Five dropped catches during Bangladesh's first innings of 426 and an inability of the bowling attack, apart from paceman Josh Hazlewood, to build the same pressure the opposition's attack did were other factors in the nine-wicket thrashing.
"If you wanted to look at our fielding, there were some catches that went down," McDonald said.
"In our bowling there were periods where we weren't able to potentially control it as well as we could have. I don't think we want to be that team that says, 'that is the exact problem', because it is always a combination of things.
"There are three facets of the game.To single out the batting would be unfair ... but (less than) 500 runs in this game on that surface over two innings ... I think we are better than that."
Fast bowler Scott Boland, a consistent and outstanding performer at Test level, is in the 13-man squad and is an option to come into the side for the second Test which starts in Mackay on Saturday.
"With Scotty we all know how good he is so we will turn up there and take a look at the pitch and work out your best bowling group," captain Pat Cummins said.
"With someone like Scotty in the squad you are always trying to find a way to fit him in so we will see. All the bowlers pulled up pretty well."
Offspinner Nathan Lyon, in his first Test back from injury since he played in the Ashes in Adelaide, returned match figures of 1-125 and did not trouble the batters, but McDonald said Bangladesh should take credit for that.
"I think he is incredibly important. They played him exceptionally well," he said.
"As a whole, their batting unit against our quicks played the ball late and they were very patient and disciplined and pounced when there was a scoring option when we gave too much width.
"There wasn't much in the surface for Nathan so it is very hard to judge a one-off sample size."
Allrounder Cameron Green, who made a brilliant 104 in the second innings, is the only member of the side under 30. McDonald said the age profile of the team was "always going to be a conversation", particularly after a loss.
"These players have got a fair bit of cricket left in them, I believe. It is how we navigate through it," he said.
McDonald said it was "an incredible achievement" by Hazlewood to become the ninth Australian bowler to take 300 Test wickets, courtesy of his 6-89 in the first innings, after playing his first Test in more than a year due to injury.
Australia have been heavily criticised for a loss that ranks among their worst but McDonald said a kneejerk reaction would not happen.
"I don't think it is going to be, 'we have lost this Test match so immediately we shift things'," McDonald said.
"We are not emotional around change. If change was to be a part of it, then it would be us deciding the team would be better with someone else in there.
"I think that goes for the bowling as well. The bowling is a little bit different in that the majority of the time (personnel change) is conditions-based and there is a physicality potentially to what they do, more so than a batting unit."
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