Poor old Nathan took a sickening blow, which he knew was coming, since he looked at the on-coming player a split second before he was crunched. It was lucky he didn't break his neck. He can be proud that he showed the courage to keep his head up and take what was coming.

What I want to know is this: did he fail to protect himself adequately? Or should he somehow have avoided the clash by not going for the mark, but knocking the ball on, ducking , then running on to pick it up?

Players like Bradley of Carlton played 300 games without ever having to face that situation. Was it just luck? Did he foresee that sort of situation and pull out before it looked like he squibbed it?

I'd love to see what Judd or Ablett would have done. Somehow I can't see them sacrificing themselves as Nathan did, yet I can't imagine them avoiding the contest.

I'm not criticising Wirra. He had a great chance to fairly flatten a guy, and showed no mercy. Mind you, if he had broken Jones's neck, it may have ruined his own career, like O'Keefe of Fitzroy with Neil Sachse.

That's the game. It happens. But I loved the way he threw himself into another tough posi when he came back on. Loved the "it's my ball and you will have to kill me if you want it" mentality.

there are players who look wat is coming and avoidcontact/protect themselfs

and there are the players who have only eyes for the ball they prob know there is a contest coming but no nothing about

Actually Wirra did not even try to hit Jones, He jumped and spoilt the ball, did not bring his shoulder or hip to bear, Jones just ran into him.

As for Bradley....... I can't remember him doing that, but nor do I remember him pulling out, maybe he did position himself so he would not have to, that I do not know.

Jones had to go and did, if Jones had noticed Wirra earlier (which I do not think he did) he should have jumped himself to try and chest mark and ant worst have leg across him self and his arms in front of him.

That's just the way it is in footy. Jones took his eyes off the ball for a split second, had he kept his eyes on the ball and even jumped, he wouldn't have got crunched the way he did. Brave all the same. A Joel Selwood wouldn't have taken his eyes off the ball and probably would have marked it, at the same time protecting himself a bit better.

It just comes down to which players have more footy nous.

Edited July 6, 200916 yr by High Tower

What rubbish.

He got set-up by an awful Bruce kick and followed the ball and got crunched.

There is no person alive who would have been able to get out of that situation AND contested the footy.

No doubt Jones was brave, but HT is right, he did take his eyes off the ball. However, the kick did set him up and Wirrapunda was already in the air, when Jones ran into him.

It was lucky he didn't break his neck.

Or Wirra's hip.

The important thing is that he gave himself, with his own limitations in mind the best chance of getting the ball because he only had eyes for the ball.

Was it a Bruce kick? I thought it was Rivers, but that was from memory. Probably better if it was Bruce, we don't need that kind of thing seeping into the rest of our list.

it was a bruce kick. i remember thinking that at the time. [censored] bruce, hospital kick.

but the transformer went down, got up, said "i am optimus prime" had a breather and returned. what a gun

In response to you, 'rpfc' .....

Are you suggesting that in 300 games, no-one set up Craig Bradley with a "hospital " pass.? Or did I just fail to notice that he just took the shirtfronts, got up, and played on regardless.

No....I'm pretty sure he had the footy nous to avoid those situations. It may extend back as far as not calling for a pass, if a collision is likely. But I think a better explanation is that experienced players learn how to protect themselves in that situation.

it was a bruce kick. i remember thinking that at the time. [censored] bruce, hospital kick.

but the transformer went down, got up, said "i am optimus prime" had a breather and returned. what a gun

wirrapunda made his mind up erl to leave his man if thats a hospital pass gee i think you need another look he passed as jones was moving in that direction, i was sitting right in front, if wirra didnt leave his man we would have had a clear shot at goal or a pass over the top.

Just a one in a million thing to happen on the field fair bump play on

no because bruce over kicked the ball. jonesy only moved because he had to - and he had to go backwards.

if bruce had hit jones on the chest, wirrapanda wouldnt have even made a contest.

no because bruce over kicked the ball. jonesy only moved because he had to - and he had to go backwards.

if bruce had hit jones on the chest, wirrapanda wouldnt have even made a contest.

Cue guess who...

I thought Bruce was kicking it for Jones to run onto. He over hit it and Jones got crunched. Wirra is one the the fairest players going around and Jones bounced back into the game not long after. That is what I love about footy! Both had there eyes for the ball, the contest was sentational, no one got hurt and we move on.

Players like Nathan Jones are the heart of the team. I still believe that he will be a very very good player because he wants to be involved and he wills himself to make an impact.

The only way a collision would have been avoided are if he failed to attack the footy. A couple of our players would have played it differently and Wirrpanda would have taken the mark.