NORTH Melbourne football chief Donald McDonald's son, Luke, must make a big decision about his highly promising football future later this year.

McDonald, 17, is one of the best junior footballers nationally. He won Vic Metro's most valuable player award at last year's NAB AFL Under-16 Championships, is a member of the elite AIS-AFL Academy level-one squad and has been outstanding as an underage TAC Cup player with the Oakleigh Chargers this season.

McDonald is eligible to join North under the father-son rule at next year's NAB AFL Draft given key forward/ruckman Donald played 155 games for the Kangaroos from 1982-92.

But he is also among the group of players born between January 1 and April 30, 1995, who can nominate for this year's Greater Western Sydney mini-draft, in which the Giants can effectively trade two players to the highest bidders.

McDonald has until August 1 this year to nominate for the mini-draft, which will take place on October 26.

And North will not be the only club eagerly awaiting his decision.

AFL.com.au understands Gold Coast, which is currently 17th on the ladder (just ahead of GWS), rates McDonald as the best player in the mini-draft pool. A Suns spokesman said it was inappropriate for the club to comment so far ahead of the mini-draft.

But AFL.com.au recently spoke with four long-time club recruiters about McDonald, all of whom were adamant the 187cm utility would be among the most sought-after players in the mini-draft if he nominated.

As much as players' form this season will help finalise the order of the mini-draft, one recruiter said McDonald was "clearly" in the top three players at the moment, while another that he was "right up there".

AFL national talent manager Kevin Sheehan said McDonald was among the six leading candidates to be taken in the mini-draft, along with fellow Victorian Joshua Kelly, West Australians Jack Martin and Jesse Hogan, and South Australians Luke Reynolds and Luke Dunstan.

What is it about McDonald that has recruiters so excited?

His versatility for starters: he can play midfield, across half-back and in the forward line.

He is also a penetrating and accurate left-foot kick, reads the play well, has a good mix of speed, agility and stamina (he ran the quickest 20m sprint among the AIS-AFL Academy level-one squad last November and tested third for agility and fourth in the beep test, 14.8) and works hard defensively.

Then there's his awareness.

"I reckon he's been caught with the ball once or twice in the three years that I've been watching him," one recruiter said.

It is understood North Melbourne recruiting manager Bryce Lewis and list manager Cameron Joyce have been regular spectators at McDonald's recent matches, while senior coach Brad Scott and McDonald snr watched him play for his school, Trinity Grammar, against Marcellin College last weekend in the AGSV competition.

The Kangaroos could follow the lead set by Melbourne and Essendon with respective father-son candidates Jack Viney and Joe Daniher and commit to McDonald ahead of the mini-draft.

Both Viney and Daniher were eligible for last year's GWS mini-draft, but Melbourne committed to taking Viney (the son of 233-game Demon midfielder and current player development and strategy manager Todd) in this year's Draft back in November 2010. Just one month later, the Bombers committed to taking Daniher (the son of 118-game Essendon defender Anthony, who also played 115 games with the Sydney Swans).

Most of the recruiters AFL.com.au spoke to thought it was likely McDonald would be running around in a North jumper from 2013.

"North aren't going to let him slip through their hands," one recruiter said.

"There's absolutely no chance. The kid's a gun."

Nick Bowen covers North Melbourne news for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter @AFL_Nick

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL