2009 Player Review - # 2 Nathan Jones

[Demonland 72,192]

Nathan Jones – Nathan showed some real improvement, particularly in his disposal. He is a very durable guy, predominantly in the midfield, although he also added some flexibility with some jobs down back. His decision-making and kicking improved in the second half of the year. A lot of people look at Nathan as a 27-year-old, but he is still only 21, although he has played a fair bit of football now. He is a strong competitor and remains an important player for us - Sean Wellman on melbournefc.com.au

[e25 5]

I was impressed with his disposal when I really paid attention to his individual form in the latter 3rd of the season.

Seemed to often make good decisions and his kicking was quite good as opposed to what the general consensus seems to be (gotta love groupthink)

Bright future when you consider his age, as Wellman points out.

Would like to see him increase his running capacity and speed off the mark.

I don't see him as a tagger.

Would be a valuable asset for trading, but i'd rather not and don't think we will.

[Toot182 7]

Couldn't agree more with this review. Last year I was continually frustrated watching Nate turn the ball over with poor disposal by foot, as he would do all the hard work to get it, and then turn it over. I feel the 'flexibility' mentioned by Wellman is a key here and he benefits from first use of the ball.

In the coming year he will be tagger harder and he needs to develop the habit of breaking the tag and becoming a game-turner.

I would really like to see Nate develop his ability of turning defence into attack, along the similar lines of another baldie: Crows player Tyson Edwards

Edited September 16, 2009 by Toot182

[Rogue 585]

Some of his kicking into our forward 50 was actually very impressive.

While I think Wellman's using a bit of dramatic effect with the '27 year old' call, he makes a good point.

I'm still not sure how he'll turn out though.

[beelzebub 23,376]

Some of his kicking into our forward 50 was actually very impressive.

While I think Wellman's using a bit of dramatic effect with the '27 year old' call, he makes a good point.

I'm still not sure how he'll turn out though.

nor I...he needs to crank it up a notch next year and really be something...or others will pass him by.

[jacey 333]

Some of his kicking into our forward 50 was actually very impressive.

He's a lot better player then supporter give him credit for. He's 21 and coming along fine.

He isn't going to be a superstar so i don't know why people judge him as one. He's going to be a good solid player and with studs around him, he'll be even better and people will argue he's a star like people do or did with Joel Corey, Corey Enright, Andrew Embley, Adam Hunter, Cam Mooney, Jordan Lewis.

[praha 11,240]

Matthew Bate

Matthew was very good and durable. He played 20 games and missed just two for the season.

Thanks for that Sean. With all the finals we played and the extra games during the normal 22 game season, I wouldn't have been able to calculate how many games he would have missed had he played only 20 games.

[Hulett Packard III 166]

Matthew Bate

Matthew was very good and durable. He played 20 games and missed just two for the season.

Thanks for that Sean. With all the finals we played and the extra games during the normal 22 game season, I wouldn't have been able to calculate how many games he would have missed had he played only 20 games.

Why not stick to the player being reviewed. Bater gets his chance in four days' time.

[Kiss of Death 755]

Still gets caught out a bit when trying to break a pack/tackle, but definitely noticed this year that he's taking that split second to size up his options going forwards now, rather than just belting it forwards from the pack as he used to quite often. Great to see the improvements in a still quite young guy - it's these kind of improvements that will help the younger generation throw their selves into their training and football education.

As mentioned earlier, could be somebody used as trade bait, but i'd rather keep.

[deeflog 679]

I really think he will be one to benefit from the inclusion of Scully. Some more help in the packs, and i wouldn't mind him resting forward or put in a role as a forward tagger, he really seems to know where the goals are

[Guest straussski]

nathan jones a very good player IMO ... he takes the game on and most of the time gets the ball going our way

[The Big Ticket 94]

God he's only 21, seems like he's been around longer than that.

I love the guy, I think from about round 14 onwards, he was just terrific - his disposal really went up a notch and some of his delivery into the forward line was outstanding and great to watch. The Saints game was probably one of his best games this year. I'm genuinely excited about young Nate again.

[volders 22]

i think it's not so much his disposal but more his decision making ie. getting caught, hospital handballs. however i think it has improved this year and hopefully wil continue to.

[Guest Rojik of the Arctic]

I like him. Getting better at disposal, harder at the ball and thinking about things more and more. Can't fault a kid that is working hard to improve from a pretty good base.

[joeboy 3,166]

With the possible onset of a number of faster running midfielders I see him finding a place as a hard nosed , hard bodied back pocket , in the Matty Whelan mould .

[H_T 3,047]

I like him. Getting better at disposal, harder at the ball and thinking about things more and more. Can't fault a kid that is working hard to improve from a pretty good base.

Like his aggression, and the desire to improve his game. At 21, he has plenty of footy and improvement to come.

[Rogue 585]

With the possible onset of a number of faster running midfielders I see him finding a place as a hard nosed , hard bodied back pocket , in the Matty Whelan mould .

Do we need that type of defender? IMO small defenders these days need pace.

[Akum 2,660]

Do we need that type of defender? IMO small defenders these days need pace.

He was doing very well on Ablett until Thompson stymied us by putting Ablett at FF. It seemed then that Jones got taken off him not because he's not capable of playing FB, but because he lacked confidence at FB. Next year, would be good to see him not thrown off balance by moves such as that.

I don't think he'll be a tagger every game, but he'll be needed through the year for specific tagging jobs (e.g. he's probably our only player physically and athletically capable of staying with Ablett, who burns off most taggers but definitely doesn't like having one who can stay with him). And Jones is a "tagger" rather than just a "stopper" - i.e. he has the ability to do some damage with his own possessions too.

In our future midfield, this sort of "flexibility", to use SW's term, will be an important factor.

Edited September 18, 2009 by Akum

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

Love the name...

I'm curious. I'd love to know what people think Jones' ceiling is? ie, give us a name of a player who in influence, or in general football skill and smarts, you think Jones will end up like?

I always thought there was an element of Robert Harvey, though I wouldn't go so far as to put him in that company, obviously. He runs and runs, works VERY hard, is a tough nut, only a serviceable kick...

I kind of hope that while he corrects some weaknesses, he also improves on his strengths. He's always had a knack for finding a lot of the ball, so I hope he goes from being a 25 possession per gamer (on his good days) to threatening to get hold of it more like 35 times on his better days.

I think "elite" is within his grasp.

[jayceebee31 761]

Dappa Dan- tend to agree with you.I think having a fast outside player like Scully could make Jones and to a lesser degree McLean. Scully reads that play so well, Jones & McLean will be able to pass the ball over to him without the threat of being caught. Scully is very quick off the mark- where Jones gets caught too many times. Jones an elite- no for me but will improve dramatically as per reasons above

[Guest delicious jurrah coffee]

jones kicking lets him down, but you forget how young he is, hes a bucketload of courage and he can cop a hard knock, i believe the time hes 25 he will be one of those players that will be impossible to tackle, eg Paul Chapman.

[The Big Ticket 94]

There's nothing wrong with his disposal. Some have already highlighted, its his decision making that lets him down sometimes. I really think he has enough to become an A-grader. He's definitely a key player going forward.

[Rogue 585]

He was doing very well on Ablett until Thompson stymied us by putting Ablett at FF. It seemed then that Jones got taken off him not because he's not capable of playing FB, but because he lacked confidence at FB. Next year, would be good to see him not thrown off balance by moves such as that.

I don't think he'll be a tagger every game

There's a massive difference between being someone who can tag occassionally and someone who is the #1 small defender.

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,828]

With McLean gone, will Jones or Moloney now get the number 1 tag

[Carn dees 108]

still got davey and sylvia ahead of them.