Jonesy

[Guest fitness]

I preface this comment by saying I am a big Jonesy fan, and thought he had an excellent game yesterday.

But at about the 5 minute mark during the second quarter of yesterday's game, he was on Jake King who took a contested mark on him about 50m out directly in front. If you watch the replay (which I just did before writing this), King actually took the mark about 53 metres out. But for some unknown reason, Jones stood the mark at about 48-49 metres out. King went on to kick the goal, just scraping it in with the distance. It could have been avoided...

It's just one example of where our players sometimes let themselves down by playing 'dumb' footy. One-percenters are all-important in today's footy, and that includes putting as much pressure on the mark as possible - which means pushing the limits on how far you encroach on the mark (without giving away a 50m penalty), as well as running, jumping, screaming or doing whatever else you can to put the kicker off.

Nit-picky I know, but if we want to become a good side it's the little things like this (that show dedication and focus) that will make a huge difference.

[Guest Gareth Keenan]

Did the umpire not put him on the mark?

It may have been only audible, as in "where you are, that's the mark"

I confess I've not seen it.

[Dr. Mubutu 866]

Surely it's better to be 1-2 metres back on the 50, than giving away an avoidable 50m penalty, and a certain goal? Non-issue.

[Guest fitness]

Surely it's better to be 1-2 metres back on the 50, than giving away an avoidable 50m penalty, and a certain goal? Non-issue.

Agree - but in this instance he wasn't even close to being ON the mark, let alone over it.

[daisycutter 29,740]

Agree - but in this instance he wasn't even close to being ON the mark, let alone over it.

Then there was Bartrams 50m penalty set shot where the ump only gave him 35m.

Probably would have still missed it but

[old dee 23,872]

I preface this comment by saying I am a big Jonesy fan, and thought he had an excellent game yesterday.

But at about the 5 minute mark during the second quarter of yesterday's game, he was on Jake King who took a contested mark on him about 50m out directly in front. If you watch the replay (which I just did before writing this), King actually took the mark about 53 metres out. But for some unknown reason, Jones stood the mark at about 48-49 metres out. King went on to kick the goal, just scraping it in with the distance. It could have been avoided...

It's just one example of where our players sometimes let themselves down by playing 'dumb' footy. One-percenters are all-important in today's footy, and that includes putting as much pressure on the mark as possible - which means pushing the limits on how far you encroach on the mark (without giving away a 50m penalty), as well as running, jumping, screaming or doing whatever else you can to put the kicker off.

Nit-picky I know, but if we want to become a good side it's the little things like this (that show dedication and focus) that will make a huge difference.

I think you are being a little hard on him.

I saw the incident and King was at first trying to lay off a pass and I seem to remember Jones moving back to try to cover some extra ground.

Then King realised the best option was a long bomb.

Either way Jones played one of his best games all year.

It was not his fault we lost.

He was putting in when a lot of others were not before half time.

He is not the most skilled player in the team but he never IMO does anything but give 100% every week.

Edited August 22, 2011 by old dee

[Ned 156]

Love Jonesy. He gives everything he has and I respect him for it.

[Adam The God 30,420]

If Jones could think quicker, execute by foot and make the correct decisions, he'd be a gun. Unfortunately, he doesn't. He kicked three yesterday but also gave three away. Even for the round, Tiger.

[H_T 3,049]

If Jones could think quicker, execute by foot and make the correct decisions, he'd be a gun. Unfortunately, he doesn't. He kicked three yesterday but also gave three away. Even for the round, Tiger.

Agree. He was good in patches yesterday and kicked three, so I did give him votes (3 I think), but there were times when he could have used the first option or been quicker. Defensively late in the back 50, he was the nearest to a high ball among three other tigers, he should have been much more alert and quicker and made the spoil; at the very least made ground to attempt spoil. A mark resulted and goal.

[7-UP 107]

I think it would be wrong to expect every player in our team to be elite and super man's.

I think every team need a player that gives the team 100% effort een though they are not talented as other players and Jonesy is one of them.

[Adzman 2,154]

Jones is a serious B&F contender this season. He isn't flashy but he gives everything every week.

[satyricon 267]

If other team members worked hard off the ball, then Jonesy (who gives his all every week) would have multiple options to pick from.....it is not just about the ball carrier........sometimes I feel sorry for the ball carrier because at times during the game, Melbourne are a team of statues....

Edited August 23, 2011 by satyricon

[Guest fitness]

As I said in my comments at the top, I am a Jonesy fan, and wasn't having a huge dig at the bloke. Perhaps you are right and my assessment was too harsh, but I'd like to think it was more constructive criticism than anything else.

Edited August 23, 2011 by fitness

[MelbournePassion 7]

Always been a fan of Jonesy, in and under.. tough as they come, Skills have improved enormously since he first began. He`ll defiantly be in our top 5 for the B & F.

[PeterJames 46]

If other team members worked hard off the ball, then Jonesy (who gives his all every week) would have multiple options to pick from.....it is not just about the ball carrier........sometimes I feel sorry for the ball carrier because at times during the game, Melbourne are a team of statues....

This is very correct. Morton also cops it for taking to long but if there is no option up the field other than bombing it to the opposition your stuffed either way.

[Trisul 664]

Love Jonesy. He gives everything he has and I respect him for it.

[The Chazz 4,077]

I preface this comment by saying I am a big Jonesy fan, and thought he had an excellent game yesterday.

But at about the 5 minute mark during the second quarter of yesterday's game, he was on Jake King who took a contested mark on him about 50m out directly in front. If you watch the replay (which I just did before writing this), King actually took the mark about 53 metres out. But for some unknown reason, Jones stood the mark at about 48-49 metres out. King went on to kick the goal, just scraping it in with the distance. It could have been avoided...

It's just one example of where our players sometimes let themselves down by playing 'dumb' footy. One-percenters are all-important in today's footy, and that includes putting as much pressure on the mark as possible - which means pushing the limits on how far you encroach on the mark (without giving away a 50m penalty), as well as running, jumping, screaming or doing whatever else you can to put the kicker off.

Nit-picky I know, but if we want to become a good side it's the little things like this (that show dedication and focus) that will make a huge difference.

Agree. He was good in patches yesterday and kicked three, so I did give him votes (3 I think), but there were times when he could have used the first option or been quicker. Defensively late in the back 50, he was the nearest to a high ball among three other tigers, he should have been much more alert and quicker and made the spoil; at the very least made ground to attempt spoil. A mark resulted and goal.

Wow, first time for the week that I opened this thread as I assumed it was going to be complimenting Jonesy on his 1%ers - how wrong was I???!!!

The original issue is very harsh, or to the point, you have picked a very bad example of "dumb" football. If he gave a 50m penalty away in that area, it would've been a certain goal. It should be the umpire you are disappointed in. It's not like King played on straight away - he had time to go back, and that gave the umpire the time to set the mark. If the umpire set the mark where Jones was standing as he (the ump) thought that's where the mark was. So, if Jones had've claimed that extra 2 metres you wanted, a 50m penalty would've been the result.

The "dumb" football that I see players do is when a ball is out on the full, as soon as the player steps inside the line, it's play on. They should instantly run off the mark at the ball carrier, as there will be no penalty. Players should be more aware of it, and if you want an example from last Sunday, Trengove came off the bench right near where a Richmond player stepped over. The ump called play on, and JT ran away from him going to his position. An immediate tackle would've almost seen a holding the ball free.

Poor Jonesy, he has one of his better games of his career, and he always gets pinpointed for very minor incidents. I have to be honest, it does sh!t me to tears the way people are always after his blood for an error, which a fair chunk of the time isn't his fault entirely. What sh!ts me more is that blokes like Petterd and Grimes (when he plays) can get away with continual poor skill errors (in Grimes' case) and some of the most inconsistent form in the team (Petterd).

Jones was the catalyst for our comeback in that 3rd quarter. If it weren't for him and Sylvia, we would not have been in that position at 3/4 time.

[mrtwister 652]

Also, King never really went back, lined up and had a shot. If there was an extra 2m there I'm sure Jonesy would have been trying to sucker him into getting too close to the mark by moving forward to where the mark was as he kicked. As he never really lined them up etc he probably never got a chance to close him in.