McDonald will be in Utah when the rest of his friends gather on the Gold Coast, after the AFL granted him special leave to miss the Draft and start pre-season with the rest of the North Melbourne players.
For the first time in six-years, the four boys will be enemies after forming part of the same state sides since the under-12 Victorian team. Since that time, the families have shared a strong bond.
''There's going to be ups and downs and there will probably be more downs than up, no matter how good these kids end up becoming,'' Donald McDonald, Luke’s father told the Age’s Emma Quayle.
''There will be negativity and injuries and bad form and losing games. But the same time it's exciting because they're going to learn so much and meet so many people and get an opportunity not many kids their age get. They'll help each other through it and it will be good for the parents to lean on each other too.''
Letitia Billings said it all began when the families stayed at a caravan park in Sydney to watch the under-12 carnival.
''There's been so much happen,'' she told Quayle.
"For the boys it's been such a great journey. But it has been for us, too.''
Josh Kelly, like Luke, grew up with his Father playing football. Phil Kelly won two Sandover medals in Western Australia and played 61 games for the Kangaroos. If Phil had have played 39 more games for the Roos, Josh would have been eligible under the father/son rule. If it came down to the two, Luke knows who would have been picked first.
''Definitely Josh,'' he joked.
''I don't think they would have been in any rush to get me.''
Many expect Josh to be selected in the top 5.
''I think we've all always wanted to play in the AFL, even back in that under-12 team,'' Kelly said.
''We just didn't know how we'd get there. It's exciting to think that in a week or two we might be at a club.''
Battling a knee injury Jack Billings has already experienced the disappointment experienced by so many AFL footballers.
''It was frustrating because I could play, but I couldn't train or play how I wanted to…I was trying my hardest, but it still drove me a bit crazy.''
While the boys prepare for some big challenges in the years to come, their parents are also getting ready for some trying times.
''They're going to be boys one week and men the next,'' Tricia Kelly explained to Quayle.
''It won't be fun and games, it's going to be a hard, brutal world and for us it will be a bit different, too.
''You can't ring the club and say, 'I don't like how you're doing this, can you play him in a different spot, can you give him a week or two off'.
''Not that you would. But the clubs do take them, in a way. The boys are still going to rely on us for support, but I think they'll need our support in a different way. I think when they all start training they'll realise, 'I thought this would be hard, but actually it's really hard'.''
For Luke McDonald, he’s already been a part of the system for the past 12-months having spent one-day a week at North Melbourne training with the team and playing for the club’s VFL: affiliate Werribee.
“I’ve been pretty lucky to have been playing VFL all this year, so I think that has held me in pretty good stead,” he said.
“My goal is to play some AFL footy next year and I take encouragement from seeing guys like Taylor Garner go pretty well at the top level this year.
“I suppose I model my game on Luke Hodge, and if I end up half the player he is I would be pretty satisfied. Hopefully I’ll play half-back or on a wing.
“I’m not a big body like Jack Ziebell or (Ben) Cunnington who are in the midfield at the moment. Ultimately I want to be a midfielder, but think the first couple of years will be off half-back.”
