What to do with Nathan Jones

[Caligula's cohort 1,014]

Jones will get to 300. He may not have the impact he once did, but he is still a hell of a lot better then some 18 year old kid who will take years to develop, or a mature age rookie who needs to learn our structures and game plan. It also gives guys like Sparrow, Dunkley and Jordon more time to develop and not thrown in the deep end playing in the First's. 

[Soidee 1,496]

Listening to Jones on Tele last night, he sounds determined to stay on.  Fair enough, however the club must must have a look at Captaincy for next year.  Viney seems one dimensional and could do with a full pre season without having to worry about the burden of being Captain. 

Gawn is carrying this team on his back and must be considered.  

Jones has carried the team for years and deserves to get to his 300.  Let’s refresh totally in 2020.

due to injuries the club is gifting so many B graders a game.  

[TGR 1,367]

Perplexed that many are putting Jones in with the Lewis bucket.  Jones hasn't been gifted games and been hidden as a +1.

Jones deserves another year full stop.

[demoniac 1,337]

Struggle to see a role for Jones if he is not onball as I don't think his attributes give him flexibility to play in non onball role.

Suspect he'll play on as he wants to  but club will need to manage expectations going forward as its a delicate situation given his service in deepressing times.

[Sir Why You Little 37,458]

Jones would have been better as a stay at home forward in the 50m arc yesterday. 

How often was our fwd line empty yesterday??

Players never run back in time. It didn’t seem a problem for The Filth. 

We do not work hard enough. Does Goodwin think it will just “click” one day, that is the impression i get from his press conferences

it’s all about work rate and having Jones on the outer wings is just ludicrous and naive tbh

[poita 3,944]

The question remains, who is Jones keeping out of the side at present? Answer = nobody.

Both Wagners, Stretch, Kennedy-Harris, Neal-Bullen, Lockhart and Spargo have all been dropped this season, some on multiple occasions. None of those offers anything new. Jordon, Bedford and Chandler are miles off senior selection.

Dunkley will hopefully get his chance in the next month, but is more likely to come in for Garlett, Spargo or Hannan.

Jones' form has been underwhelming for most of the past twelve months, but there is hardly a queue of talented young players at Casey. It will be up to him whether he pushes for 300 games next year.

[Matsuo Basho 1,053]

49 minutes ago, poita said:

The question remains, who is Jones keeping out of the side at present? 

That’s not the only question.

The other one is - with the season effectively over at round 12 and the opportunity to blood youngsters coming more sharply into focus, how relevant is Jones anymore?

Harsh reality but there it is.

[Deemania since 56 6,809]

On 4/26/2019 at 12:32 PM, Pirlo said:

He came fourth in the best and fairest last year, for goodness sake. Are you honestly saying he wasn't best 22 on talent in 2018? 

This is 2019 and one year beyond some good games, not his best games; these were 3-4 years ago whilst the side was in the doldrums. He is a team legend and so he must realise, as well, that the worm turns with age. Sentiment is good by all means, but it is costly. We can look back at some of our great players (eg: Neitz and Lyon) - the side was not particularly strong and one of the reasons was because those two were played too long - costly sentiment dominated. We missed an opportunity for some great recruits with dress circle tickets held in reserve, unused. Retirement is a bitter fact of life no matter who you are and what you have done in the past. Lewis, Jones, Garlett, Viney, TMac, Hibberd might be so characterised.

[Sorry kids 635]

Should not take the place of a midfielder

Should not play wing

Do not see him as a permanent backman

Is he better than Spargo and Co as a forward option-Yes

[Sir Why You Little 37,458]

6 minutes ago, Deemania since 56 said:

This is 2019 and one year beyond some good games, not his best games; these were 3-4 years ago whilst the side was in the doldrums. He is a team legend and so he must realise, as well, that the worm turns with age. Sentiment is good by all means, but it is costly. We can look back at some of our great players (eg: Neitz and Lyon) - the side was not particularly strong and one of the reasons was because those two were played too long - costly sentiment dominated. We missed an opportunity for some great recruits with dress circle tickets held in reserve, unused. Retirement is a bitter fact of life no matter who you are and what you have done in the past. Lewis, Jones, Garlett, Viney, TMac, Hibberd might be so characterised.

Agree. Jones should have retired 18 months ago. We hold on to our senior players too long...

[jumbo returns 6,745]

Gracefully and respectfully transitioned out

Clarko would do it

Brad Scott would do it

At 300, ask him to hang em up

[Mazer Rackham 14,972]

15 minutes ago, jumbo returns said:

Gracefully and respectfully transitioned out

Clarko would do it

Brad Scott would do it

At 300, ask him to hang em up

You mean 3 o'clock today? Okay.

[Mel Bourne 4,541]

 

For those suggesting he deserves 300 at the club (and he certainly does, however)...

If Nathan Jones wants to make 300 games it requires him playing every available game this season and the next, at which he’ll be at 297 games at the end of the 2020 H&A season. We’ll then have to play at least three finals, or else his 300th wouldn’t arrive till 2021. 

I’d love all this to happen (and having the reason he plays all those games to do with form and not sentimentality), but it’s a big ask... 

 

 

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,137]

On 4/25/2019 at 2:36 PM, Pirlo said:

Should think he'll play next season, even if he's not in the side every week. I'll be ropable if we sack him or lean on him to retire, and will likely stop supporting the club. Sacking Junior ripped the heart out of the club, this would be round 2. Would never happen under Jackson, but I don't know about Pert. 

On what basis can you say this about either CEO? (I realise you've said you "don't know about Pert" but clearly written in a negative form.)

[Demon Disciple 12,537]

41 minutes ago, Mel Bourne said:

 

For those suggesting he deserves 300 at the club (and he certainly does, however)...

If Nathan Jones wants to make 300 games it requires him playing every available game this season and the next, at which he’ll be at 297 games at the end of the 2020 H&A season. We’ll then have to play at least three finals, or else his 300th wouldn’t arrive till 2021. 

I’d love all this to happen (and having the reason he plays all those games to do with form and not sentimentality), but it’s a big ask... 

 

 

Ummm...............he currently sits on 276 games. If he plays the rest of the games this year (10), that'll leave him with 14 to get next year.

[Mel Bourne 4,541]

 

2 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

Ummm...............he currently sits on 276 games. If he plays the rest of the games this year (10), that'll leave him with 14 to get next year.

Aww hell dawg....

I swore it was around 275 but I googled “How many AFL games has Nathan Jones played?” to be exactly sure. Google tells me 264. 

I was befuddled but I put my trust in Google. 

All apologies. Lesson learned. 

And good news for the co-captain! 

[DV8 2,271]

1 hour ago, Mel Bourne said:

 

For those suggesting he deserves 300 at the club (and he certainly does, however)...

If Nathan Jones wants to make 300 games it requires him playing every available game this season and the next, at which he’ll be at 297 games at the end of the 2020 H&A season. We’ll then have to play at least three finals, or else his 300th wouldn’t arrive till 2021. 

I’d love all this to happen (and having the reason he plays all those games to do with form and not sentimentality), but it’s a big ask... 

 

 

Nat Jones is on 276 games this week... there's another 10 games this year to come...  potentially taking him to 286 total...  only 14 games short of 300_

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/player-profile/nathan-jones

I reckon he could get to 300 games, playing into next year.

[DV8 2,271]

22 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

Ummm...............he currently sits on 276 games. If he plays the rest of the games this year (10), that'll leave him with 14 to get next year.

Ha, you beat me to it,  'DD'.

[olisik 4,060]

Forward pocket to me like Gary Ablett. His weekend was poor however he did have a run with job on Sidebottom so he did sacrifice his own game for the team

[Billy 2,576]

48 minutes ago, olisik said:

Forward pocket to me like Gary Ablett. His weekend was poor however he did have a run with job on Sidebottom so he did sacrifice his own game for the team

My god that doesn’t fill me with confidence, Sidebottom didn’t seem to have anyone near him for a 100 minutes 

[Jaded No More 68,976]

The lack of respect for a champion of this club who stuck around when we were an abomination on and off the field when he could have left, is frankly heartbreaking. I know fans who jumped ship while he stayed  and carried a pathetic group of players on his back .

Jones not only deserves another year, he also deserves to call time on his career the way he chooses to. He has bloody earnt that much, and frankly him playing 22 games in 2020 is not going to be the reason we don’t win a flag. 

Edited June 11, 2019 by Jaded

[samcantstandya 1,081]

3 hours ago, Mel Bourne said:

 

For those suggesting he deserves 300 at the club (and he certainly does, however)...

If Nathan Jones wants to make 300 games it requires him playing every available game this season and the next, at which he’ll be at 297 games at the end of the 2020 H&A season. We’ll then have to play at least three finals, or else his 300th wouldn’t arrive till 2021. 

I’d love all this to happen (and having the reason he plays all those games to do with form and not sentimentality), but it’s a big ask... 

 

 

Sorry but the team is bigger than the individual. I barrack for Melbourne players come & go. Whilst I'd b rapt 4 Jones 2 get 300 games & join Nieta, but only if his form warrants it. I don't want him gifted games. This year I've seen him fumble and run in quicksand. If he relinquishes the captaincy & concentrates on his own form he might be able 2 reinvent himself otherwise Casey or retirement beckon. 

[Demon Disciple 12,537]

As others have said, who exactly is he keeping out of the side? No one.

If that remains the case going into next year, i expect Jones to play every game he is fit for. That is both a testament to his durability and our supposed improved depth (according to Goodwin) this year.

[Bay Riffin 1,518]

23 minutes ago, Jaded said:

The lack of respect for a champion of this club who stuck around when we were an abomination on and off the field when he could have left, is frankly heartbreaking. I know fans who jumped ship while he stayed  and carried a pathetic group of players on his back .

Jones not only deserves another year, he also deserves to call time on his career the way he chooses to. He has bloody earnt that much, and frankly him playing 22 games in 2020 is not going to be the reason we don’t win a flag. 

here here. he deserves absolute royal treatment.

[Mel Bourne 4,541]

7 minutes ago, samcantstandya said:

I’d love all this to happen (and having the reason he plays all those games to do with form and not sentimentality), but it’s a big ask... 

 

7 minutes ago, samcantstandya said:

Sorry but the team is bigger than the individual. I barrack for Melbourne players come & go. Whilst I'd b rapt 4 Jones 2 get 300 games & join Nieta, but only if his form warrants it. I don't want him gifted games. This year I've seen him fumble and run in quicksand. If he relinquishes the captaincy & concentrates on his own form he might be able 2 reinvent himself otherwise Casey or retirement beckon. 

Absolutely. Hence the above remark.