Zak Jones

[Axis of Bob 11,828]

3 pages of everyone telling us to pick him, but how many post have there been that mention him as a footballer?

What are his attributes? What are his strengths and what are his weaknesses?

Anyone who is making judgement on his draft worth without even thinking about his quality is full of crap. People are placing him as a 3rd round pick because it's the first draft pick late enough for them not to care about.

[Whispering_Jack 30,171]

3 pages of everyone telling us to pick him, but how many post have there been that mention him as a footballer?

What are his attributes? What are his strengths and what are his weaknesses?

Anyone who is making judgement on his draft worth without even thinking about his quality is full of crap. People are placing him as a 3rd round pick because it's the first draft pick late enough for them not to care about.

OK, I'll bite. I've seen him play twice for Victoria Country in the Under 18 national championships as well in a highlights clip shown on the Channel 9 TAC Cup: Future Stars programme. I usually dismiss those highlights reels because they aren't representative enough of a player (see Ben Hur's link to Dom Sheed's highlights playing for Subiaco Colts ?) to be of any value.

Jones played well off half back in both championship games, got his share of disposals, was relatively efficient and I had no issues with any particular aspect of his game. In an earlier post, spirit of norm smith summed him up well in this way:

He has good build, run and would be a creative, tough, half back that we lack.

The words I would use to describe him would be "workmanlike", "reliable", "dour" and "steady" but he's not a knock your socks off player. Yet he was Vic Country's MVP and made All Australian and is therefore ranked by the AA U18 selectors in the top 18 from the carnival. On that, you would think that he'll be taken somewhere in the top 30 i.e first or up to about mid/late second round.

The problem for me is that there was nothing about him that screamed "class" or "quality" like Kelly, Aish or Billing among the mids or the imposing and hard edged qualities of Sheed, Dunstan or Cripps.

If he puts his head down and goes to work like his brother has done then he'll be more than handy player in the future but I wouldn't think a player of his kind would be a priority for us when we desperately need players who can extract the ball out of the middle of the ground, particularly at the centre bounces.

The brother thing should bear very little influence.

[spirit of norm smith 16,461]

Zak Jones has football ability no doubt. Either a 2nd or 3rd round choice.

sure not a midfield star but would be a great HBF in the same vein as Brandon Ellis. Tough, hard working and can go fwd to kick goals.

[spirit of norm smith 16,461]

sorry have to keep reminding MFC ... this kid is a must get.

Zac Jones (VIC – Def/Mid)
Height: 181cm, Weight: 74kg, DOB: 15/03/1995
Recruited from: Dandenong Stingrays
similar in style to: Michael Hibberd (bombers)
Profile: Younger brother of Melbourne’s Nathan Jones. He’s not the same level midfielder as Nathan but has some similar traits with that same hardness and love for the contest to him but at this point is probably better suited as a defender. Jones down back can play effectively both as a rebounder and shutdown player. Jones by foot is a good user of the footy hitting his targets over a variety of distances. He is also an excellent mark for his size but especially coming off his man to take an intercept mark. Physically he has the strength to give with stronger players but then the pace to go with the quicker players. He also provides good run and carry and has an above average burst of speed to him.

Edited August 3, 2013 by spirit of norm smith

[Moonshadow 17,676]

sorry have to keep reminding MFC ... this kid is a must get.

Zac Jones (VIC – Def/Mid)

Height: 181cm, Weight: 74kg, DOB: 15/03/1995

Recruited from: Dandenong Stingrays

similar in style to: Michael Hibberd (bombers)

Profile: Younger brother of Melbourne’s Nathan Jones. He’s not the same level midfielder as Nathan but has some similar traits with that same hardness and love for the contest to him but at this point is probably better suited as a defender. Jones down back can play effectively both as a rebounder and shutdown player. Jones by foot is a good user of the footy hitting his targets over a variety of distances. He is also an excellent mark for his size but especially coming off his man to take an intercept mark. Physically he has the strength to give with stronger players but then the pace to go with the quicker players. He also provides good run and carry and has an above average burst of speed to him.

Would love it if he was there at our 3rd round selection, around pick 35. Doubt it though.

[Ted Lasso 19,518]

Would love it if he was there at our 3rd round selection, around pick 35. Doubt it though.

Knightmare have him at 44, not the most reliable i know but think our 3rd round pick is still a decent chance.

[rjay 24,928]

Knightmare have him at 44, not the most reliable i know but think our 3rd round pick is still a decent chance.

I think we will be a chance to get him later and it would be good, he's a real goer like his brother.

[Ted Lasso 19,518]

I think we will be a chance to get him later and it would be good, he's a real goer like his brother.

I think he would really compliment our backline well!

[Moonshadow 17,676]

I think he would really compliment our backline well!

Agreed. Quick, hardworking rebounding small back. If he works on his weaknesses as hard as his brother has over the years, he'll be a beauty.

[ThreeOneSix 954]

Knightmare have him at 44, not the most reliable i know but think our 3rd round pick is still a decent chance.

He should be there, we can't use our pick 19/20 on him, because a topliner will slip.

It's a great draft to have 19/20 at, because I believe it's fairly even.

Out of Crouch, Dunstan, Durmont, one of those could easily slip to 19/20.

If Jones is there for our 3rd round, I'd take him or Garlett.

[Ted Lasso 19,518]

i reckon crouch will go top 15 but dunstan may well slip to 19 if we have that.

[ThreeOneSix 954]

i reckon crouch will go top 15 but dunstan may well slip to 19 if we have that.

Crouch, Dunstan or Durmont, cannot go wrong.

Hopefully Essendon lose their pick and a side bids on McDonald forcing North to take him early.

That would bump us up a couple.

[Ted Lasso 19,518]

Crouch, Dunstan or Durmont, cannot go wrong.

Hopefully Essendon lose their pick and a side bids on McDonald forcing North to take him early.

That would bump us up a couple.

I think we should bid on Mcdonald to be honest, has A grade potential.

[Bang Bang Bang 5,826]

Personally I think we could learn a thing or two from Richmond's recent recruiting, they have gone for relatively safe players with their early-end picks (Vlaustin and Ellis spring to mind) but both are making a huge impact already. I'm not suggesting we reach for Zak with a pick at the pointy end, but these "no frills" players appeal to me a lot more than yet another skinny kid with a "high ceiling".

[DeeSpencer 25,713]

Personally I think we could learn a thing or two from Richmond's recent recruiting, they have gone for relatively safe players with their early-end picks (Vlaustin and Ellis spring to mind) but both are making a huge impact already. I'm not suggesting we reach for Zak with a pick at the pointy end, but these "no frills" players appeal to me a lot more than yet another skinny kid with a "high ceiling".

Or even Geelong's recruiting in the middle and later rounds with guys like Christensen and Mitch Duncan who were very good junior footballers with not too many weaknesses but got overlooked due to implied faults instead of their footballing ability.

I think you can make an argument that Zak Jones is also worth more to us than other clubs because Nathan will develop and mentor him very well.

[spirit of norm smith 16,461]

I rate Zac Jones highly. He showed toughness, footy smarts, good rebound and skills in under 18s rewarded with All Australian honours.

This kid would love to play alongside his brother.

Agree would be a lock in if available at pick 39 (our 3rd round pick likely right now).

Plus it gives the "footy club" a feel of a footy club.

[Good Times Grimes 2,396]

I'm sure I'll get hounded for this comment, but in recent years we've screwed up enough early picks that I would be more than happy for us to pay "overs" and select Jones in the second round and know that he'll be mentored by his brother and he's keen to be a Demon.

Think about it:

2010 pick 12: Lucas Cook (0 games, "project player", delisted)

2009 pick 1: Tom Scully (31 Melbourne games, never interested in being a Demon, signed elsewhere)

2009 pick 11: Jordie Gysberts (19 Melbourne games, another "project player", no heart-- traded to North)

2008 pick 17: Sam Blease (30 games, doesn't seem determined, drifting back and forth between Casey and Melbourne)

2008 pick 19: James Strauss (22 games, selected for his excellent kicking, can't escape Casey and will be delisted)

2007 pick 4: Cale Morton (73 MFC games, skinny midfielder with no determination, traded to WCE for nothing)

2007 pick 21: Addam Maric (21 MFC games, "skillful small forward", didn't last long at AFL level)

I didn't use any examples from the 2012 draft because it's too soon, and 2011's selections began in the 30s. My point, though, is that early picks haven't worked out for us in recent years for a variety of reasons. I'd love to see somebody who wants to play for Melbourne, is related to our best player, is big bodied and is by all accounts a reliable footballer selected with our second round pick, rather than us using it to pick more players like those listed above.

[Moonshadow 17,676]

GTG, our second round pick will be about 17 or 18 (Adelaide and possibly Ess not having picks in rd 1 or 2). Might be a bit early to get Zak with that. I'm guessing that he would be available for our 3rd rounder, about 35. Most mock drafts have Zak 35-60. I agree that he could learn and perform better alongside his brother, but at the rate we are going, who's to say Nathan will stick around. Zak could be that small rebounding defender with good disposal we are after.

Edited August 9, 2013 by Moonshadow

[Goodvibes 3,596]

If he is going to play in our back 6 he needs to have elite kicking skills to go with the trademark Jones courage. Does he?

[ThreeOneSix 954]

Our second round pick gives us a chance to select A grade talent that slips out the first round.

And.. Talent should slip, there's a lot of inside midfielders in the first round, not only are they better than Jones - but we have more of a need for mids.

From most people I talk to, they seem to think Jones will be there for our third round - because country were one of the weaker sides.

Hard to say whether he'll be there, but I'd think we'll take the risk that he is.

Our second round pick is gold, we could very likely get a player equal of our first 2 picks, the first round itself is very even.

A player like Durmont has arguably shown more than Aish recently in the SANFL, he could be there, otherwise Dunstan could very well be there.

They cannot all go in the first round!

[Ted Lasso 19,518]

This kid would be a fantastic get, would compliment our list perfectly.

i think we would get him with our 3rd rounder because it's basically going to be a late second rounder when you take out Essendon and the Crows.

his kicking is really good from what i have seen, he has that grit determination that Nathan has, can't go wrong choosing this young man.

[Good Times Grimes 2,396]

This kid would be a fantastic get, would compliment our list perfectly.

i think we would get him with our 3rd rounder because it's basically going to be a late second rounder when you take out Essendon and the Crows.

his kicking is really good from what i have seen, he has that grit determination that Nathan has, can't go wrong choosing this young man.

What's preventing him from being an earlier pick?

[spirit of norm smith 16,461]

Yes the kid can play. He is tough. If he was a midfielder, I would grab him at pick 20. But he is a HBF and we need midfielders desparately. Pick 38 would be a good bargain and a club culture builder.

[The Song Formerly Known As 6,479]

give him the captaincy.

[ThreeOneSix 954]

Another BOG on the weekend, slow down a bit Zak.

Nath, get in his ear, FFS.