Footy Prophet will be NMFC.com.au's AFL Fantasy gurus for 2014. You can follow the team on Twitter and Facebook.

It would be an understatement to say that both North Melbourne fans and fantasy coaches alike are excited to see Luke McDonald in action.

With his father Donald having played 155 games and booting 165 goals for the Kangaroos as a ruckman-forward in the 1980s, McDonald was able to join the club as a father-son selection at pick 8 in the 2013 AFL Draft. Many recruiters across the country agree that he would have gone in the top 5, if not locked away by Brad Scott and the Kangaroos.

Luke is in a different mould to his father as a player. He’s a half-back/midfielder, showing similar attributes to modern greats of the game such as Luke Hodge and Brett Deledio. He knows how to win his own ball, has a supremely accurate kick, and most importantly has that competitive never-say-die attitude that North Melbourne so highly prizes.

As a fantasy player McDonald looks likely to provide great value over the length of his career. At a price of only $243,900 as a defender-midfielder in AFL Fantasy Classic, he will be a great selection if he can crack into North’s best side.

McDonald was one of only two top-10 draftees to be eligible as a defender in AFL Fantasy this year, joined by Collingwood’s Matthew Scharenberg.

While Scharenberg is also a highly-rated talent, he has suffered pre-season setbacks with injury which make him unlikely to feature heavily in 2014.
Luke definitely has the edge over Scharenberg as a defensive cash-maker this year.

One of the biggest assets McDonald has coming into his debut year is his preparation for becoming an AFL footballer. He has already completed two of North Melbourne’s Utah training trips, and spent a year against mature opponents at VFL level in 2013 where he shone, especially in Werribee’s finals campaign.

This preparation gives the youngster an edge over his fellow top 10 draftees as he approaches 2014, with the rest having had only a taste of senior football. McDonald’s closest competitor in terms of senior experience is Brisbane’s James Aish, who has two seasons in the SANFL under his belt, both of them resulting senior premierships.

All things considered McDonald looks set to make an impact for North right from the start, and should also be valuable for Fantasy Classic teams. He could score well enough to be worth a look in AFL Fantasy Elite, too.

In the draft formats, there’s no other top-10 draftee that rivals him for value. With defensive eligibility and a real chance to play early in the season, he’s something of a safe bet with real upside. Footy Prophet’s draft rankings currently have him higher than anyone else in his draft class, which is impressive considering the likes of Jack Billings (St Kilda), Kade Kolodjashnij (Gold Coast) and Tom Boyd (GWS) were also top selections.

In the Footy Prophet Expert League draft earlier this week, McDonald was drafted at pick 166 overall – the first of all the 2013 draftees, and one of only three to be selected.

The really exciting topic with Luke, however, is what the future holds. He has all the attributes required of a superstar-to-be, both for North Melbourne and our fantasy footy teams. Pick from the start of the year in Classic, and watch him rack up the points and generate some cash.

2013 top 10 draftees (AFL Fantasy Classic price)

1. Tom Boyd, GWS ($262,900)
2. Josh Kelly, GWS ($260,200)
3. Jack Billings, St Kilda ($257,400)
4. Marcus Bontempelli, Western Bulldogs ($254,700)
5. Kade Kolodjashnij, Gold Coast ($252,000)
6. Matthew Sharenberg, Collingwood ($249,300)
7. James Aish, Brisbane ($246,600)
8. Luke McDonald, North Melbourne ($243,900)
9. Christian Salem, Melbourne ($241,200)
10. Nathan Freeman, Collingwood ($238,500)