The Breaking of Nathan Jones

[Demons11 7,129]

Jones stays in while healthy.  He is playing a high half toward role, so is not going to get a heap of it but he is starting to work into the role.  I think he has got better each week since coming back and no doubt had some demons in the back of his mind with his calf issues but seems to be working back to full pace. 
The bloke is the heart and soul and deserves to go out on his terms. 

Edited August 17, 2020 by Demons11

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 11,035]

Imagine if the club had decided to ditch Robbie Flower at the end of 1986, rather than let him retire on his own terms.

Obviously there are some differences between Jones and Robbie and if there was a total parallel, then it could be argued that if Jones were Robbie, then he probably would have seen the writing on the wall and retired at the end of 2018 and gone out on somewhat of a high.

But similar to Robbie, Jones stuck with us through thick and thin when we were a total basket case and at his prime could easily have gone seeking greener grass at another club elsewhere chasing a flag/finals like Frawley.

Time for the MFC to repay the faith.  Also thinking we don't have many veterans, so I'd assume that we could pay a fair portion of his salary outside the cap (whatever that ends up being next year).

[Little Goffy 14,795]

It's been a true joy these last few weeks to see Jones really clearly enjoying football.  He's had that generous smile like a parent seeing their kids having fun with something the parent loved as a kid.

I for one am really counting the run to 300 for Jones - trying not to get too sentimental and have a realistic assessment that he is earning his spot each week.  But... there is that little sneaking thought of Jones playing his 300th in a winning Grand Final.

That would be satisfactory.

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 11,035]

15 minutes ago, Little Goffy said:

It's been a true joy these last few weeks to see Jones really clearly enjoying football.  He's had that generous smile like a parent seeing their kids having fun with something the parent loved as a kid.

I for one am really counting the run to 300 for Jones - trying not to get too sentimental and have a realistic assessment that he is earning his spot each week.  But... there is that little sneaking thought of Jones playing his 300th in a winning Grand Final.

That would be satisfactory.

He has probably played in more wins this season so far in the 4 or 5 games he has played for the year than he did playing a full home and away season of 22 odd games in the dark times era 2011ish.

[Queanbeyan Demon 6,959]

For 55 years the club has been largely clueless . . . just like many of its supporters. I'm not sure who is mirroring the other.

Edited August 17, 2020 by Queanbeyan Demon

[Cards13 9,117]

1 hour ago, Skuit said:

My MFCSS antenna tells me this will end as cruelly as possible for the greatest stalwart of our club during its darkest era. Stranded on 299 games after another preliminary final's flop feels about par. 

And he’s the only one who plays a blinder on the day but blows out a calf deep into the last? You’re a mean person!

[maximum bob 462]

I'm not sure that any club, serious about success, would honour long-term service by granting a player extra games to reach a milestone next year unless they can do their job and carry their weight. The jury is definitely out for me.

 

[dazzledavey36 55,994]

2 minutes ago, Queanbeyan Demon said:

For 55 years the club has been largely clueless . . . just like many of its supporters. 

Yeah cool.. don't know what that's got to with Nathan Jones, but anywho...

Anyways back on topic, I love the chunk. Its worth noting also that he missed at the start of the year due to a heel injury. I believe it was during the Covid break. So he's still building into his fitness.

Right now, he's playing his role and to see him lay some bone crunching tackles which stopped some of the collingwood players in their tracks was something I hadn't seen from Chunk since 2016. Going off that, that shows to me that he's hungry for success this year.

It was also awesome to see him smiling and enjoying himself again.

 

[Moonshadow 17,678]

1 hour ago, Pollyanna said:

Or 300 on the Premiership dais.

Imagine if we made this year's GF in Nathan Jones 300th game and won - there would be some poetic justice there.

I think that would cure MFCSS forever

From your lips to god's ears, Polly! 

[Boots and all 1,000]

4 minutes ago, Moonshadow said:

From your lips to god's ears, Polly! 

...and wins Normie to cap it all off!!

[Engorged Onion 10,224]

10 minutes ago, Boots and all said:

...and wins Normie to cap it all off!!

With a stacked midfield - with the  like of Oliver, Petracca and Brayshaw - he'd have to perform Shane Ellen-esque to get the Norm. ?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gFYNEAm6Bo

Edited August 17, 2020 by Engorged Onion

[old55 23,848]

Look we played down on their fortunes Adelaide, North and Collingwood in the last 3 weeks but Nathan would have lost to them all plenty in his career so there would be some sweetness. 

Edited August 17, 2020 by Pollyanna

[Rodney (Balls) Grinter 11,035]

3 hours ago, A F said:

No one deserves to get to 300 IMO.

I've been a long time critic of Jones, but he's actually starting to work into his role now and it'll be interesting to see if he can sustain it.

I'd keep him in for the moment, but he definitely can get lost in transition and I don't think this is an intelligence thing, I think it's a leg-speed thing.

I know you have kind of justified the above later in this thread and I'm not saying that Jones should be beyond reproach.  Maybe us red and blue faithful are worshiping someone who with a ballanced view was only an above average player and never a superstar based on football ability.  But Jonesy won three best and fairests in a row, so he was the best above average player we had at the time and he stuck fat with the team.

I also do think that having guys like Jones and Bernie do the bulk of the grunt work in the guts has allowed the current batch of on ball stars we have now to mature in their own time rather than practically solely carry the load as Jonesy did for so many years or get the weight of the World and expectations thrust upon them like Trengrove and Grimes. 

I think he really played an anchor role in the current state of the team and for that he deserves a ton of respect in my book.

[Cards13 9,117]

It’s a toss up but at the very least I think you’ve got to give him the chance to get to 300, IF list sizes don’t change and he is happy on close “minimum” wage.

There are plenty of examples either way where it’s been fine to get a player to a milestone or not. 

[Ted Lasso 19,568]

Surely you keep him on, base wage ala Jack Trengoves last year, if for nothing other than depth and leadership. he deserves to get to 300 and the club needs him to

[Jaded No More 68,976]

6 hours ago, george_on_the_outer said:

This Club only has 1 player ever to play 300 games.  In Jones, we now have the chance to double that.

People talk about Club culture, and this is the way to achieve it.  i.e everything in OUR power to get him to that milestone after he has given so much to US.

If it means another year on the list, then so be it.  I could name 4 players who will not be there next year.  I could name another 4 who will probably be moved on, or never make the grade.  Yet Nathan is playing in our first 22 at the moment.

We will not be heavily involved in the draft this year, it is compromised and we have given away our first round pick.  Keeping Jones on the list will not affect our draft or trading position in any way. 

As a club we have to make it happen.

Amen. We have to make it happen and I hope we can do it in 2021 at the MCG in front of the fans. He deserves this much and anyone who says otherwise has a short memory. 

[whatwhat say what 23,650]

1 minute ago, Jaded said:

Amen. We have to make it happen and I hope we can do it in 2021 at the MCG in front of the fans. He deserves this much and anyone who says otherwise has a short memory. 

Qualify top 4, plays 300th in a premiership...

[Uncle Fester 2,848]

He’s earned it. If we have to carry him to it then so be it. After all he carried us for years

[The Chazz 4,077]

20 hours ago, daisycutter said:

oh really....i'm calling bs

Yeah, you're right, I have continued to watch.  But it's bordering on embarrassing to contribution Jones is making to the team.  His pace is a liability, and smart teams (that are smartly coached) will start their defensive movement forward through him.

I think it's quite clear that the FD has decided to try its best to get Jones to 300 games, which should keep some/many happy on here.  It'll be a great and worthy achievement for him if that happens, especially to be just the second player in our history to do so, but if it's potentially at the expense of us winning finals, then I'm dead against it.

Feast away.

[Dr. Gonzo 24,460]

If we ditch Jones while holding on to the Wagners and Smith this club is stuffed

I want to see him get to 300 hopefully it's this year

[The Chazz 4,077]

1 minute ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

If we ditch Jones while holding on to the Wagners and Smith this club is stuffed

I want to see him get to 300 hopefully it's this year

I totally agree, Dr.  I think list changes at the end of this year will be quite easy (ie Wagner x 2), and some tough calls will be made a lot easier if there's a reduction in list sizes (Hunt, Jones, ANB, Smith).

[Fork 'em 7,052]

Don't want the club paying Jones another 350K next year just so he gets to 300.

Robbie Flower played 287. 
Kicked 5 goals in an Elim and 4 goals in a Semi before Dippa cracked his shoulder in the prelim.
Then retired.
If any-one should have been carried to 300 it was him.

Edited August 18, 2020 by Fork 'em

[Demon Dynasty 17,135]

I know it's only one match but it was against the Filth.  I'll take equal 9th (statistically) from the Jones boy as a medium HF any day till someone else can shift him out of that spot.

And sure it's not the chunk we once knew about 3 seasons or so ago.  He's been a bit of a turnover king for a few seasons now. Which is why a HF role is more suited imho.  Turnovers not as damaging to the team in this part of the ground.

Even on season averages he is ranked 14th out of 34 who've played so far this season.  Statistically still well inside the top 22.  Who is ready to replace him right at this point who you could say with 100% certainty would do it better?

If you enjoy doing what you do you also tend to do it better.  Don't think i've seen Jones as happy as he was in the last match for some time.  He carried us through some awful times and sure he's on the wrong side of the slope.  Yes in a very strong team he might have been asked to move on at the end of last year but the FD saw fit for him to play on and he still might have a part to play in our finals destiny.  Who knows he might even turn back the clock occasionally in this next block of matches (or finals!) and surprise us all plus get to the 300 mark!

The other reason he might have been asked to continue....maybe a voice of experience on the field as an on field leader for the younger blokes?  Can't say i've seen any evidence myself so far but who knows.

Good luck Chunk

Player	Score	Rank
Angus Brayshaw	4.475	1
Christian Salem	4.125	2
Clayton Oliver	4.125	2
Ed Langdon	3.850	4
Steven May	3.425	5
James Harmes	2.950	6
Christian Petracca	2.900	7
Tom Sparrow	2.525	8
Nathan Jones	2.325	9
Michael Hibberd	2.325	9
Braydon Preuss # *	2.150	11
Charlie Spargo	1.900	12
Jake Lever	1.900	12
Tom McDonald #	1.750	14
Jake Melksham	1.700	15
Jack Viney	1.675	16
Jay Lockhart	1.475	17
Adam Tomlinson	1.450	18
Sam Weideman	1.375	19
Bayley Fritsch	1.100	20
Kysaiah Pickett	0.800	21
Aaron Vandenberg	0.500	22
Team Score	50.800
Top 6	22.950
Bottom 6	6.700

[TRIGON 4,796]

17 hours ago, Lord Nev said:

How did the least controversial Melbourne Demons footballer of all time become so controversial...

 

Well if you hang around long enough anything can happen.

[Dees2014 2,377]

17 hours ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

its ok, no offence is intended.  'Broken' was Jones' comment about the captaincy: "I think physically I always felt like I was capable, (but) I think last year really broke me down mentally and come the end of the season I just had a lot to think about." 

He looks a happy man now.

 

And playing some pretty good football, something l wouldn’t have said at the beginning of the year. At the moment he deserves his place, especially in view of the increased pressure he is creating recently. 

There are however some hard selection decisions approaching. Against the bullies, a side renowned for leg speed and quick ball movement, whether he is the right fit as apposed to someone like Hunt is debatable. In the end, at the moment, the club will make selection decisions based purely on our ability to win football games as we move towards the finals. 

However, should we fall out of the running for the finals, it is more than reasonable that other selection issues could be considered for Jones. 

At the moment though he deserves his spot on merit, and could potentially play an important role as we move towards hopefully a finals campaign.