Agree with the above

Fringe players like Jones evoke little to no emotion in me. I couldn't give a toss if he's here next year, or not. I'll back the footy departments decision.

It's all about winning a flag.

Club culture is very important, and it's what leads to sustained success. To suggest it's all about winning a flag is a fairly meaningless statement IMO - it's self evident that every supporter wants to see their club win a flag.

FWIW though, I too trust the football department to make the right decision.

Fringe players like Jones evoke little to no emotion in me. I couldn't give a toss if he's here next year, or not. I'll back the footy departments decision.

It's all about winning a flag.

Correct.

As said by many here Jones may not have the natural talent of many players on our list but his heart and courage is second to non.

His game improved substantially from the last couple of years and actually has very good disposal when he doesn't rush it. Maybe a move to the backline to play the grimes role would be beneficial for him.... Or base his game directly on Cameron ling as a hard nosed possession winning tagger.

I'm not sure what you're referring to. Is there some public news? However, I do know if Jones is gone there are absolutely reasons for it.

Yes- because he feels he is not getting a fair go- that is why he has asked for a meeting with our coaches.

I think Mark Twain's famous line comes into play here.

And he isn't a Flag Core, so he is vulnerable, but that doesn't mean he is gone. I would say that a third of premiership winning team are 'periphery' players. Nathan might be one.

You might want to trademark your term "Flag core"...

Bit of a misleading thread title there mate.

We need him for a few more years. His disposal is not good and I can't see it getting better.

This is just staggering stuff. His disposal, particularly by foot, was second only this year to Aaron Davey. With daylight to the rest. There also seems to be this hangover impression that he gets caught with the ball. This year, almost never. His ability to make the right decision with the ball, was, and I reiterate THIS year, as he has vastly improved, the best of the midfield. The FD realise this, and I'd be stunned if they moved him on.

You might want to trademark your term "Flag core"...

Nathan Jones is leaving. Wow a whole thread based no solid sources.

There is one thing that I do know, the Dee's and Jone are negotiating a contract.

Not sure where the whole "the club is pushing Jones out the door thing" has sprung from.

I personally think our last memory of Jones will be from the last game against North when he was seen languishing behind a rampant and aged Harvey along the Southern Stand wing , and soon after being crunched into oblivion .

I think these images reflect how he was undone - his lack of speed ,and undoubted courage.

This is just staggering stuff. His disposal, particularly by foot, was second only this year to Aaron Davey. With daylight to the rest. There also seems to be this hangover impression that he gets caught with the ball. This year, almost never. His ability to make the right decision with the ball, was, and I reiterate THIS year, as he has vastly improved, the best of the midfield. The FD realise this, and I'd be stunned if they moved him on.

I think people are missing the point. No one has said the club will try and move him on. It has been insinuated that he may not be comfortable with the role or DB's plans for him in our future. If he was in contract we would not be having this discussion. As he is out of contract both he and the club must weigh up his worth. I would say there would be a fair gap between their perceptions. Jones is a good second string mid and nothing more. Happy for him to stay dont mind if he goes.

I never knew Mark Twain said that...

For those that don't know quote, it goes something like:

Reports of my trading have been widely exaggerated.

He twittered that many years ago...

I think Mark Twain's famous line comes into play here.

And he isn't a Flag Core, so he is vulnerable, but that doesn't mean he is gone. I would say that a third of premiership winning team are 'periphery' players. Nathan might be one.

Is it "Golf is a good walk spoiled"???

If the rumour has any substance and Nathan has requested a meeting to discuss his future with the MFC (a la Brock McLean) then surely the Club is duty bound to explore all options.

Perhaps a mutually beneficial arrangement can be made at the trade table - who knows? Port Adelaide and Brisbane will be active in trade week apparently and there are a couple of suitable replacements that may be of interest.

Salopek from PA reportedly wants out and Rischitelli from Brisbane is also moving on - either would add significantly to our midfield and the Club would be negligent (I'm sure they are not!) not to open discussions. Not sure if Nathan Jones is the type either of those Clubs is looking for but if Nathan sees his future elsewhere we need to get proactive in my view.

That being said, I would love Jonesy to play his entire career with the MFC. Although limited and by no means an elite, he has always put his body on the line for the MFC and been a more than serviceable contributor when our stocks have been low over recent years. Unfortunately these decisions come down to the Club being professional and pragmatic and that means that loyal servants like Jonesy are looked upon as a commodity in which to be traded. There really is no room for emotion in list management - that, I'm afraid is a product of a bygone era.

What teams have won the flag with just one type of player?

Since when were hard-nosed, bottom of the pack, capable of kicking a goal from 50m out, back-breaking courage, team players dispensable?

Voss thought he would get rid of blokes that did not fit exactly what he wanted and look what the result of this thinking was. People who think that you get rid of players because they do not fit some narrow 'premiership' mould they have thought up have little appreciation for their own lack of understanding of what it takes to make up a team. Look back at any premiership team and they do not have a squad made up entirely of 'elite' players, it is not possible to assemble a team like this. Some of the mindless babble that goes on!

Jones is as far from 'required' as can be. He is a run-of-the-mill midfielder. He is slow. He isn't the best disposal of the ball. He doesn't offer anything as a forward and less as a defender. He's not that good a tagger either. And we have similar players in Moloney and McKenzie who are better than he is.

It's unfortunate when you consider the amount of work he put in through 2008-9 when we were rubbish and we relied on him to do a lot of brute force work in the middle when he was still young, but truth be told, we have a lot of talent on our list and you can't fit everyone into the side. Jones is a fair chance to be squeezed out the edges as the more skilled players come through.

Club culture is very important, and it's what leads to sustained success. To suggest it's all about winning a flag is a fairly meaningless statement IMO - it's self evident that every supporter wants to see their club win a flag.

Unfortunately it's not meaningless on footy forums. Many supporters get upset when C grade footballers get traded, or delisted. It happens year in year out. They don't seem to understand that list management is all about building towards a premiership quality list. If they did and if they accepted that the FD is in a far better position to evaluate individual players and more importantly the balance of the list, then they wouldn't get as emotional as they do over fringe players. If Jones was the only in and under, average skilled, mid that we had it would be less likely that he'd be a potential trade. Not surprisingly, he's not.

As for club culture ? I'll let the club worry about club culture. I'm more interested in a winning culture.

If Meesen gets delisted, i'm never watching another game of football.

EVER.

Yes- because he feels he is not getting a fair go- that is why he has asked for a meeting with our coaches.

Smells like one Brock McLean to me

hmmm, lot of people here seem to think that a club's players are like a monopoly board and they play it with their eyes only on the blue and green properties (never enough of those I seem to remember). Not a formula for winning though. No where do i see in the initial thread an argument against building the list, just someone backing a player who has worked hard. And enough with the thought police, 1984 comments, running along the lines of ~back the footy department it's their choice~, talk about stating the bleeding obvious, of course we support the club and where its going et. al. and of course they have the say over who and how, dropping it into the thread as if its Force majeure adds nothing.

If Meesen gets delisted, i'm never watching another game of football.

EVER.

it is hard to pick out sarcasm sometimes!

I wouldn't be able to deal with it...I'm still getting over Fanning leaving us!

Nate Jones is an average player - no top ten finish in B&F depsite playin alot of footy.

One paced, often gets caught holdin the ball and disposal is average and hasn't developed to where he should be.

Not a big deal if he stays or goes but its becomin obvious he and moloney are playin for the same spot as both one paced. Wait until Gysberts, Blease, Taps etc come in.

Perhaps our footy department has it right by him not finishin in the top 10 of the B&F and he is better off elsewhere.

This is the same footy department that made great decisions, on C Johnson, Trav J, Jeff White etc

Jones played 22 games this year, and finished 13th in the Best & Fairest. That is an average return for a player that plays every game.

I'm a big Jones fan, but know that trading him is the best option for both parties.

He isnt in our next premiership team, so why keep him when we have scully, trengove, gysberts, tapscott, sylvia, morton, mckenzie, moloney, blease? for the guys rotating through in the premiership midfield.

Get him to a club that is further in development that needs an inside player, or send him to the Gold Coast

I know for a fact that Jonesy is going to have a meeting with Bails this week. If Jones can't be guarenteed a spot in our best 22 next year which is highly likely, he'll be happy to be traded.

All the best jonesy!

hmmm, lot of people here seem to think that a club's players are like a monopoly board and they play it with their eyes only on the blue and green properties (never enough of those I seem to remember). Not a formula for winning though. No where do i see in the initial thread an argument against building the list, just someone backing a player who has worked hard. And enough with the thought police, 1984 comments, running along the lines of ~back the footy department it's their choice~, talk about stating the bleeding obvious, of course we support the club and where its going et. al. and of course they have the say over who and how, dropping it into the thread as if its Force majeure adds nothing.

You do have to admit the obvious intersection of Jones' current contract situation with Orwell's vision of a dystopian society though...

Jones played 22 games this year, and finished 13th in the Best & Fairest. That is an average return for a player that plays every game.

I'm a big Jones fan, but know that trading him is the best option for both parties.

He isnt in our next premiership team, so why keep him when we have scully, trengove, gysberts, tapscott, sylvia, morton, mckenzie, moloney, blease? for the guys rotating through in the premiership midfield.

Get him to a club that is further in development that needs an inside player, or send him to the Gold Coast

I know for a fact that Jonesy is going to have a meeting with Bails this week. If Jones can't be guarenteed a spot in our best 22 next year which is highly likely, he'll be happy to be traded.

All the best jonesy!

I really believe he can be in our best 22, never shirks a contest plays with his heart on his sleeve. His kicking is off at times but i think he can work in that and i have seen improvement this year. I think Bailey isn't necessarily grooming him as a tagger more so using this as a way to learn how the guns of the game go about it and as a learning experience. If Jonesy is our 22nd -25th best player then boy we must have a great team.

Lets not get ahead of our selfs, most of our judgments are made on potential rather than actual established players.

it is hard to pick out sarcasm sometimes!

Is it?