TOM McDonald says it was important his contract and younger brother Oscar’s deal were separate and not joined together – even though it was announced on Wednesday night that they had both re-signed for a further two seasons each.

Speaking to Melbourne TV, Tom said as much as he loved playing in the same team as Oscar, it was important that their new contracts were not tied in together.

“It’s your own job and your own livelihood, so you can’t be saying ‘I need to do this for Oscar or he needs to do this for me’,” he said. 

“We have a great time playing together and living together, and all the benefits of that, but in the end, it’s your career.

“You make the decision for you and that’s the way we did it, but it’s worked out pretty well and we get another two years together.”

Tom said it was always a testing time going through a contract negotiation.

“People always said ‘what’s going on and what’s the news and what’s the story?’ You can’t really say anything to them like ‘I’m thinking this and thinking that’,” he said. 

“It’s more of a relief that it’s done and you can focus on footy and it’s all out of the way.

“Even in saying that, you don’t have a lot of input personally, because your manager and the club deals with it and you try and put it out of your mind.”

Tom said he relished his time at Melbourne, even though he had gone through some tough times early in his career.

“It wasn’t as though you hated being at the Melbourne Football Club a few years ago,” he said.

“We were struggling and things were pretty dire, but I’ve loved every minute of playing footy and playing for Melbourne and I still love every minute of it.

“Now that we’ve got a bit of a plan and we know where we’re going – I’m really looking forward to the future.”

Oscar said he was rapt to play at the highest level with his sibling.

“We only played one footy match together in under 14s, back at Edenhope,” he said.

“We weren’t together [at home] for about four years. He (Tom) was off at boarding school and then I was at boarding school and he was at Melbourne.

“So to spend time together with him – and not just living with him, but playing with him – has been great.”

Oscar said had lapped up every minute of being part of Melbourne’s backline this year.

“We just thrive off the energy within our group – me, Tom, Sam Frost, Hunty (Jayden Hunt) and Wags (Josh Wagner), so it’s been an unreal group,” he said.

Tom added: “We sometimes forget our back six has probably got less experience than Harry Taylor by himself for Geelong or someone like that. That sometimes comes into your thinking – there is a lot to come forward and you’ve got to remember these kids are doing the best they can at the stage they’re at.”

Meanwhile, Tom said coach Paul Roos had been pivotal in turning the club’s fortunes around and he was equally excited about playing under incoming coach Simon Goodwin.

“It’s been a total revamp and guys have got total faith in Goody to take over and the boys love him,” he said.

“I think he has a real good energy and a real good passion for the game and all of the guys at the club.

“I don’t think there are any worries at all from him taking over next year.”