McCalman attended the Kinross Wolaroi School in Orange. In 2005 and 2006 he made the Australian Schools selection. McCalman then furthered his education at Sydney University. He made his Western Force and Wallabies debuts in 2010 and was a part of the Australian 2011 Rugby World Cup campaign.
In 2015, McCalman signed a three-year flexible contract with the Australian Rugby Union, becoming just the second player to sign a flexible contract. The new deal allows him to play the 2015–16 season in Japan's Top League, whilst remaining with the Western Force until the end of the 2018 season.[3]