Luke McDonald from the North Melbourne Football Club is the Round Four NAB AFL Rising Star nominee.
The 19-year-old was impressive in the wet conditions at the SCG against the Sydney Swans yesterday. His 20 possessions and five marks from half-back were a highlight in the Kangaroos’ 43-point win.
Luke played three pre-season games and after debuting in Round One has played all four games this season and averaging 19 disposals.
Luke McDonald is available for interview tomorrow:
Tuesday April 15 at approximately 10am
Arden Street Oval, North Melbourne
North Melbourne coach Brad Scott said Luke has impressed in his first month in the AFL.
"Luke has been a complete professional in the way he has gone about his football since arriving at North Melbourne," Scott said.
"He has worked extremely hard to get to where he is now and that diligence has paid off as it's shown in the first few rounds of his AFL career. Last year he balanced training with North, playing for Werribee and studying at university, which has put him in the best position to not only become a strong footballer but also a well-rounded young person."
Luke was a father-son selection (selection eight overall) in the 2013 NAB AFL Draft. He was recruited from the Kew Comets Junior Football Club and the Oakleigh Dragons. In 2013 he played in the VFL with Werribee, trained with North Melbourne and began a bachelor of arts (majoring in media and communications) at Melbourne University.
Luke represented Vic Metro in the 2012 and 2013 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships. He was named an Under-18 All-Australian in 2012 and he captained the side in 2013.
Luke is a graduate of the AFL National Academies and is the son of former North Melbourne player Donald McDonald, who played 155 games between 1982-1992. Donald is North Melbourne’s stakeholder relations and club culture director.
Luke is North Melbourne’s first nominee since Aaron Mullett in Round two 2013.
Following each round of the home and away season, a panel of judges will select a NAB AFL Rising Star nominee. At the completion of the season, one of these nominees will be chosen as the 2014 NAB AFL Rising Star.
The 2014 NAB AFL Rising Star winner will be awarded the Ron Evans Medal and a $20,000 personal investment folio and a dedicated personal banker, courtesy of NAB.
NAB continues to grow the game by recognising the junior clubs that helped foster the early careers of the nominated players. Each of the 23 clubs will receive a NAB Club Recognition Award valued at $2,500, comprising financial and practical resources. Since supporting the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, NAB has donated over $660,000 worth of resources to junior football clubs through this initiative.
The NAB AFL Rising Star is part of the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, which supports grassroots players and football communities and helps young Australians fulfil their dream of playing in the AFL.
NAB has been Footifying Australia since 2002 through the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program which comprises the following elements:
- NAB AFL Rising Star
- NAB AFL Draft
- NAB AFL Draft Combine
- NAB AFL Under-18 Championships
- AFL National Academies
- NAB AFL Under-16 Championships
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