Player Watch Chayce Jones - Re-Signed to End of 2026

Murray2503

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May 10, 2016
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Chayce looked good down back in 2021 after struggling to find the ball in the middle or as a high half forward both at AFL and SANFL level previously.

Is this a temporary residence and just part of his development/football education? Like Goodwin, Ricciuto, Edwards, Johnson, Laird... will he graduate to the midfield in time?

Or is he best suited to playing behind the ball short and long term? Like Smith, Milera, Johncock... and others talked about as possible midfielders at one point of their careers.
Time will tell but likely his final destination is down back. There's nothing wrong with that either. As long as he excels down there he should be an automatic selection for some time.
 
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Temporary residence .....build confidence & game continuity, then into the midfield

Still has the strength & speed to be one helluva Mid .....still just 21 YO

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Absolutely agree with this. Temporary residence. It may last 2-3 years but long term, he will be a midfielder.

I am amazed just how quickly people jump off players, especially after a bad season. This time last year, Jones,Walker et al should have been delisted or not getting any games as they are done. This year it seems to be McAsey’s and Hately’s turn.

In reality we did Jones a major disservice for the first 2 years on our list. We played him in the graveyard as a HFF where he was not involved in the game much then we threw him into the midfield and he just looked awful. Confidence was down, just awful….badly down on confidence and form but NOT talent.

We settled him down at HBF for this year, he could see the game unfold in front of him, straight line running and all of a sudden he can use his pace and before you knew it, the confidence was up. He will spend a couple of years at HBF developing his craft and rolling through the midfield on occasions before making it a more permanent position.

Still has the attributes to be a gun midfielder. Speed and power albeit as a small midfielder.
 
Jun 7, 2011
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I'll go the Laird route.

He will excel in the backline and it'll appear his final destination. Plays some amazing football down there.

Then in 5+ years time, we have a few injuries, we have that "break in case of emergency" situation, so we move him into the midfield and it's only then does it click.

yep, 2 things. First is that we don’t use behind the ball roles to develop mids any more. Was Blight the last coach to graduate a defender to a midfield role? Second, as you say, Laird wasn’t a progression thing, it was out of pure necessity. He was droppable at half back and our midfield was getting destroyed. We had already tried Seedsman, so were out of options.
 
Final destination. He doesn't have the football brain to play AFL midfield, too task oriented, too straight lined and lacking in peripheral vision with ball in hand to even play as a half back flanker let alone the centre square, he's much more suited to playing back pocket as demonstrated this year. He's the surprise long term Luke Brown replacement who will push out the presumed, but ultimately disappointing, replacement in McPherson.
 

Mileratkinsshow

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Absolutely agree with this. Temporary residence. It may last 2-3 years but long term, he will be a midfielder.

I am amazed just how quickly people jump off players, especially after a bad season. This time last year, Jones,Walker et al should have been delisted or not getting any games as they are done. This year it seems to be McAsey’s and Hately’s turn.

In reality we did Jones a major disservice for the first 2 years on our list. We played him in the graveyard as a HFF where he was not involved in the game much then we threw him into the midfield and he just looked awful. Confidence was down, just awful….badly down on confidence and form but NOT talent.

We settled him down at HBF for this year, he could see the game unfold in front of him, straight line running and all of a sudden he can use his pace and before you knew it, the confidence was up. He will spend a couple of years at HBF developing his craft and rolling through the midfield on occasions before making it a more permanent position.

Still has the attributes to be a gun midfielder. Speed and power albeit as a small midfielder.

Agree. Build his confidence. If he absolutely is carving it up a few weeks in a row, and starts well again, then put him in the middle at the start of the 2nd quarter and see what happens. If the momentum continues he would be an exciting prospect.


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George Kramer

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Final destination. He doesn't have the football brain to play AFL midfield, too task oriented, too straight lined and lacking in peripheral vision with ball in hand to even play as a half back flanker let alone the centre square, he's much more suited to playing back pocket as demonstrated this year. He's the surprise long term Luke Brown replacement who will push out the presumed, but ultimately disappointing, replacement in McPherson.
McPherson had a good introduction, a disappointing early 2021 but his second half was much better, so he’s hardly a disappointment
 
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Final destination. He doesn't have the football brain to play AFL midfield, too task oriented, too straight lined and lacking in peripheral vision with ball in hand to even play as a half back flanker let alone the centre square, he's much more suited to playing back pocket as demonstrated this year. He's the surprise long term Luke Brown replacement who will push out the presumed, but ultimately disappointing, replacement in McPherson.
I love that you think there is a genuine difference between playing half back and back pocket - like it’s 1985 and they stay in their positions. Hilarious.
 

John Who

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If he gains more games and confidence, no reason why he can’t be tried again in the midfield in a few years time. His pace and tackling is good enough to be played in various spots all over the field (defense, mid and even up forward).

I also think him being in our system in quite possibly the worst 3-year period in the history of the Crows (on-field performance and off-field), has some effect on his mindset and confidence, as well as the pressure of being a first round pick. If that is the case, I think his confidence will likely shoot up if we can continue our upward trajectory up the ladder, and the team regains the footy passion again.
 
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I think it depends on other players.

If we unearth a few midfield guns from the current group or even trade one in next year, then, if Chayce is doing well in the backline, just leave him there.

I think once his confidence is right he will have the ability to play in the middle. I just don't know if he'll have to.

Agreed. We've drafted a number of similar types/sized players who are going to be pushing for midfield spots. I'm thinking Schoenberg, Berry, Pedlar, Soliga, Taylor and to a lesser extent McHenry and Rachelle. If these guys come on as hoped, and Jones is performing well in defense, providing good shutdown, along with setting up rebound from defence, there'll be little drive to shift him into the midfield and he probably stays. If we're still light on for talent in the midfield, then there's likely more impetus to shift him.

At present, I like him where he is and he makes it hard to bring Brown back into the side.
 
Jun 7, 2011
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If he gains more games and confidence, no reason why he can’t be tried again in the midfield in a few years time. His pace and tackling is good enough to be played in various spots all over the field (defense, mid and even up forward).

I also think him being in our system in quite possibly the worst 3-year period in the history of the Crows (on-field performance and off-field), has some effect on his mindset and confidence, as well as the pressure of being a first round pick. If that is the case, I think his confidence will likely shoot up if we can continue our upward trajectory up the ladder, and the the footy passion again.

gut feel is that Godden took a special interest and over-coached and micromanaged him. It was clear watching him in huddles that he was mentally rooted. I don't think he was being coached to just go for it but rather concentrate on reacting to what the senior mids were doing. His regression to abject failure as an SANFL mid suggests much more than a form slump or 2nd year blues.
 
Oct 16, 2011
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McPherson had a good introduction, a disappointing early 2021 but his second half was much better, so he’s hardly a disappointment

I'm just putting this out here but when Macpherson let his hair grow out in that stupid half curly mullet abomination, his football went backwards. As soon as ( hopefully Nicksy demanded this) he went back to a more sensible short back and sides, his game flourished.

If we have room in our soft cap, I'd like to see us bring a full time barber on board, an old fashioned one that only has clippers, no scissors and the type who would listen to what you wanted but would give you a short back and sides anyway because that was all that was taught at his barber school
 

70lethal

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Absolutely agree with this. Temporary residence. It may last 2-3 years but long term, he will be a midfielder.

I am amazed just how quickly people jump off players, especially after a bad season. This time last year, Jones,Walker et al should have been delisted or not getting any games as they are done. This year it seems to be McAsey’s and Hately’s turn.

In reality we did Jones a major disservice for the first 2 years on our list. We played him in the graveyard as a HFF where he was not involved in the game much then we threw him into the midfield and he just looked awful. Confidence was down, just awful….badly down on confidence and form but NOT talent.

We settled him down at HBF for this year, he could see the game unfold in front of him, straight line running and all of a sudden he can use his pace and before you knew it, the confidence was up. He will spend a couple of years at HBF developing his craft and rolling through the midfield on occasions before making it a more permanent position.

Still has the attributes to be a gun midfielder. Speed and power albeit as a small midfielder.
It would be nice if our midfield developed so well Jones couldn't fit in and he became as good as a Salem at HB.
It would be worth running him through the midfield late next year or 2023.
 

hugecannon

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I'm just putting this out here but when Macpherson let his hair grow out in that stupid half curly mullet abomination, his football went backwards. As soon as ( hopefully Nicksy demanded this) he went back to a more sensible short back and sides, his game flourished.

If we have room in our soft cap, I'd like to see us bring a full time barber on board, an old fashioned one that only has clippers, no scissors and the type who would listen to what you wanted but would give you a short back and sides anyway because that was all that was taught at his barber school
I believe one of our mods has some theories about this very subject ………
 
Jun 7, 2011
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I'm just putting this out here but when Macpherson let his hair grow out in that stupid half curly mullet abomination, his football went backwards. As soon as ( hopefully Nicksy demanded this) he went back to a more sensible short back and sides, his game flourished.

If we have room in our soft cap, I'd like to see us bring a full time barber on board, an old fashioned one that only has clippers, no scissors and the type who would listen to what you wanted but would give you a short back and sides anyway because that was all that was taught at his barber school

Drugs Are Bad Mackay? alias everyone. 2 tragics for cricket and single colour short back and sides. Case is fully rested.
 
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I'm just putting this out here but when Macpherson let his hair grow out in that stupid half curly mullet abomination, his football went backwards. As soon as ( hopefully Nicksy demanded this) he went back to a more sensible short back and sides, his game flourished.

If we have room in our soft cap, I'd like to see us bring a full time barber on board, an old fashioned one that only has clippers, no scissors and the type who would listen to what you wanted but would give you a short back and sides anyway because that was all that was taught at his barber school
I am in furious agreement with this post

Hobos don't play football
 
Is there a possibility he could be a tagger or play on opposition half backs ?

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He plays defensively on opposition small forwards, and did for much the season, he never lined up as a loose or attacking back flanker. So yes he probably could, but not sure why we would.
 

CroCrow

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Final destination. He doesn't have the football brain to play AFL midfield, too task oriented, too straight lined and lacking in peripheral vision with ball in hand to even play as a half back flanker let alone the centre square, he's much more suited to playing back pocket as demonstrated this year. He's the surprise long term Luke Brown replacement who will push out the presumed, but ultimately disappointing, replacement in McPherson.
People are over rating his backline performances because it's almost like they're praying one of that crop of draftees turns into a success. As a supporter who sits behind the goals in the last row I get a great view of defenders and to be honest all the issues mentioned above are also visible in the backline also especially when it's a congested backline . Personally I think he will be delisted in the next few years as much as I'd like that not to be the case . An unnatural footballer
 
People are over rating his backline performances because it's almost like they're praying one of that crop of draftees turns into a success. As a supporter who sits behind the goals in the last row I get a great view of defenders and to be honest all the issues mentioned above are also visible in the backline also especially when it's a congested backline . Personally I think he will be delisted in the next few years as much as I'd like that not to be the case . An unnatural footballer

You don't need a natural footballer to play a shutdown role, should the back pocket end up being Chayces calling.

Especially as it's another way for us to add pace and another good ball user to our backline, and how low value the position is, he'll end up having a long career if he settles there (because it's just not worth upgrading). Of course, it'd be an absolute waste of time for us to do that at this juncture, seeing that's a last resort role.
 
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