The Herald Sun’s Gilbert Gardiner has provided a fascinating insight into the pre-seasons of two players at opposite ends of the spectrum; Brent Harvey in his 19th pre-season and the man who’d admired him for so long before becoming his new team-mate – draftee Luke McDonald.

Recap: Part 1

Check out some of the best bits from Part 2 below:

The coach and the debutant
Coach Brad Scott had a simple message for first-round pick Luke McDonald before his first match as a North Melbourne player.

"Brad said: 'If you’re going to make a mistake, make a mistake not holding on the edge, just go in all out'," McDonald said in the rooms after his pre-season debut.

Just 12 weeks into life as an AFL player, McDonald made a seamless transition from being relaxed in the rooms with teammates to "switched on" at the first bounce.

It unraveled from there as McDonald went from excited to exhausted in the first five minutes as NAB Challenge opponent Carlton set a frenetic pace at Eureka Stadium.

"The first five minutes was just crazy … I was pretty cooked.

"As the game got on I was a bit more composed – used the ball a bit better – and I suppose used the little time that I did have."

Father and son
The McDonalds were among the 9000-odd people at Eureka Stadium watching North Melbourne and Carlton do battle.

"We were probably more nervous than what he was ... there's no doubt that he'd be nervous, like any bloke would be before a game but it's not like he was all over the shop, he was pretty composed," Donald said.

"We talk footy but it's not about his game ... I remember when I played my dad always wanted to tell me how I should be playing and I'd say, 'Dad, I've got a coach, he tells me how to play'.”

Earning respect
Harvey: “I thought he (McDonald) was fantastic first up. He looked like he has been playing for about three years.

"He read the play well and gave us a good amount of run out of defence."

Pain and perspective
Harvey is a hardened competitor who hates to lose.

"When we lose by a couple of points, or we just lose in general, I come home and I’ve got the shits for a couple of hours.

"But the kids (Cooper 9, Lacie 7, Hudson 2) put it in perspective now … sometimes they don’t even know the score (when I get home), they’re still smiling."

A wealth of knowledge
Striving to make an impact in his debut season, McDonald has turned to a former Collingwood great and premiership defender to fast-track his development.

Assistant coach Gavin Brown, an AFL Hall of Fame inductee and former Magpies captain, joined North Melbourne during the off-season.

"I’ve tried to attach myself a bit to him.

"He’s obviously a champion of the game, he’s got a wealth of knowledge and I’ve tried to tap into that."

McDonald staying grounded
The harsh reality is good players miss out in good teams.

"I've been trying to put my case forward to get a game all year so it’s not really just this time of year I’m going to try harder.

"I’m just working on the advice the coaches are giving me and the areas I need to work on to get a game.

"There’s obviously a lot of competition."