Jump to content

The Breaking of Nathan Jones


Demonland

Recommended Posts

5 minutes ago, america de cali said:

If other clubs supporters had true respect for Jones they would be trashing and cursing him like we and others do to the likes of Selwood, Martin, Rance, Hodge, Franklin and other players who know how to win. They would never speak of Jones like that. Jones gets soft respect because he is ineffectual and benign and they are happy to have him keep on playing forever for us.

The difference being they are all premiership players in ruthless, successful clubs.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Lord Nev said:

The difference being they are all premiership players in ruthless, successful clubs.

 

The lack of ruthlessness keep the likes of Jones playing for us well past his time. Many better players have been tapped on the shoulder at successful clubs. That’s the law of nature that our club seems to have forgotten. 

Edited by america de cali
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great Respect for Nathan Jones, to play for as long as he has with extremely poor sides, for a club with massive off field issues and to stick fat, most players would have jumped of the sinking ship.  The ship did plug the holes for a year but these plugs couldn't with stand the pressure of 2019.  Hopefully we have a stronger ship in 2020, my fear is we will never have strong enough structures to stop the boat leaking again.

On his on field performance, last 2 years he has be moved around a lot and really don't know what position they see him playing, he isn't a defender, gets lost on the wing and really is a in the guts type of footballer.  Unfortunately, the club sees him behind a few for the role he should be playing.

Edited by drdrake
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, america de cali said:

The lack of ruthlessness keep the likes of Jones playing for us well past his time. Many better players have been tapped on the shoulder at successful clubs. That’s the law of nature that our club seems to have forgotten. 

We did tap players on the shoulder in the past, only problem was that it led to Neeld being coach. 
 

Jones is a has been though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, america de cali said:

The lack of ruthlessness keep the likes of Jones playing for us well past his time. Many better players have been tapped on the shoulder at successful clubs. That’s the law of nature that our club seems to have forgotten. 

I think you're moving the goal posts a bit now mate.

Your point was Jones wasn't hated like the players you mentioned. Opposition supporters don't generally bother hating clubs that aren't successful.

And as far as 'tapping on the shoulder' goes, he was still being selected by a coaching group that had no problems dropping Vince and Lewis, so I'm not sure you can categorically state he's deserving of that 'tap' without being inside the club.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, nacnud said:

We did tap players on the shoulder in the past, only problem was that it led to Neeld being coach. 
 

Jones is a has been though.

Our problems then were far deeper than a few ageing players. That has been well documented. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, america de cali said:

Our problems then were far deeper than a few ageing players. That has been well documented. 

True, get ourselves right off field and we can succeed on field.

Anyways, Jones is still playing mainly for the sake of leadership and with an actual preseason should hopefully improve on last year. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites


16 minutes ago, america de cali said:

Our problems then were far deeper than a few ageing players. That has been well documented. 

What else has been mentioned by coach and player during last season was the roles Jones was being given. If Jones was fulfilling those, then coach and player would be comfortable. We don't know the conversations that were had.

Jones will get games this year and will be given roles to carry out by the coach's. They may end up only being cameos but if they add value he may well get more time than people believe. When Crawford finally got his GF medal it wasn't just on sentiment it was playing a role. If memory serves, he didn't play every game that year, even when fit (think it was a little over half).

If Jones is managed correctly and we get to the finals he will find something within himself and the coach will know that.

I couldn't think of anything more fitting.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jones deserves enormous respect from all Dees fans for his resilience during some really awful years. I can't see a role for him in our best 22 in 2020. He is a centre mid or he is not in the team. He would have been more highly regarded as a contested ball mid who could drift forward to kick a goal from the 50 if he'd played in better teams in his prime. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This conversation seems to resurface every few weeks. This is less about Nathan Jones and more about the 20 players on the list who failed to step up and take his spot last year.

Jones played 22 games last season because he was seen as a far better option, even when the season was shot, than the likes of JKH, Stretch, J.Wagner and a bunch of others who have previously been given many opportunities and failed every time.

I expect Jones to play round 1 and he will hold his spot until someone puts together a solid enough run of performances at Casey to take it off him. Given our lack of depth and his durability, there is every chance he will play game 300 in round 15.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, poita said:

This conversation seems to resurface every few weeks. This is less about Nathan Jones and more about the 20 players on the list who failed to step up and take his spot last year.

Jones played 22 games last season because he was seen as a far better option, even when the season was shot, than the likes of JKH, Stretch, J.Wagner and a bunch of others who have previously been given many opportunities and failed every time.

I expect Jones to play round 1 and he will hold his spot until someone puts together a solid enough run of performances at Casey to take it off him. Given our lack of depth and his durability, there is every chance he will play game 300 in round 15.

Good points. I hope our depth improves enough. 
we need it

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, BrisbaneDemon said:

He could be a real dangerous small forward, he’s a good kick at goal and a decent mark.

Dismissing the point that he's as slow as a wet week, and would apply next to zero forward pressure.

But, yeah, I'm sure he'd be a "real dangerous small forward"...

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

52 minutes ago, BrisbaneDemon said:

He could be a real dangerous small forward, he’s a good kick at goal and a decent mark.

Sorry that just simply isnt true. His marking has never been a feature. And even if he did make a decent small forward we need quality small forwards or need to develop them quickly. Cant cop jones being picked ahead of Pickett for example. 

Edited by Gouga
Link to comment
Share on other sites

56 minutes ago, BrisbaneDemon said:

He could be a real dangerous small forward, he’s a good kick at goal and a decent mark.

Decent mark?  Contested  marks 2019 - Nil.
For career,  27 at an average of 0.09 per game. 
He is a good kick for goal but he tends to hang off the contests just outside 50 waiting and calling for a teammate to win the ball and get it to him. Never mind looking after an opponent or winning the ball himself. Seriously if his teammates were deaf, he would never get the ball.

Edited by america de cali
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I picture Jones being similar to what we had with Lewis and Vince in their last seasons, he’ll be in and out of the side potentially depending on injuries or demanding form. He will be valuable at times when younger blokes are tiring and he just knows how to get that extra 1% out of himself. 

He played very well in Marsh 1, so right now is in the 22 for round 1. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nathan deserves a lot of respect.

However, the last few seasons has shown that Nathan's time to finish has come.

It comes to everyone. Given the financial rewards these days, we see too many players trying to hang on to their careers. Nathan has given a lot to the club but the club and the game has given a lot to Nathan, his material lifestyle, and, his future. There are not many people that are able to set themselves up for life in their early 30's.  

Also there is a lot of ego involved. And there are plenty of people (friends, supporters and club personnel) encouraging a player to keep going. Gary Ablett is one example of this influence. .

As they say in the classics, its always better to go out on on top rather than on the slide. Ablett should have retired. Sure he is still a great player, but he has become a shadow of his former self. 

The easy decision for Nathan was to step aside as Captain. The harder decision was retirement.

He has chosen to go on. I think its a mistake both for Nathan and the club. It was time for him to take the burden off his shoulders.

He is the past and not the future. This is where a wise coach could have intervened and encouraged the player to retire with dignity. I suspect that if Clarkson had been the coach, the outcome would have been different.

If we have a successful year and he is part of it, then his decision to go on may seem the right one. However, if he retains his place in the team, it still stops the development of a young player or someone that could contribute to team success for several years.

If we have another poor year, then Nathan could become an embarrassment. And on a personal level, he will find it very difficult to motivate himself, given his comments on 2019.   

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, hemingway said:

Nathan deserves a lot of respect.

However, the last few seasons has shown that Nathan's time to finish has come.

It comes to everyone. Given the financial rewards these days, we see too many players trying to hang on to their careers. Nathan has given a lot to the club but the club and the game has given a lot to Nathan, his material lifestyle, and, his future. There are not many people that are able to set themselves up for life in their early 30's.  

Also there is a lot of ego involved. And there are plenty of people (friends, supporters and club personnel) encouraging a player to keep going. Gary Ablett is one example of this influence. .

As they say in the classics, its always better to go out on on top rather than on the slide. Ablett should have retired. Sure he is still a great player, but he has become a shadow of his former self. 

The easy decision for Nathan was to step aside as Captain. The harder decision was retirement.

He has chosen to go on. I think its a mistake both for Nathan and the club. It was time for him to take the burden off his shoulders.

He is the past and not the future. This is where a wise coach could have intervened and encouraged the player to retire with dignity. I suspect that if Clarkson had been the coach, the outcome would have been different.

If we have a successful year and he is part of it, then his decision to go on may seem the right one. However, if he retains his place in the team, it still stops the development of a young player or someone that could contribute to team success for several years.

If we have another poor year, then Nathan could become an embarrassment. And on a personal level, he will find it very difficult to motivate himself, given his comments on 2019.   

 

 

I agree with all of that except that he should have retired or been pushed. I think we've learnt our lesson from James McDonald's exit. Sometimes there are cultural intangibles that are more important than just the football. I have no doubt he understands if he's good enough he will play if he isn't he won't. But keeping him sends a clear cultural message of respect to the playing group which outweighs the cost of his position on the list. 

  • Like 1
  • Love 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Demonland Forums  

  • Match Previews, Reports & Articles  

    2024 Player Reviews: #31 Bayley Fritsch

    Once again the club’s top goal scorer but he had a few uncharacteristic flat spots during the season and the club will be looking for much better from him in 2025. Date of Birth: 6 December 1996 Height: 188cm Games MFC 2024: 23 Career Total: 149 Goals MFC 2024: 41 Career Total: 252 Brownlow Medal Votes: 4

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 2

    2024 Player Reviews: #18 Jake Melksham

    After sustaining a torn ACL in the final match of the 2023 season Jake added a bit to the attack late in the 2024 season upon his return. He has re-signed on to the Demons for 1 more season in 2025. Date of Birth: 12 August 1991 Height: 186cm Games MFC 2024: 8 Career Total: 229 Goals MFC 2024: 8 Career Total: 188

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 4

    2024 Player Reviews: #3 Christian Salem

    The luckless Salem suffered a hamstring injury against the Lions early in the season and, after missing a number of games, he was never at his best. He was also inconvenienced by minor niggles later in the season. This was a blow for the club that sorely needed him to fill gaps in the midfield at times as well as to do his best work in defence. Date of Birth: 15 July 1995 Height: 184cm Games MFC 2024: 17 Career Total: 176 Goals MFC 2024: 1 Career Total: 26 Brownlow Meda

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 5

    2024 Player Reviews: #39 Koltyn Tholstrop

    The first round draft pick at #13 from twelve months ago the strongly built medium forward has had an impressive introduction to AFL football and is expected to spend more midfield moments as his career progresses. Date of Birth: 25 July 2005 Height: 186cm Games MFC 2024: 10 Career Total: 10 Goals MFC 2024: 5 Career Total: 5 Games CDFC 2024: 7 Goals CDFC 2024: 4

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 6

    2024 Player Reviews: #42 Daniel Turner

    The move of “Disco” to a key forward post looks like bearing fruit. Turner has good hands, moves well and appears to be learning the forward craft well. Will be an interesting watch in 2025. Date of Birth: January 28, 2002 Height: 195cm Games MFC 2024: 15 Career Total: 18 Goals MFC 2024: 17 Career Total: 17 Games CDFC 2024: 1 Goals CDFC 2024:  1

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 15

    2024 Player Reviews: #8 Jake Lever

    The Demon’s key defender and backline leader had his share of injuries and niggles throughout the season which prevented him from performing at his peak.  Date of Birth: 5 March 1996 Height: 195cm Games MFC 2024: 18 Career Total: 178 Goals MFC 2024: 1 Career Total: 5

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 1

    2024 Player Reviews: #13 Clayton Oliver

    Lack of preparation after a problematic preseason prevented Oliver from reaching the high standards set before last year’s hamstring woes. He carried injury right through the back half of the season and was controversially involved in a potential move during the trade period that was ultimately shut down by the club. Date of Birth:  22 July 1997 Height:  189cm Games MFC 2024:  21 Career Total: 183 Goals MFC 2024: 3 Career Total: 54 Brownlow Medal Votes: 5

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 12

    BLOODY BLUES by Meggs

    The conclusion to Narrm’s home and away season was the inevitable let down by the bloody Blues  who meekly capitulated to the Bombers.   The 2024 season fixture handicapped the Demons chances from the get-go with Port Adelaide, Brisbane and Essendon advantaged with enough gimme games to ensure a tough road to the finals, especially after a slew of early season injuries to star players cost wins and percentage.     As we strode confidently through the gates of Prin

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 3

    2024 Player Reviews: #5 Christian Petracca

    Melbourne’s most important player who dominated the first half of the season until his untimely injury in the Kings Birthday clash put an end to his season. At the time, he was on his way to many personal honours and the club in strong finals contention. When the season did end for Melbourne and Petracca was slowly recovering, he was engulfed in controversy about a possible move of clubs amid claims about his treatment by the club in the immediate aftermath of his injury. Date of Birth: 4 J

    Demonland
    Demonland |
    Melbourne Demons 21
  • Tell a friend

    Love Demonland? Tell a friend!

×
×
  • Create New...