DEFYING MURPHY'S LAW

by Whispering Jack

A little under twelve months ago, two young midfielders were starring for the Victorian Metropolitan team that won the All Australian Under 18 Championships. They were both measured at around 178cm in height, both were prolific possession gatherers during the series and both achieved All Australian status. Thanks to Foxtel and my VCR, I watched them playing in one of the opening championship games against Western Australia. Needless to say, both starred. Along with blond key forward Beau Dowler, I judged Marc Murphy and Nathan Jones as the best three players on the ground. It would have been a difficult task assessing who was the best of the three and I'm glad it wasn't my job although, in the end I might have even plumbed for Jones because he was the tough in and under player who are so hard to find these days - the type Melbourne badly needed at the time if the club was to make its move into the upper echelons of the AFL.

Foxtel and my trusty VCR came in handy again on grand final day when I recorded the TAC Cup curtain raiser to the biggest show on the football calendar. The brightest star on the day was Jones who played a defensive role but also had his share on runs on the ball. He excelled with 36 touches in a losing team showing fantastic strength, toughness and endurance, great hands and excellent decision-making ability. I was impressed.

A couple of months later, the Vic Metro trio were all selected in the 2005 AFL National Draft. Murphy went at number 1, taken by Carlton. Dowler went to the Hawks at pick 6 despite suffering a serious injury (pelvis) as a result of a car accident some weeks before the draft. Jones was taken at 12 by Melbourne – it's only selection in the top fifty thanks to the decision to recruit Byron Pickett with its second round pick and an adjustment of other lower selections (one of these was pick 60 which the Demons used to draft Clint Bartram but that's a story for another day).

I'm a big fan of internet drafting guru Colin Wisbey so I looked forward to his assessment of Jones on The Extreme Black and White Bullet In Board. His views vindicated my earlier enthusiasm for the Jones boy:-

"Indestructible, indefatigable self-made tank who runs hard all day, never gives up, is very clean, and drives the ball forward relentlessly. Ultra-consistent, running, inside ball magnet with great work rate. Routinely runs hard and smart to get, to link and to apply pressure. Hits the contest hard and with purpose and efficiency. What you are buying is not just a hard working genuine footballer with physical presence but an impact player - impacts for 4 quarters each and every week like clockwork. And a quality kid with leadership potential."

Not a bad wrap even if he compared Jones to a "Ute" rather than a Rolls Royce which might be an apt metaphor for the number one draft choice. As I read the Wiz' assessment I thought I was visiting a used car yard, "Clean. Low km. Extra bull-bar. Current RWC".

Whatever!

I looked forward to seeing Nathan Jones during one of my irregular visits to Melbourne pre season training and then in the Nab Cup and my enthusiasm didn't wane. The only problem was that he wasn't selected in the early games while Carlton chose their first round pick straight off for the opening game of the season (and he looked pretty good too)! But then I thought, "what the hell, he's young (about six months younger than Murphy)" and the Demons had other young midfielders who were entitled to priority. Jones would just have to wait. His time would come.

We fast forward to the halfway mark of the 2006 AFL season and Murphy has established his place in the Carlton team having played all eleven games to date including some impressive performances in the Blues' midfield. He was an early Rising Star nomination and is one of the favourites for that coveted award. Meanwhile, Dowler has recovered and played a handful of games with the Box Hill Hawks and Jones has spent his first half season on an AFL list playing in the VFL with Sandringham. This week he was named as an emergency for the Demons' clash with Essendon at the Telstra Dome. He's getting closer.

The question arises as to which player is better off – the one who has been pushed up and is already an AFL regular or the one who is learning the ropes at the next level below.

It's a question that cannot really be answered in the short term. On the face of it, you'd say Murphy by a long way at the moment. He's already established himself, has the experience in top company and will surely hold down a regular spot in the Carlton team for many years to come.

I think however, that Jones' development is not being hurt by spending this time at Sandringham under the eye of a number of coaches who will help make him a more complete footballer.

Last week, I saw him put in a best afield performance on the windswept Casey Fields in front of perhaps a thousand spectators. It would have been a great experience for him to strut his stuff in front of eighty times that number but it doesn't really matter for now. He showed us that he is learning fast. He might have been an young ute when he came to the club six or so months ago but, in the not too distant future, he is going to prove to be of vintage quality in a strong team.

That's what matters in the end.