What to do with Nathan Jones

[Wrecker45 3,378]

Nathan Jones is likely to be in our next team of the century.

He stood by MELBOURNE during the worst years when he could have easily left for more money.

Paul Roos, who is a better judge than I, rated his leadership and rates the winning goal he kicked to seal a final as one of his greatest moments he has seen watching football.

Bernie Vince won our b&f, the following year he was moved to the backline and was never the same.

Benie Vince was more dynamic and had more tricks than Jones. Jones can’t play anywhere to AFL standard other than in the guts much like Dom Tyson.

Oliver is close to the best midfielder in the league but I think he could spend less time in the midfield and more across the ground to provide Jones an opportunity to spend more minutes on the ball.

We need to give him more time in the midfield or send him into retirement.

 

 

[Gator 17,449]

Give him a role that he can focus on.  Free up his mind.  Have him lock down on a key opposition player.  Stop them. 

Harmes is quicker and more dynamic, so is better suited to the outside running role, while still winning contested footy.

Try it.

[buck_nekkid 6,046]

How about back him?

[Bay Riffin 1,479]

16 minutes ago, Wrecker45 said:

Nathan Jones is likely to be in our next team of the century.

He stood by MELBOURNE during the worst years when he could have easily left for more money.

Paul Roos, who is a better judge than I, rated his leadership and rates the winning goal he kicked to seal a final as one of his greatest moments he has seen watching football.

Bernie Vince won our b&f, the following year he was moved to the backline and was never the same.

Benie Vince was more dynamic and had more tricks than Jones. Jones can’t play anywhere to AFL standard other than in the guts much like Dom Tyson.

Oliver is close to the best midfielder in the league but I think he could spend less time in the midfield and more across the ground to provide Jones an opportunity to spend more minutes on the ball.

We need to give him more time in the midfield or send him into retirement.

 

 

agreed. his only hope is extracting through the midfield. and he is losing confidence I feel. not quick enough to play at the pointy end or the wing. well maybe 'just' be able to.

he should be playing Tysons role.

I think its also a glaring weakness that we have no wingers of note and he has to play there. Kolodjashnij has been very underwhelming. Hunt is lost there. and not sure we have recruited any new ones from the 2018 draft either.

[Smokey 4,389]

Move Hibbard up to a wing and try Jonesy as a lock down back pocket? Might solve two of our current problems this way. Otherwise I'd be happy to see Jones off to pasture on current form.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,909]

The problems we have are a team issue, not an individual player issue. The evidence for that is 2018. So, I'd suggest not worrying so much about the performance of specific individuals and instead try to find why the team is not playing like the team of 2018.  

[Wrecker45 3,378]

18 minutes ago, ProDee said:

Give him a role that he can focus on.  Free up his mind.  Have him lock down on a key opposition player.  Stop them. 

Harmes is quicker and more dynamic, so is better suited to the outside running role, while still winning contested footy.

Try it.

While we play a rotational zone Jones can’t lock down a single player.

[Wrecker45 3,378]

3 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

The problems we have are a team issue, not an individual player issue. The evidence for that is 2018. So, I'd suggest not worrying so much about the performance of specific individuals and instead try to find why the team is not playing like the team of 2018.  

I’d argue it is a player issue. 17 players go in to post season surgery.

No matter how good a team is every time a player goes out a worse one comes in.

Lever and May are two of the highest paid players at the club. We are leaking goals, coincidence?

[Sir Why You Little 37,125]

I think the game has gone past Jones

it happens to all

we need to move forward

[Lucifers Hero 40,359]

On the plus side:

• Much loved champion of our club.
• Loyal, a demon forever.
• Sets off-field standards
• Works hard
• Plays tough football

On the negative side:

• Can't or won't run both ways. 
• Does not chase opponent, instead goes ball chasing or 'hands-over' his opp to a team mate who has to leave his man to cover Jones' opp, leaving a free player or sometimes two if he doesn't cover Jones' opp in time. 
• Defensive skills are now limited: stats this year for tackles and 1% are woeful. 
• When attacking into fwd 50 he rarely hits a target.
• Poor reader of the state of game so is limited in effectiveness as an on field general.

I see someone who is aging, who is showing more 'individual' rather than 'team-first' behaviours.   He may be preserving himself (purely speculation) or he may just be physically worn out from almost single handed carrying our club.  

Do the negatives outweigh the positives?  In the past a resounding 'No'.  For the future I fear they do. 

We need senior players and especially captains to set an example for expected on-field behaviours and to engender confidence in their charges that if we get into a hole during a game the captains know how to digs us out of it. 

I can't see Jones overcoming the negatives so I feel it is time to hang up the boots.  When?  End of this year.  It means he ends his wonderful career about 15 games short of 300 and without a flag. Sadly, just like a former #2.  

He will always be an immortal at mfc. 

I imagine Jones will have to be dragged kicking and screaming into retirement but I trust Goodwin to have the hard conversations, like Clarkson has.

Edited April 9, 2019 by Lucifer's Hero

[beelzebub 23,383]

@Lucifer's Hero spot on. He still has one very important role to play...something he in a fashion will need to step up to..Be THAT on field General. Rally the troops and taps on the bum  ( sts ).. keep the lads interested and focused out there.

He's a few yards behind the game now but he can surely invoke players to strive, even when things seem dead against you.

He has proved quite resilient. He can pass this on. Please

[Lucifers Hero 40,359]

8 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

@Lucifer's Hero spot on. He still has one very important role to play...something he in a fashion will need to step up to..Be THAT on field General. Rally the troops and taps on the bum  ( sts ).. keep the lads interested and focused out there.

For the last three weeks we have been crying out for that but it hasn't happened.  Would desperately love to see it but its not how he rolls.

Just yesterday Viney said it will be good to get Lewis' leadership back on the field.  Not sure he noticed the elephant(s) in the room implied in that statement...

Edited April 9, 2019 by Lucifer's Hero

[beelzebub 23,383]

4 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

For the last three weeks we have been crying out for that but it hasn't happened.  Would desperately love to see it but its not how he rolls.

Just yesterday Viney said it will good to get Lewis' leadership back on the field.  Not sure he noticed the elephant(s) in the room...

noted, hence my suggesting "a stepping up " Like yourself perhaps...I'm not seeing it...just love the notion that he might be able to.  It'd be a focus for him.

At least it would enable Jones to bow out meaningfully. As present he's a liability.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

Half-forward flank next to Petracca.

[old dee 23,871]

3 minutes ago, Clint Bizkit said:

Half-forward flank next to Petracca.

He would make Petracca look even slower.

[DeeZone 10,100]

Forward pocket for me until he gets his fitness up to scratch or back pocket. Jonesy has dropped off since those soft tissue injuries which have affected his confidence in his ability to run hard. I am surprised how quickly Jonesy has dropped off, maybe Bernie still had a year left in him. The trouble is that Jonesy and Jack lead by example they really don’t get around the players.What a dilemma. They need Gus, Clarry & Tracc to ? up and get around the team.

[John Crow Batty 8,878]

Question is whether it’s more important to go full tilt to turn the season around or keep Jones playing. He is currently a passenger and liability at this watershed moment and the club seems keen to keep manufacturing a position for him every week. He cant be hidden anymore. I just wish he dropped himself, give himself a dignified exit and save all the awkwardness. 

Edited April 9, 2019 by america de cali

[DeeZone 10,100]

The trouble is he wasn’t our worst.!!!!!

[JV7 2,354]

1 hour ago, ProDee said:

Give him a role that he can focus on.  Free up his mind.  Have him lock down on a key opposition player.  Stop them. 

Harmes is quicker and more dynamic, so is better suited to the outside running role, while still winning contested footy.

Try it.

100%. Throw him to Parker this week & the oppositions best mid for the next month. We are lacking a defensive mind set in the middle, he’s done run with roles in the past (back in 2014 when Roos started) if he can’t or doesn’t want to follow then the writing is on the wall. 

[dl4e 5,851]

I don't want to see another McDonald incident with Jones. He is a club champion but unfortunatly the game seems to have gone past him. Put him in the forward pocket ( still has goal sense ). He is too slow for the backline. Hopefully retires at seasons end.

[What 18,810]

1 hour ago, ProDee said:

Give him a role that he can focus on.  Free up his mind.  Have him lock down on a key opposition player.  Stop them. 

Harmes is quicker and more dynamic, so is better suited to the outside running role, while still winning contested footy.

Try it.

Good call.    Might be just what he needs.  In fact it seems like a logical move.

[TGR 1,367]

The only place he can hide is half-back like Jordie Lewis over the past 2 years.

 

Footy world (Lloyd on FC) has worked out the bleeding obvious.  MFC get out-run in terms of speed and spread.  Jones can't play wing on big grounds anymore.  Go to half back and stiffen us up, and Jordie retires after the Hawk game.

 

 

[Sir Why You Little 37,125]

30 minutes ago, america de cali said:

Question is whether it’s more important to go full tilt  to turn the season around or keep Jones playing. He is currently a passenger and liability and the club seems keen to keep manufacturing a position for him every week. He cant be hidden anymore. I just wish he dropped himself, give himself a dignified exit save all the awkwardness. 

Agreed. We can’t hide him anymore. 

A great servant to the Club, yes. But now also a liability, IF we wish to still chase a Finals Berth

[demoniac 1,336]

His positioning and decision making when played as a winger is horrendous. Too often he moves towards the contest leaving his opponent in space. In consecutive weeks that has led to that opponent receiving the ball and setting up a goal. He repeatedly slaughters inside 50s. Also obvious he doesnt have pace to run a way or catch opposing wingers. We simply can't play him on the wing.

Can he play anywhere else? I doubt it. Not all inside mids can find a role outside the centre square in the final years of their playing career. This  is a real test for Goody. Jones may not have talent comparable to greats of this club but his resilience and consistency through the decade of debacle see him sit easily in their company. But Goody must pick the best 22 for the Round 4. 

[demoniac 1,336]

18 minutes ago, TGR said:

The only place he can hide is half-back like Jordie Lewis over the past 2 years.

 

Footy world (Lloyd on FC) has worked out the bleeding obvious.  MFC get out-run in terms of speed and spread.  Jones can't play wing on big grounds anymore.  Go to half back and stiffen us up, and Jordie retires after the Hawk game.

 

 

You can't hide Jones or Lewis at half back. Both are slow and not natural aerialists. Look at the teams in the 8 and their ballistic running off half back. Can you see Jones or Lewis running the lines? Can you see either matching up on a marking 3rd forward?  If the answer is no there is no role for them down back.