As frustrating as it is to watch, he just needs games. Even he gets 4 touches. He’s played 35 games. I still think the cliche is true, judge a player when they get to 50+ games, that’s when you know what you have.
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Especially when they have been so interrupted with injury. I used to rate Jones very highly and he has plateaued a lot, but I agree with the fact that we wont know unless he gets say 10 in a row (if he deserves them), and to 50 games. Make a decision at the end of the year if either of those have happened.
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Are you still a believer, Bix?
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Just looking at Jones’ draft from 2019.
Maybe I’m wrong (and please point it out if I am), but there aren’t a whole hell of a lot of tall forwards in that draft that have done anything of note in the league yet. Maybe we’re all going off too early, maybe it wasn’t a great draft for tall forwards. You get to pick 18 before Mitch Georgiardes (192cm) as the first “tall” forward was picked.
But after that:
- Harrison Jones (196cm)
- Charlie Comben (199cm)
- Jake Riccardi (198cm)
Georgiades had a strong 2021 and 2022, before doing a knee in 2023; Comben has played 9 games, and broken his back, leg and collarbone, then injured his ankle since being drafted; Riccardi was drafted as a 20 year old, and has played 53 games and kicked 65 goals.
I feel like Jones is probably 20-30 games of development behind Riccardi and Georgiades, and my hope pre-season was that this would be the year that he “broke out”. I think I would still persist with playing him as often as possible, but still dropping him for form reasons when deserved, so he knows he’s not guaranteed games,
I would love to see him tear it up in the VFL playing CHF, getting up the ground and working his opponent into the ground with his running ability. He’s the sort of player who could have 18-20 possessions and kick 3-4 goals pretty regularly.
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Let’s be realistic. He’s never kicked more than 2 goals in a game and averages 8 disposals and just over 1 goal per game. He’s a pretty average mark, doesn’t have good leading patterns and has the confidence of a minnow and the body of a teenager.
Sure, tall kids MAY become great forwards and kick bags, but there is really nothing to suggest Jones will ever become that player.
Look, people say he’s spud. Fine. After 2021 he has spent a lot of time injured and seems to have lost all form and touch. So Jones is providing naysayers with plenty of amo.
Regardless of whether it’s Jones or Weid, I always hope the club is able to turn their form around. They wear a red and black jumper so I will always support them and wish them the best.
Jonsey, get on the field, get your body right and prove to everyone why 2021 was no flash in the pan!
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You’re probably right. Like 1.10 favourite right. But I don’t want to write off an agile 196cm tall forward at the age of 23 on the basis of 30 injury-interrupted games. Not yet. There have been enough little signs there to suggest there’s the makings of a good AFL player in there, and I will be absolutely fuming if he goes to another club and becomes that.
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Tough to read this tbh what a horror run of injuries
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His ankle injury made me want to throw up. Gruesome.
If we’re going to be realistic can we at least get the stats right?
Has kicked 3 goals twice (both in his first year of playing/2nd on list).
Absolute long shot at this point regardless though.
I’ve always had faith but it’s definitely starting to diminish.
Was nice to see the effort round 1 but really needs to start holding some marks.
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Thanks for the correction. Doesn’t change much from my view.
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Nah you’re right, I’m just nitpicking.
I don’t really disagree with you. He’s shown a few little signs at times, but nothing really since that debut year to suggest he’s going to make it as a forward.
Just hoping he proves us wrong and starts tearing it up.
We aren’t doing him any favors, he needed to play VFL last week, we could be doing a lot more for his development, him playing 10 games in a row at VFL level is probably what he needs
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Why didn’t he play VFL? Was he travelling emergency? He was listed as omitted from the AFL team IIRC
yes travelling emergency, along with Davey.
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Sort of funny reading this as in the Caddy thread most seem to be saying don’t play him VFL as it won’t do him any good. Now in here playing VFL will do Jones good.
PS I know you never said that about Caddy, just using your post to highlight how differently people see things.
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Every game that we select Jones, is a game wasted that we could be using for caddy’s development
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Jones has played AFL and shown he’s not really up to making much of an impact atm, so goes back to VFL to try and regain form/confidence. Our VFL team kinda sucks, but there’s still going to be some opportunities to make an impact
Caddy gets a chance to prove if he can/can’t impact at AFL level before we make the call imo.
Also - Shiny new thing syndrome.
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Playing VFL is better than not playing at all.
Don’t get me wrong, our VFL system is horrible, not the best place to develop but we don’t have any other options, Jones sitting in the stands last week was the worst call we could possibly make.
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