[1] Lying about his age, McDonald enlisted in the Australian Army during World War II as a sixteen year old.
He served for two years in the Northern Territory before transferring to the Australian Parachuting Training Centre in December 1944, qualifying after two months, and then returning to active duties.
[8][9] A noted sprinter,[10] McDonald ran second in the (Monday, 14 April 1952) final of the 1952 Stawell Gift to his Essendon Football Club teammate, Lance Mann;[11] and, two days later (Wednesday, 14 April 1952) he, once again, ran second to Mann — in the final of the Bendigo Easter Gift.
Essendon's then chief executive Peter Jackson released the following statement on hearing of his passing: Norm McDonald contributed in a number of ways both on and off the field.
[17] In 2018, he was inducted into the Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll in recognition of his pioneering efforts for greater inclusion of Indigenous people in Australian Rules, especially in Victoria, as well as his contribution to his community for his fight against oppression and racism.