Logan McDonald undeterred after two costly missed set shots in round 16, 17 losses

Logan McDonald has had games on his boot two weeks running and missed twice. But if another opportunity presents to be Sydney’s matchwinner, he won’t shy away. LACHLAN MCKIRDY finds out why.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JULY 07: Logan McDonald and Tom Papley of the Swans react following the round 17 AFL match between St Kilda Saints and Sydney Swans at Marvel Stadium, on July 07, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Earlier this season, well before the Swans went on their 10-game winning streak to announce themselves as premiership favourites in 2024, six of their players sat around a table for lunch.

James Rowbottom, Errol Gulden, Ollie Florent, Will Hayward and Logan McDonald were joined by club captain Callum Mills for an open and honest conversation about their futures.

Aside from Mills, each of the players was off-contract at the end of this season. For most, big-money moves were on the table if they wanted to leave the comfort they had found in Sydney.

While it’s clear who didn’t put their card on the table to foot the bill, in that hour or so the foundations of the club’s future were all but locked in. One by one, they would sign on the dotted line with McDonald the final player to agree to terms last week.

McDonald’s new contract with the Swans will take him through to the end of 2028. Picture: Brett Costello

“Errol wouldn’t shout if a shark bit him,” McDonald joked.

“I think Millsy organised that lunch and it was great to get some things out on the table that we were probably all thinking.

“We had that lunch a few months ago and we spoke about how special we think this group of players is and how important it would be for us to stay together because of the things we think we could achieve as a team and individually.

“It’s not only the boys showing their commitment to the club, but the club’s faith in us that they trust us to help take the club forward and win games of footy.

“You need things to align to get a deal completed. For me, I think it was valuing success. I think Sydney is the best place that I’m going to be able to get that. They’re gonna help me develop into the type of player that I want to be, and it’s hard to turn your back on that.”

The past fortnight has been the biggest of McDonald’s career. His four-year deal was undeniably the high point, spurning reported interest from Collingwood and Fremantle to commit his future to the Swans.

But at the other end of the spectrum, the 22-year-old has had to deal with the heartache that footy can throw at you.

In two consecutive weeks, McDonald has had a chance to be the matchwinner for his team. Against Fremantle, his kick after the siren sprayed wide and he was left on his haunches following the one-point defeat. He had another chance against St Kilda eight days later with a minute to go in the final term, but his shot just floated to the wrong side of the post.

The 22-year-old has the toughest fortnight of his career after missing opportunities to win the match for the Swans two weeks in a row. Picture: Brett Costello

“Obviously I was a bit disappointed in myself,” McDonald said.

“I’ve been dreaming of those moments since I was four years old in the backyard of having shots to win the game and I do feel I’ve let myself down and the team down on those two occasions.”

Many players go their whole career without the opportunity to have the result of a game sitting on their boot. No amount of training can prepare you for the pressure of that moment.

But the young key forward has taken it all in his stride. Rather than shy away from getting the ball in his hands, he’d love nothing more than to be lining up for goal after the siren once more. He just hopes it’s not as soon as this weekend.

Logan McDonald for the second week in a row had the chance to win the game for the Swans 😱

📺 Watch #AFLSaintsSwans LIVE on ch. 503 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/aWH9vcIkSA
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🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/UuOIYTZ0NPpic.twitter.com/XC5k33a0Gi

— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) July 7, 2024

Logan McDonald doesn't score from long range Sydney vs Fremantle multi-call (AFL NATION/ABC/MMM) pic.twitter.com/JSIvtcTBTz

— Lace out (@laceoutofficial) June 29, 2024

“I’m going to keep trying to put myself in the position to have the ball in those big moments and just keep trying to kick the next one,” McDonald said.

“I’d like to say it’ll be better for me in the long run, make me more resilient and keep building me as a footballer and a person. But those lessons would definitely be easier to learn if I’d kicked both of them.

“I’m so grateful for everyone at the club backing me in and having that confidence in me to trust me with the ball in those situations. It’s just up to me to make sure that I kick it next time.

“I’ve been working really hard in doing that at training. It’s been one of the strengths of my game in the past, and I’ve let myself down over the past few weeks. So I’ll just get back to that and keep looking for those moments

“Next time we’re in a position like that, I’ll still want the ball to be the one to kick the winning goal. Hopefully, it’s not this weekend and we’re up by a bit more than a couple of points, but I think that’s the beauty of footy, there’s always next week.”

McDonald is determined to be the Swans’ man for the big occasion and can’t wait to have an opportunity to kick the matchwinner again. Picture: Brendon Thorne/AFL Photos/Getty Images

Regardless of that final minute, the Saints game could prove an important turning point for McDonald’s season. It was his most dominant performance in months and was the first time he had kicked multiple goals since round eight.

Now free of the shackles of contract speculation, he knows his best footy is ahead of him. And he’s hoping to finish the year in a flourish and get the first taste of success that they dreamt of around that lunch many months ago.

“It can become a bit of a circus coming out of contract, and it was probably something that started to weigh me down towards the back end of it,” McDonald said.

“I was always very happy in Sydney and wanted to stay, it was just making sure things lined up.

“I probably felt a lot freer out there and was just playing on instinct now that I had the deal done. I could focus on playing footy again and it was probably the best game I played in a month or so. It was great to just get my hands on the footy and get involved.

“For me, it’s just getting back to consistent footy. I probably had a quiet month so I want to play the type of footy I know that I can.

“It’s building synergy and connection as a forward-line group, contributing to that and kicking a score for the team that can help win games ahead of finals.”

Originally published as Logan McDonald undeterred after two costly missed set shots in round 16, 17 losses