WHEN football across the country was suspended earlier this year due to the initial outbreak of COVID-19, draft hopeful Logan McDonald didn't take it as a time to slow down.
The West Australian ley forward prospect – and now potential No.1 pick this year – used the period to get moving.
McDonald, who has booted 20 goals from seven WAFL games for Perth this year to stake his claim amongst the best teenagers available in this year's NAB AFL Draft crop, got to work, tracking one of the competition's champion goalkickers to ensure he was up to speed for when games returned.
"A good family friend of ours, Jaymie Graham, he works at the Eagles and got me Josh Kennedy's forward program which I was doing pretty much every second day and that was really tough work," McDonald told AFL.com.au's Road to the Draft podcast.
"That extra work did on my marking and my running really held me in good stead for when that break did end and we could start playing footy again."
The 196cm Perth product impressed in the practice matches and has kicked multiple goals in all of his senior appearances since the home and away season started.
He kicked three goals last week in between a tight battle with fellow possible top-five pick Denver Grainger-Barras, and has impressed across the year with his work ethic, athleticism, goalkicking and marking.
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The 18-year-old has modelled his game on former St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt, and also enjoys watching emerging key forward pair Ben and Max King at their respective clubs.
McDonald's form in a reduced season, as well as a large portion of the draft pool not playing this year in Victoria, has seen his stocks rocket. As the best performed prospect of the season, plus his showings against senior competition, McDonald has become a contender for the top choice this year.
Adelaide, North Melbourne, Hawthorn and Sydney currently hold the top-four selections at this year's draft and McDonald said the increased attention in the lead-up to the draft had been an adjustment.
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"You try not to think about it not too much. It's always going to be there, people are always going to talk about you and you're going to see it, but it's something I try to ignore," he said.
"It's a good thing if people are talking about you and I'm someone who loves pressure and love to put myself in situations that are challenging.
"I love the added pressure that comes with that and I want to go as high as I can in the draft and hopefully I'm going the right way about that."
West Australian prospects will test at their NAB AFL Draft Combine on Wednesday, September 30 before having two All Star matches on October 10 and 17.
