight
- 75 kg
Teams
Honours
- All-Australian2006
- Melbourne B&F(2×) 2006, 2007
- 2nd
- 2003
- Top 10
- 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010
- Melbourne captain(2×) 2009, 2010
Family
- Brother:Alex McDonald, Anthony McDonald
Bio
1 revisionJames McDonald's career is a testament to perseverance, evolving from a speculative rookie list selection into one of Melbourne's most respected captains. Arriving at the Demons alongside his older brother Anthony—earning him the enduring nickname "Junior"—he initially carved out a niche as a disciplined run-with player tasked with nullifying the opposition's prime movers. As his confidence grew, McDonald transformed into a premier two-way midfielder, renowned for his elite tackling pressure, clearance work, and relentless work ethic. His peak years saw him recognised as one of the competition's most consistent contributors, claiming back-to-back Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medals in 2006 and 2007, along with All-Australian selection in 2006.
His departure from Melbourne at the end of 2010 was a point of contention among supporters, as the club declined to renew his contract despite his solid form, opting instead to prioritise youth under a rebuilding strategy. After a season out of the AFL system, McDonald was lured out of retirement by the newly formed Greater Western Sydney Giants in 2012. Serving as a playing assistant coach, he provided crucial on-field mentorship to a raw squad in their inaugural season. He retired permanently following that stint, leaving the game as a Melbourne Life Member and a player widely admired for his professionalism and leadership.