Connor MacDonald Biography

Hawthorn defends its handling of the arrest of Dylan Moore and Connor Macdonald, despite the off-field drama casting a shadow over the Hawks' crunch match against Essendon.

The two men spent a night in an Arizona jail in November for alleged trespassing after climbing a scissor lift while out drinking.

"It was a current legal matter at that time and we didn't want to impact or impede those proceedings, so it was a really easy decision for us to make," McCartney said.

"We always knew that this had the ability to be a story, and I think we've managed that extremely well throughout the process.''

Dylan Moore and Connor Macdonald spent a night in jail in Phoenix after trespassing and climbing onto a scissor lift, with the two still to appear in court over the incident.

"It's something that I'll always regret. A foolish mistake has led to a night in a jail cell and many regrets," Moore said.

"I was vice-captain at the time, and I should have recognised the situation and known the situation and consequences, and risks.

"Having Connor there with me, as an older player, I should know (better). I feel like I've let the leaders down and Connor down."

Connor MacDonald makes his AFL debut for Hawthorn at the MCG with 16 disposals (5 kicks and 11 handballs), 3 marks and a tackle in a 20-point win over North Melbourne.

Hawthorn select Connor MacDonald with pick No.26 in the 2021 National Draft.

Draft Report: A prolific onballer, MacDonald played in only four NAB League games this season but finished third in the competition for average ranking points among players who featured in at least two games. He rated elite for disposals, contested possessions, marks, goals and score involvements and didn't have fewer than 24 touches across the four matches. MacDonald's stoppage craft is lauded and his ability to read taps off the ruckmen's hands sets him apart with his clearance game. But he has also developed a strong outside game, has good speed and runs hard both ways. For both the Stingrays and Vic Country he has been used as a link-up player coming out of defence, a testament to his strong work rate around the ground to provide an option. MacDonald finished with the equal-most touches of any Vic Country player in its Challenge Match against Vic Metro in July, logging 25 disposals, six clearances, five marks and six inside-50s.