James McDonald Biography

GWS assistant coach James McDonald will switch from football to agribusiness next year.

The former Melbourne champion has told the Giants he will finish with the club at the end of the 2014 season.

McDonald told the club he wanted to pursue a change of career in agribusiness and step away from football.

"It's been an honour to be part of this club as a player and a coach. It's been a great opportunity for myself and my family and one of the most satisfying things I have done in football," McDonald said.

"I want to thank the Giants for giving me the chance to continue my football career and wish everyone associated with the club every success for the future.

"I have no doubt the club has a very bright future and I will follow its progress with a lot of interest."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott has been handed a suspended $5000 fine for his tirade at Giant James McDonald last weekend.

"I understand that as a senior coach it is important to set the right example on the field," Scott said in a statement issued by the club.

"I will always defend my players, but acknowledge the manner in which I approached James McDonald during a break in play on the weekend in Sydney was unacceptable in the circumstances."

Giants veteran James McDonald has retired after 264 AFL games, but defender Chad Cornes will play on in 2013.

"James' experience, leadership and on-field presence have been invaluable to our young playing group and he has shown everyone that he still had good football left in him," general football manager Graeme Allan said.

"We now look forward to him becoming a full-time assistant coach next year and further developing our young playing list."

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott verbally abuses James McDonald after the Giants veteran crashed heavily into the back of young Roo defender Jamie Macmillan but says he is unrepentant about it.

" I'll never apologise for defending my players. I'll go into bat for them 100 per cent of the time," Scott said.

"I was disappointed in what happened. I was disappointed in the response and my default setting is always to defend my players."

Ahead of the Demons' match against GWS, Melbourne president Don McLardy acknowledges former captain James McDonald's contribution to the club but fails to find similar praise for Tom Scully.

"GWS do have a couple of players out there who know a bit about the MCG. They used to run around wearing the red and blue. Most notable is our former captain James McDonald who is a great servant of our footy club," McLardy said.

"I touched base with James yesterday and I wished him all the best for his first game against the team he represented so magnificently for 200 games."

Swan Luke Parker could miss up to three weeks after suffering a fractured jaw in a clash with Giant James McDonald.

"Luke has got a hair-line crack in his jawbone, so he is going to be out now for probably two to three weeks," Swans physiotherapist Matt Cameron said.

"There will be no surgery required for Luke, it's not displaced, and it's not a large fracture."

James McDonald, a former member of the league's Match Review Panel prior to joining GWS, becomes the first player in 2012 to be scrutinised after his hit on Sydney's Luke Parker in the opening match for the year.

GWS player-assistant coach James McDonald says he is confident his body will hold up as a player despite having been out of the game for a year.

"People might question if I will be able to cope with coming back into the game but I am confident in my own body," he said.

"Of course there are some unknowns, but when I finished up at Melbourne I didn't need any surgery and I've maintained my fitness."

Former Melbourne skipper James McDonald will come out of retirement and re-ignite his career at Greater Western Sydney next season.

"This is certainly a unique opportunity for me to work with the newest club in the AFL and also a very exciting group of young, talented players," McDonald said.

"There's a lot that I can offer this group from my experience at Melbourne working with a young list. I think it's a smart move by the Giants to use a player like me to provide direction both on and off the ground."

Melbourne captain James McDonald will retire from AFL football at the end of the season after coming to a mutual decision with the club to call an end to his career.

"My time's come to an end at the Melbourne Football Club and it sits comfortably with me now," McDonald said.

"It has been a fantastic opportunity for me. When I first started out I didn't think I'd end up captaining the club and to be able to do that has been an honour for me. It has been a fantastic life experience for me to spend so many years here at the Melbourne Football Club."

Melbourne players vote for James McDonald to continue as Melbourne captain in 2010.

"It's a huge honour to be the captain of the Melbourne Football Club," McDonald said.

"The last three years we have been through a bit of pain, but we can really see some improvement coming through in the younger players. They learned a lot about playing together last season and we're really optimistic and excited about the year ahead."

Melbourne players have vowed to take inspiration from Jim Stynes' cancer battle on to the playing field.

"Every one of us has to step up now and take a bit of Jimmy with us," captain James McDonald said.

"He's given so much to this footy club, and he has a big challenge now. We also have to stand up to the challenge."

Demon Brock McLean says with his personal life in order he can now go on and captain the club.

"With the leadership group and the way the club has evolved over the past few years in terms of the leadership group and our leadership system, I think I'm heading in the right direction," McLean told One HD's One Week at a Time.

"If I'm the right person for the job, whenever 'Junior' (McDonald) steps down or decides that he doesn't want it, then I would love to do it."

Melbourne skipper James McDonald has withdrawn from the Demons' side to play Port Adelaide on Sunday with a hamstring injury.

Skipper James McDonald has backed embattled teammate Colin Sylvia, despite recent off-field indiscretions.

James McDonald has been announced as Melbourne's 40th captain.

Melbourne is set to announce James McDonald as its new captain.

James McDonald and Cameron Bruce are named as co-captains of Melbourne after skipper David Neitz is sidelined for eight weeks due to a serious neck injury.

Neitz is expected to return towards the end of the season where he will play his final matches before retiring.