Talent pool a giant danger

NORTH Melbourne utility Luke McDonald jokes star forward Ben Brown receives special treatment on returning to his home state, Tasmania.

“He is pretty much the king of Hobart,” McDonald said ahead of today’s game against the GWS Giants at Blundstone Arena.

“We have to get on the team bus and he gets his own limo.

“It is good for the connection for us and Hobart to have Browny, who is actually born and bred Tasmanian and he absolutely loves it.”

But McDonald was in no joking mood when he described today’s opponent.

He said the Giants may be hit by injury, but that does not mean they are any less of a formidable foe.

“The reality is the Giants are a really talented outfit, they lose one first-round draft pick and another one just strolls in,” he said.

“They have got a lot of tal- being able to play in any section of the ground.

His development was highlighted by his first top-five best and fairest finish last season.

But he said this season was far more enjoyable than last, with the Roos competitive in every game and sitting just outside the eight — unlike last year where they finished 15th.

One of the main reasons for their surge has been the return of arguably the game’s No. 1 tagger — Ben Jacobs.

With the Giants boasting the likes of Stephen Coniglio, Dylan Shiel and Callan Ward, McDonald said Jacobs would have plenty of targets.

“There’s always a bit of fanfare in the media who he will go to and I think a lot of Giants players are hoping he doesn’t go to them,” McDonald said.

“I’m not sure who he will go to. But it’s funny you can reel off a few players who he could possibly go to, that’s how talented they are.

“He’s got his hands full no matter where he goes.”