Demon’s decisive call on magnet moves

Melbourne veteran Tom McDonald has revealed Harrison Petty was still suffering the effects of last season’s serious foot injury before his return to form on Saturday night.

The Demons key forward only kicked one goal but was among their best as he took a game-high four contested marks in the eight-point win over Geelong.

McDonald declared Petty was a “natural forward” as he said he was settled in the key defensive post that opened up after his teammate was thrown into attack last season.

Petty, who returned from his foot injury in round 2, was goalless in four of his five matches heading into the Cats’ clash as questions rose over his continued use as a forward.

But McDonald said the South Australian, who will be a free agent at the end of next season, was definitely in the right position.

He said he had a better perspective than most on the injury Petty had to overcome to find his feet again at AFL level.

“We both did a Lisfranc injury – mine was in 2022, (Petty’s) was at the end of last season – what I really found was that it took way longer than the six months to get back, it was more like a nine or 12-month injury,” McDonald told SEN on Monday.

“I think it was his jumping foot as well – you lose a lot of confidence through that foot, launching at the footy.

“We noticed probably two or three weeks ago at training, he started really launching at the footy and took a few big marks … the next week he took a couple of hangers at training … all of a sudden he’s got five or six more where he’s just head or shoulders above the pack, and it’s like your brain just clicks, ‘Yep, my foot can do it again’.

“I think it was a mental thing … I don't think it was coaching or anything like that, it was just back him in – once he gets that first mark or that first contest where he’s feeling really confident, it will all come back for him, and that certainly happened.”

McDonald, 31, said his own foot and ankle injuries had restricted his agility and made it far easier physically for him to read the play from behind as a defender.

He said he expected to finish his career in the Demons’ backline, as he said Petty’s role at centre half-forward was the one that best suited his strengths.

“You could see the natural forward launching at the footy. Some guys don’t like to launch at the footy off one foot, which I think you sort of have to as a key forward, and that’s what he did really naturally,” McDonald said.

“It’s always been in him, it’s just the role he was playing was a different one which probably didn’t suit to his strengths of what he really can be.”

McDonald and Steven May kept Jeremy Cameron and Tom Hawkins goalless in the Saturday night clash while Jake Lever had a game-high 12 intercept possessions, but May was still caught on camera blowing up at his teammates during his side’s defensive masterclass.

“Steve sometimes gets more worked up than he realises, but he calms down when you try … I think the young boys, Rivers and McVee, don’t want to go back at him, but Jake (Lever) will go back at him,” McDonald said.

“I think he just blows up for five seconds and then he calms down, and Jake’s probably the voice of reason sometimes.

“You sort of need that as well because that’s how he gets that competitive edge to go against the best guys every week.”