John McDonald (rugby league)

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John McDonald (rugby league) - Wikipedia

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John McDonald
AM

Personal information

Born

24 April 1944
Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia

Died

13 September 2023 (aged 79)

Playing information

Position

Centre, Wing

Club
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1960–68	Valleys (Toowoomba)
1969–71	Manly-Warringah	66	30	2	1	96
	Total	66	30	2	1	96
Representative
Years	Team	Pld	T	G	FG	P
1965–68	Queensland	9	2	0	0	6
1969–70	New South Wales	3	0	1	0	2
1966–70	Australia	13	5	9	0	33

Coaching information

Club
Years	Team	Gms	W	D	L	W%
	Toowoomba
Representative
Years	Team	Gms	W	D	L	W%
1979–80	Queensland

Source: ^[1]

John McDonald AM (24 April 1944 – 13 September 2023) was an Australian rugby league footballer, coach and administrator.^[2]

Career

A tall three-quarter back, he played club football in Toowoomba, representing Queensland ten times and also gaining selection for the Australian test team.^[3] In 1969, McDonald moved south, playing in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership with the Manly-Warringah club. After playing for his adopted state, he toured New Zealand as Australian vice-captain. He went on to captain Manly from the flank in the club's grand final loss to South Sydney in the 1970 NSWRFL season.^[4]

McDonald returned to Queensland after three seasons with the Sea Eagles to captain-coach Toowoomba and was elected president of the club after his retirement. He also coached Queensland in the late 1970s and was coach of the Maroons' first State of Origin team in 1980. By the end of the decade, he had progressed to the position of President of the Queensland Rugby League (QRL) and, in 1998, joined the National Rugby League Executive Committee and was named Chairman of the QRL and Australian Rugby League Board of Directors. That year, he was also named "Sport Administrator of the Year" at the Queensland Sport Awards.^[5]

McDonald was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours.^[6] In 2008, rugby league in Australia's centenary year, McDonald was named at centre in the Toowoomba and South West Team of the Century.^[7] 2016 saw him inducted into Queensland Sport Hall of Fame.^[8]

Personal life and death

His son Geoff McDonald is currently serving as Mayor of the Toowoomba Region. McDonald died on 13 September 2023, at the age of 79.^[8]

References

^ John McDonald at rugbyleagueproject.com
^ Press Release (22 January 2007). "John McDonald anointed as a QRL Life Member". QRL. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
^ Queensland Representative Players Archived 1 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine at qrl.com.au
^ John McDonald at yesterdayshero.com.au Archived 22 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Queensland Sport Awards Winners 1995-2008" (PDF). qsport.org.au. QSport. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 November 2009. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
^ "Mr John Norman McDonald". Australian Honours Search Facility. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
^ "South West names Formidable Team". South West Division. SportingPulse. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
^ ^a ^b Vale: John McDonald - Sea Eagle #193

Sporting positions
Preceded by Barry Muir 1974–1978	Coach Queensland 1979–1980	Succeeded by Arthur Beetson 1981–1984

External links

John McDonald at nrlstats.com

1967–68 Kangaroo Tour squad

v t e Queensland Maroons Inaugural State of Origin team
1. Colin Scott 2. Kerry Boustead 3. Mal Meninga 4. Chris Close 5. Brad Backer 6. Alan Smith 7. Greg Oliphant 8. Wally Lewis 9. Rod Reddy 10. Rohan Hancock 11. Arthur Beetson (c) 12. John Lang 13. Rod Morris 14. Norm Carr 15. Bruce Astill Coach: John McDonald

v t e Queensland State of Origin coaches
1980 John MacDonald 1981-1984 Arthur Beetson 1985 Des Morris 1986-1988 Wayne Bennett 1989-1990 Arthur Beetson 1991-1992 Graham Lowe 1993-1994 Wally Lewis 1995-1997 Paul Vautin 1998 Wayne Bennett 1999-2000 Mark Murray 2001-2003 Wayne Bennett 2004-2005 Michael Hagan 2006-2015 Mal Meninga 2016-2019 Kevin Walters 2020 Wayne Bennett 2021 Paul Green 2022 Billy Slater

v t e Toowoomba and South West Rugby League Team of the Century (1908–2007)
1. Darren Lockyer 2. Des McGovern 3. Tom Gorman 4. John McDonald 5. Michael Hancock 6. Bob Banks 7. Duncan Thompson (Ca./Co.) 8. Herb Steinohrt 9. Dan Dempsey 10. Mick Madsen 11. Arthur Beetson 12. Duncan Hall 13. Elton Rasmussen 14. Ian "Ripper" Doyle 15. Vic Armbruster 16. John Gleeson 17. Pat McMahon