This article is seriously unbelievable and moving in the way Jones has carried himself over the last 2 years. The Age followed Jones and 4 other footballers the whole year and this one of Jones shows why I now think he should be captain.

For all the Nobs like Damian Barrett that [censored] kick us, Emma Q does a big pat on the back for this.

Enjoy:

http://www.theage.com.au/interactive/2013/5seasons/Jones.html

Edited October 28, 201311 yr by dazzledavey36

I always have a lot of respect for EQ and her work. She is a very good writer and it's often a pleasure to read.

She stays clear of those idiotic boy clubs we see at the HUN or on certain radio stations and TV program to produce quality well calculated and articulate articles.

Mind you I wrote that above before reading the attached article.

just make him fookin' captain Paul. By god he deserves it.

Excellent article and gives a great insight into what Jones was going through this year.

A fascinating and intriguing reading. Emma is right up there with martin. They are eons ahead of the rest at that rag.

Back to Nathan. he has come to represent so much about the team. We were supposed to go places and we've gone nowhere and yet the belief , the hunger is still strong. he's refreshingly candid. No tickets on himself.

Im glad he stayed. Im glad he still believes not only in himself but that we are still sort of on the right track, if a little aimless before.

One wonders what might not had been had it not been for our thumping of the Swans that day years back.

Its very fitting he wears 2. He is very much a Melbourne Champion, indeed a champion of Melbournes efforts, before, now and to come

We might finally be going the right way.

Great read, but really gives an insight into what Roos has ahead of him to rebuild the confidence in the players. A lot of work to be done and I'm really grateful that Jackson is there to oversee it, we would be totally screwed without him.

Great read, but really gives an insight into what Roos has ahead of him to rebuild the confidence in the players. A lot of work to be done and I'm really grateful that Jackson is there to oversee it, we would be totally screwed without him.

agree, we so often speak of Roos but PJ is perhaps more our saviour.

Fantastic article, I'll be reading her other articles. You could only hope the likes of Denham, Barrett and co read it and realise how poor they are.

It just made me depressed.

He's an amazing person. Many others would've (and have) given up with everything he's been through and it sounds like those thoughts entered his mind. How could they not? But it's a real mark of the bloke that he's persevered, become a better player and still has hope for the future, and desire to be one of the guys to get Melbourne to the top.

He's like many of us long suffering, he just wants Melbourne to be great again.

Edited October 28, 201311 yr by Pates

man we better start winning this season

Nathan Jones deserves it, as do many others

It just made me depressed.

Not to be difficult but it actually made me feel the reverse. Heres a bloke , at the coal face, doing it hard. Its our passion , but its his livelyhood. His workplace has been shizen. its hard to get up each day for that and through it he has. Coming out the other end he sees daylight and hope. How can I not feel rejuvenated myself in the belief that we may well amount to something one day , sooner rather than later !

We really were a mess

Confirms a few things that I suspected.

1. Bailey wasn't great for Jones. Played him too much outside midfield, too much tagging and didn't get his balance right. Probably made him a better player but left him dissatisfied at the time. Jones very well could've walked. Essendon were circling IIRC. Good coaches make players comfortable even when doing team roles. Jones was uncomfortable.

2. Find a hardened, tough, talented, disciplined footballer and Neeld will coach him just fine. Worked well for Neeld at Collingwood where he had Pendles, Beams, Sidebottom, Swan etc. Show Neeld a bunch of wayward young players who aren't sure what they are doing and where they are going and it will be a disaster

3. Things in 2011 were seriously messed up. Norm Smith circa 1960 couldn't have solved that mess straight up. I don't think we've even had half the story. Bailey may have stirred some of the tanking stuff up but never really spoke his mind.

4. Jones isn't a natural leader. The surfing, the independent boxing sessions, the outside mentoring are all great for him but who else is benefiting? Sounds like over the course of this year he has really learnt more about leadership and team work. I'm not anti Jones captain but I think realistically we are best served with multiple captains.

Sounds to me that if we don't start winning Jones will go elsewhere and u cannot blame him.

I am surprised after reading the article that he stuck around at all.

Onward and upward with Roos (hopefully not another false dawn)

Yeah I dont blame Jones for thinking why did I just sign a 3 year contract. It sounds like he was one of the players that liked Neelds way of coaching.

But it sounds like Peter Jackson made him see things in a better light. God bless that man.

anyway onwards and upwards

A very good article. It is exactly what Neil Craig said when asked about Jack Watts re-signing with Melbourne. It is up to the club to create an atmosphere where the player doesn't want to leave.

It just made me depressed.

You know Clint, i wanted to 'like' your post but i just couldn't bring myself to 'like' someone who is depressed.

A 'I feel your pain' click would be more appropriate.

It's bewildering that the club was allowed to self implode so badly, makes you wonder just how many players we would have lost if Neeld had of stayed and no changed made.

Seven coaches in nine years! Sheeesh! If I had that many different bosses in that time I'd go round the twist! Jones is certainly patient.

I read all the articles, each is worth reading.

Great read but still leaves me with questions. At the start of the season Jones is confident things will be better. The measureables are all up; we are fitter, stronger, bigger, more experienced and training well. The leadership players are all on board and with Neeld who has their confidence. Then bang, the first game against Port. I was there and I was gobsmaked in the first quarter. We hardly got a possession in the first 15 minutes, didn't lay a tackle, didn't chase. This wasn't a group of players going back into their shell, introverted, afraid to take a risk after numerous thumpings, that happened later on. No this team never got out of their shells from the first bounce. What the hell was going on then? Had the coaches and player leadership group been totally divorced from the playing group all along?

The following week against the Bombers was the lowest point in our history in my opinion. Players standing around looking at their oponents run riot and not giving a Shyte? Could not believe what I was seeing.

My point is from Emma's article it shocked Jones and we know it bewildered Neeld at the post match conferences - "I didn't see that coming!" The reality bus hit all of us head on.

I think there would be clues if Emma had been able to find out what was said when Roos met the leadership players and asked them what had changed between 2010 when we thumped the Swans and 2013. I would love to know what our guys thought.

At the end of the day I am no wiser on the root cause for our most shameful season in 155 years. Lets hope Roos learnt about the real problems at the club in that meeting and is confident he can work through them.

if Jones doesn't win the B n' F next year it means our football team is developing in the right direction.

Great read but still leaves me with questions. At the start of the season Jones is confident things will be better. The measureables are all up; we are fitter, stronger, bigger, more experienced and training well. The leadership players are all on board and with Neeld who has their confidence. Then bang, the first game against Port. I was there and I was gobsmaked in the first quarter. We hardly got a possession in the first 15 minutes, didn't lay a tackle, didn't chase. This wasn't a group of players going back into their shell, introverted, afraid to take a risk after numerous thumpings, that happened later on. No this team never got out of their shells from the first bounce. What the hell was going on then? Had the coaches and player leadership group been totally divorced from the playing group all along?

The following week against the Bombers was the lowest point in our history in my opinion. Players standing around looking at their oponents run riot and not giving a Shyte? Could not believe what I was seeing.

My point is from Emma's article it shocked Jones and we know it bewildered Neeld at the post match conferences - "I didn't see that coming!" The reality bus hit all of us head on.

I think there would be clues if Emma had been able to find out what was said when Roos met the leadership players and asked them what had changed between 2010 when we thumped the Swans and 2013. I would love to know what our guys thought.

At the end of the day I am no wiser on the root cause for our most shameful season in 155 years. Lets hope Roos learnt about the real problems at the club in that meeting and is confident he can work through them.

Yep, I would love to have been a fly on the wall in that room. It would have been a very interesting conversation.

Interesting and a great read....Jones is not a natural leader, but should be in the LG...i don't think he should be captain...Natural Leadership is in the DNA.

What was the missing ingredient for Neeld...Jones rated him right till the end...but it didn't work at all.

Inexperience maybe...There was more going on that EQ has not tried to guess...she is a good journo

She only writes what she knows....

I think there would be clues if Emma had been able to find out what was said when Roos met the leadership players and asked them what had changed between 2010 when we thumped the Swans and 2013. I would love to know what our guys thought.

At the end of the day I am no wiser on the root cause for our most shameful season in 155 years. Lets hope Roos learnt about the real problems at the club in that meeting and is confident he can work through them.

I guess he must have heard something that gave him belief that he could turn things around, or he wouldn't have been silly enough to take us on.

Roos coming after having had that small group tete a tete seriously gives me heart, and belief that 2014 will be not just a little better, but a whole lot better.

And...what a fantastic article; and what a fantastic leader is Nathan, captain or not.