This week Stephen McDonald plays his 300th senior game for the Lilydale Football Club against South Croydon. Stephen holds the club record for the most games which he achieved on 19th July 2013 exactly 12 months ago also against South Croydon and also in front of his home crowd when he broke Warren Cruse’s record of 281 games recorded in the 2009 season. He will now be eligible for life membership of the EFL.
Macca has played his whole football career with the Lilydale Football Club. He commenced playing in the midgets or Under 10s at age 9 way back in 1988 and finished his junior career in 1984 in the Under 16s when the team were runners up under the coaching of Gerry Toohey. He has played throughout his career with great mates including Sean Toohey, Lucas Skelton, Chris Goodlet, Garret Dobson and Jamie Cruickshank. Jamie will play in the same side with Macca this week as he achieves the 300 game milestone. He played in the Under 18s in 1995-96 finishing fourth in the best and fairest in 1996 with 28 votes winning the most determined award. He then graduated to the seniors in 1997 playing 17 games. He is of course the only Lilydale player to achieve the milestone. We wonder how many more games he will add.
Except for a break during 2001 when he travelled overseas, Macca has not missed a season playing with the Falcons. He has since clocked up another 282 senior games to put him on the threshold of his 300th game with the Falcons. Macca has won many accolades and achieved many milestones along the way. When he was in the Under 16s he played with the Carlton Football Club along with Sean Toohey. Macca played his 150th game in 2006 when great mates Jamie Cruickshank and Lucas Skelton also played their 150th senior games with the club. He completed the Kokoda Trail trek with 14 other Lilydale Football Club stalwarts in October 2007 including Sean, Jamie and Lucas. He has earned such prestigious awards such as the best team man and most disciplined on several occasions throughout his illustrious playing career at the Lilydale Football Club.
Stephen played his 200th game in 2008 and his 250th game in Round 15 of the 2011 season during which he also celebrated one of three premierships he has achieved with the Dales the others being in 1998 and 2003. In 2008 he was also awarded life membership for playing his 200th senior game.
From a personal perspective Stephen reckons the person who has influenced his career the most is his mother who took him to the football all through those junior years and still comes to watch him play now. The best footballer he has played with is Peter Skewes for the courage he displayed on the football field. He has stayed with Lilydale because you get to play footy with great blokes and the majority of Lilydale recruits are mates of current players who come to play for the right reasons not just for the money.
The President, Committee, sponsors and supporters of the Lilydale Football Club salute Stephen McDonald and congratulate him on playing 300 senior games with the Falcons. Macca has been a real monument to the game and a true blue and gold player who epitomises what loyalty and sportsmanship are all about. This is a most deserving and popular milestone set by one of the true gentlemen of the game. Well done Macca.