McLean debuted for Melbourne in 2004, showing instant maturity and decision making ability quickly. He also became one of the most consistent midfielders in the side. A supergoal in the NAB Cup signalled McLean would be a force in the AFL, finishing the season with nine games. In his second year, McLean finished fourth in the 2005 AFL Rising Star. He finished with 20 games for the year and polled an impressive nine Brownlow Medal votes in just his second year of football. McLean's 2006 season was interrupted by leg and hamstring injuries, but when playing he had immediate impact and was sorely missed when not available for selection. McLean started the 2007 season in the worst possible way, sustaining a serious foot injury in round one, playing against St Kilda. The injury kept him out of the majority of the first half of the season. In this period, Melbourne proceeded to lose its first nine games. Once returning to the field, McLean again managed to gather numerous possessions. McLean injured ligaments in his ankle in a tackle during Melbourne's Round 14 match against Brisbane in 2008. Although McLean returned to the field later in the match, it was later declared that he would require surgery, ending his season. Although McLean finished the season with only 14 games, he ran a close second in Melbourne's best and fairest.
Carlton
At the end of the 2009 season, McLean was traded to the Carlton Football Club in exchange for its first round selection in the 2009 National Draft. McLean had requested to be traded, and he revealed in an interview in 2012 that his primary reason was that he did not enjoy what he saw as a losing culture at Melbourne – particularly towards the end of the 2009 season, a time when Melbourne was perceived by football journalists to have tanked in order to secure a priority draft pick. McLean made his debut for Carlton in the first round of 2010, but niggling injuries and knee surgery restricted McLean's playing time for the rest of 2010. He was healthy throughout 2011, but played the majority of the season for Carlton's, the Northern Bullants. He played a total of nineteen games for the Bullants through the season, and won the Laurie Hill Trophy as best and fairest. Despite this good form at VFL level, he could not gain regular selection for Carlton, playing only four AFL matches for the year. After playing only eleven games in his first two and a half years at Carlton, McLean gained regular selection at Carlton after Round 9, 2012, and played every match for the rest of the season, ultimately finishing fourth in the best and fairest. McLean was delisted at the conclusion of the 2014 AFL season. He returned to play senior football at his junior club Aberfeldie from 2015.
