Luke McDonald fulfilled a lifelong dream when he was drafted to North in November, but simply being a squad member isn't enough for the 19-year-old.

For the highly-touted father-son selection, the words of his father were ringing in his ears right up until his debut in Round 1.

"He's (Donald) always reminded me, even when I got drafted, it's one thing to get drafted, it's another thing to play AFL," McDonald told AAP.

Even donning the royal blue and white didn’t satisfy the youngster.

"It's good to get a game but you want to contribute to the team. That's something he's drilled in for a very long time."

McDonald says being ‘chucked in the deep end’ in the season-opener against the Bombers was a great learning experience, despite some nervous moments.

Lined up against veteran Paul Chapman, he admits it was a tough initiation.

"I didn't have a fantastic game. It was very disappointing. It was a long week after that, getting ready for the Western Bulldogs game.”

He wasn’t the only one; North had a forgettable start to the season and was heavily criticised in the lead-up to Round 2. But both McDonald and his team responded.

"It was extra motivation to get out there and have an impact. I think I've done that in the last couple of weeks.

"Now, after three games, I definitely feel very comfortable playing out there. I suppose I've just even tried to earn a bit of respect off the players and just get used to playing with them.

"I can start backing myself and going for kicks that I may not have gone for in the first couple of weeks."

Another challenge looms this week against an experienced Swans' lineup.

"We haven't beaten Sydney in Sydney for a long time," McDonald added.

"There's a lot riding on this game. It would be good to win a game interstate against such a good team."