DOB: 5 October 1976
Debut: Round 17, 1997 against Collingwood at MCG
Last MFC Game: Round 22, 2010 against North Melbourne at MCG
From: Ballarat YCW/Ballarat U18/Old Xaverians, selection #78, 1996 Rookie Draft
Number: 54 (1997), 23 (1998-2010)
Honours:
Captain - 2009 - 2010
Grand Final team - 2000
Best and Fairest - 2006, 2007
All Australian - 2006
Australian International Rules player - 2006
150 Heroes selection
Life Member - 2006
Games: 251 (264 total)
Goals: 56 (60 total)
Career Statistics
| Wins | Draws | Losses | Winning % |
| 103 | 1 | 147 | 41.03 |
Statistical categories led:
Most tackles in a game : 15 - Round 7, 2006
Most games in jumper 23
The younger brother of Anthony and Alex (a younger brother played in the VFL with North Ballarat) had a hard road to senior football and had to fight a battle against chronic fatigue syndrome before eventually being selected by the Demons with a speculative late rookie draft pick after being spotted playing in the amateurs, where he'd been part of the Old Xavs premiership side in 1996.
He instantly impressed and was promoted from the rookie list to debut in 1997 after Paul Prymke was forced onto the long term injury list with a back complaint. As a hard-working midfielder he became a consistent member in the side but was unlucky to miss the 2000 finals series after seriously injuring his knee in the round 19 clash with St. Kilda.
McDonald returned from the knee injury in Round 8, 2001, and began to establish his place in the side. Finishing second in the 2003 Best and Fairest before having his best season in 2006. He broke the AFL tackle record and was named an All-Australian as well as playing in the Aussie International Rules team. On the home front he took home his first best and fairest award before repeating the feat a year later.
With the retirement of David Neitz early in 2008 McDonald was named co-captain, alongside Cameron Bruce for the rest of the year and was given the role in his own right for 2009. He retained the job for 2010 but announced his retirement on August 19 of that year, the week that he became just the 7th Demon to play 250 games.
The McDonald brothers were only the third set of three brothers to play 100 games of VFL/AFL football, after the Morwoods and Danihers.
In February 2011 McDonald joined Greater Western Sydney as a mentor for their Melbourne based players and joined the AFL tribunal Match Review panel. After playing for Old Xaverians during the season McDonald announced that he would make a comeback in 2012 with GWS as a playing assistant coach.
He was selected by the Giants with pick 87 in the 2011 National Draft and made his debut for them in their opening match. He played 13 matches for the season before retiring for a second time at the end of the year to move into an assistant coaching role. He retired from coaching at the end of 2014 to join the Agribusiness industry, and returned as a senior coach for Old Xaverians in 2017.
| Year | Games | Goals | Brownlow |
| 1997 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| 1998 | 22 | 10 | 0 |
| 1999 | 15 | 5 | 0 |
| 2000 | 17 | 7 | 3 |
| 2001 | 15 | 3 | 2 |
| 2002 | 20 | 2 | 0 |
| 2003 | 21 | 4 | 0 |
| 2004 | 18 | 3 | 0 |
| 2005 | 21 | 2 | 0 |
| 2006 | 24 | 6 | 4 |
| 2007 | 21 | 3 | 6 |
| 2008 | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| 2009 | 18 | 2 | 2 |
| 2010 | 16 | 5 | 0 |
Tribunal Record
| Match | Charge | Sanction | |
| Round 9, 2001 | Wrestling | $1200 fine | |
| Round 9, 2003 | Wrestling | $2500 fine | |
| Round 2, 2004 | Wrestling | Not Guilty | |
| Round 8, 2005 | Melee | $1500 fine | |
| Round 6, 2010 | Striking | Reprimand | |
Lists
Family
Family at other clubs
Greater Western Sydney
Media
Age - 16/07/2000, 19/08/2010
Australian - 15/09/2011
Links
Australian Rules Football profile
Australian Rules Football Wiki profile
Demonwiki image gallery
Draftguru profile
Old Xavs
Player profile - melbfc.com.au - 2001
Wikipedia profile