James McDonald (Australian footballer)

James McDonald
McDonald in August 2009
Personal information
Full name	James McDonald
Date of birth	(1976-10-05) 5 October 1976
Original team(s)	North Ballarat Rebels / Old Xaverians
Height	180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	75 kg (165 lb)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1997–2010	Melbourne	251 (56)
2012	Greater Western Sydney	013 0(4)
Total		264 (60)
International team honours
Years	Team	Games (Goals)
2006	Australia	1 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2012. 2 State and international statistics correct as of 2006.
Career highlights
2× Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medallist: 2006, 2007 Melbourne captain: 2008–2010 All-Australian: 2006
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

James McDonald (born 5 October 1976) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Melbourne Football Club and Greater Western Sydney Giants in the Australian Football League (AFL).

AFL career

McDonald with Melbourne in 2009

Nicknamed "Junior", James is the brother of former AFL players Anthony McDonald and Alex McDonald. He is noted as a hard working in and under midfielder. In addition to this, he is also used as a tagger.

In 1995, McDonald suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome with his VAFA side Old Xaverians. He debuted in the AFL in 1997 with the Melbourne Football Club after being promoted off the Rookie list.

McDonald had one of his most consistent years in 2006, being named on the interchange bench in the All Australian side and the only Demons player to make this list in that year. He laid a league high and record high 143 tackles during season 2006, breaking the previous record held by Tony Liberatore (although Brett Kirk would break McDonald's record the following season), and capped off the season with a win in Melbourne's Best and Fairest.

McDonald also played in the International Rules Series in 2006.

McDonald won the Melbourne best and fairest in 2007 for the second time.

McDonald played his 200th game in a loss to the Western Bulldogs in Round 2, 2008. He was part of the Demons' Leadership Group, along with Cameron Bruce, Russell Robertson, Adem Yze and Brad Miller and was named co captain alongside Bruce in the absence of skipper David Neitz. However, after Neitz announced his retirement, no captain has been selected yet. After the 2008 home-and-away season, James signed a one-year deal to continue playing with Melbourne.

On 11 January 2009, the Herald Sun reported that McDonald would captain the club in 2009. McDonald kicked his 50th goal in the 2009 season.

In 2009, McDonald appeared alongside other AFL footballers in an AFL television advertisement titled "AFL: In a League of its Own", which featured prominent AFL players playing Australian rules football at famous sporting venues around the world, and in the middle of other sports being played, including basketball, Association football and American football. In the advertisement, McDonald, along with Nathan Bock and Daniel Merrett, unsuccessfully attempt to tackle Adam Cooney on a bullring.

McDonald signed another one-year extension that would see him to the end of the 2010 season. He also broke the record for the most games by a rookie-listed player (238). On 20 August, McDonald announced that he would retire at the end of the end of the 2010 season, saying he felt he could have played on for another year, but that the club came first and the club's decision was for him to retire at the end of the season.

McDonald played for his old side, Old Xaverians, in the Victorian Amateur Football Association, while also working with Greater Western Sydney's Melbourne-based players in a development role. At the end of 2011, McDonald signed a one-year contract with Greater Western Sydney. During the 2012 season, he was a playing assistant coach for the Giants. In his first game for the club, McDonald copped a two-game suspension for engaging in rough conduct on Sydney Swans player Luke Parker; ironically, he had served as a member on the Match Review Panel in the previous season.

James McDonald Trophy

The James McDonald Trophy is presented to the player who best demonstrates the "Melbourne Spirit".

Statistics

Season	Team	No.	Games	Totals							Averages (per game)
				G	B	K	H	D	M	T	G	B	K	H	D	M	T
1997	Melbourne	54	4	3	1	26	12	38	5	6	0.8	0.3	6.5	3.0	9.5	1.3	1.5
1998	Melbourne	23	22	10	12	158	81	239	52	20	0.5	0.5	7.2	3.7	10.9	2.4	0.9
1999	Melbourne	23	15	5	11	120	58	178	26	23	0.3	0.7	8.0	3.9	11.9	1.7	1.5
2000	Melbourne	23	17	7	6	137	100	237	46	38	0.4	0.4	8.1	5.9	13.9	2.7	2.2
2001	Melbourne	23	15	3	3	162	94	256	58	41	0.2	0.2	10.8	6.3	17.1	3.9	2.7
2002	Melbourne	23	20	2	4	176	124	300	59	58	0.1	0.2	8.8	6.2	15.0	3.0	2.9
2003	Melbourne	23	21	4	4	230	210	440	106	84	0.2	0.2	11.0	10.0	21.0	5.0	4.0
2004	Melbourne	23	18	3	4	213	122	335	76	76	0.2	0.2	11.8	6.8	18.6	4.2	4.2
2005	Melbourne	23	21	2	5	197	132	329	77	70	0.1	0.2	9.4	6.3	15.7	3.7	3.3
2006	Melbourne	23	24	6	7	301	254	555	115	143	0.3	0.3	12.5	10.6	23.1	4.8	6.0
2007	Melbourne	23	21	3	4	263	226	489	90	131	0.1	0.2	12.5	10.8	23.3	4.3	6.2
2008	Melbourne	23	19	1	3	194	185	379	83	88	0.1	0.2	10.2	9.7	19.9	4.4	4.6
2009	Melbourne	23	18	2	2	177	171	348	83	87	0.1	0.1	9.8	9.5	19.3	4.6	4.8
2010	Melbourne	23	16	5	1	182	178	360	49	119	0.3	0.1	11.4	11.1	22.5	3.1	7.4
2012	Greater Western Sydney	38	13	4	3	100	97	197	31	67	0.3	0.2	7.7	7.5	15.2	2.4	5.2
Career			264	60	70	2636	2044	4680	956	1051	0.2	0.3	10.0	7.7	17.7	3.6	4.0

External links

• James McDonald's playing statistics from AFL Tables