ASSISTANT coach Jade Rawlings says he isn’t surprised at all by the performances of defender/pinch-hitting ruckman-turned-forward Tom McDonald in attack.

McDonald has been outstanding in recent weeks, booting 18.4 for the season, including 11 in his past three outings.

The defensive coordinator said the leadership group member had worked tirelessly to improve his game in front of goal.   

“It doesn’t surprise me with Tom, because he’s always shown a great aptitude to work, which I think is a key element to being a key forward. He has been outstanding in what he’s done for the team, particularly in the past six to eight weeks,” Rawlings told melbournefc.com.au.  

“He’s always been a good mark, so combining those two attributes, with the way we play and I’ve seen him get progressively better week after week.

“He’s really invested into his own game, and in my experiences with Tom, when he’s fully invested in his performances and the team – he’s usually at his best. So, it’s not a surprise for me at all.”

Rawlings said it was hard to know if McDonald would become a permanent forward, revert to a defender or become a versatile tall in the future.

“I’m not really sure,” he said.

“Versatility has been critical in the setbacks and challenges we’ve had this year. We’ve been able to find versatility, which has been a real strength and a weapon for us.

“Equally, when you come across players who are having a major influence on games in a certain position – you’re reticent to make a change with that.

“We know what Tom can do as a forward now and we’re equally aware of what he can do down back and in the ruck.”

Rawlings added that several players had caught his eye at different stages this season. 

“Josh Wagner had his best game last Sunday, after not having such a great game against Sydney. Neville Jetta has demonstrated great consistency over the year and Clayton Oliver has taken his game to a new level,” he said. 

Reflecting on last Sunday’s eight-point win over Carlton at the MCG, Rawlings said it was an important game to secure.

“It was a good performance in the end. At varying stages of the game, we played to our capacity and at other times we were under a bit of pressure from Carlton,” he said.

“Overall, we were pleased with the resilience of the players once again. We’ve showed that plenty of times this year and to find a way to the result in the last quarter was very pleasing.”

Looking ahead to Saturday night’s clash against Adelaide at TIO Stadium, Rawlings said Melbourne would draw some experiences from its recent win over the Crows at Adelaide Oval in round eight.

“We had a good battle with Crows earlier in the year and they’ve been in some good form, as they’ve shown for most of this year,” he said.

“It was relatively recent, considering it was nine weeks ago, when we played them, so it’s got relevance. But there will be a handful of players from both sides that won’t be playing in this match. There are some variables in it, but recent form is a guide and it’s not going to define what happens in this game.

“We’re familiar with the Territory, and we put a good performance up in Darwin last year, so we think we’ve got a pretty good preparation of what’s required to go and perform in those conditions. It’s a home game for us and it’s another critical game in our season.”

Meanwhile, Rawlings, who is in the second year of his AFL level four coaching course, said he was gaining plenty of knowledge from the program.

“I’m in my second year and it’s going really well,” he said.

“I’ve got a couple more modules to go, but I’m finding it beneficial and enjoyable. I’ve got myself fully engaged and I’m trying to get as much experience and skills out of it to make me better.

“I’m really enjoying it.”