Jock Macdonald began his playing days with Scottish amateur club Arden Villa before moving first to Second Division Ayr United and then signing for Blackburn Rovers for £90 in May 1903.

He only appeared once for Rovers' first-team over the next couple of years but he tried out for Leeds City against Barnsley in their last match of the 1904/05 campaign. According to Linesman in the Leeds Mercury, 'So favourable was the impression which he gave that he was immediately signed on.' Weeks later City were elected to the Second Division.

Macdonald played right-back in City's first Football League game when they lost to neighbours Bradford City on 2 September 1905. He was City's regular right-back until the arrival of David Murray from Liverpool in December, but from then on his appearances were rarer, though he managed 25 league and 6 Cup appearances that season.

In August 1906, he joined City's Second Division rivals Grimsby Town, moving on again the following year when he signed for Queens Park Rangers.

While with the Londoners, Macdonald won the Southern League title in 1908 and 1913 and played in two Charity Shield games in 1908 (when Rangers lost in a replay against Manchester United) and 1912 when Blackburn Rovers won 2-1.

He died in 1915.