Universal Love #2 Nathan Jones - Retired. Thank you Chunk

[PerfectFooty]

Apparently hurt his calf whilst training on holidays and won't join in full training for a while I read on an Instagram supporters page. Any truth to this?

Heard that he did it whilst participating in City2Sea, can't confirm but i heard a lot about it

 

[Crimson Azure]

Yeah I don't see any reason why he can't go on another 3 seasons. He's been very durable in his career to date.

He even surrvived Biffinator's dud watch.

 

[TheCount]

He even surrvived Biffinator's dud watch.

Surprising that doesn't rate higher on his list of accolades really.

 

[PerfectFooty]

Currently going through his stats on AFLtables. Obviously due in to play his 250th this year, but i'm actually surprised he leads the club in some stats. The lesser known to goals and games records

Most Handballs - 1st
Most Disposals - 1st
Most Tackles - 2nd (Junior still holds it, but is only 64 ahead)
Inside 50's - 2nd (Yze 1st)
Most Clearances - 1st

Modern Era Stats
Contested Possessions - 1st
Uncontested Possessions -1st
Goal Assits - 1st

And unfortunatly
Most Clangers - 1st

 

[dee_mac]

Currently going through his stats on AFLtables. Obviously due in to play his 250th this year, but i'm actually surprised he leads the club in some stats. The lesser known to goals and games records

Most Handballs - 1st
Most Disposals - 1st
Most Tackles - 2nd (Junior still holds it, but is only 64 ahead)
Inside 50's - 2nd (Yze 1st)
Most Clearances - 1st

Modern Era Stats
Contested Possessions - 1st
Uncontested Possessions -1st
Goal Assits - 1st

And unfortunatly
Most Clangers - 1st

What a gun. Already one of our greats. Most clangers comes with the territory when you have most disposals.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Currently going through his stats on AFLtables. Obviously due in to play his 250th this year, but i'm actually surprised he leads the club in some stats. The lesser known to goals and games records

Most Handballs - 1st
Most Disposals - 1st
Most Tackles - 2nd (Junior still holds it, but is only 64 ahead)
Inside 50's - 2nd (Yze 1st)
Most Clearances - 1st

Modern Era Stats
Contested Possessions - 1st
Uncontested Possessions -1st
Goal Assits - 1st

And unfortunatly
Most Clangers - 1st

Not surprising, he’s our only long term player from the recent high possession/high pressure era of footy

 

[stretcharmstrong]

Currently going through his stats on AFLtables. Obviously due in to play his 250th this year, but i'm actually surprised he leads the club in some stats. The lesser known to goals and games records

Most Handballs - 1st
Most Disposals - 1st
Most Tackles - 2nd (Junior still holds it, but is only 64 ahead)
Inside 50's - 2nd (Yze 1st)
Most Clearances - 1st

Modern Era Stats
Contested Possessions - 1st
Uncontested Possessions -1st
Goal Assits - 1st

And unfortunatly
Most Clangers - 1st

Over his career, in a season or something else?

 

[PerfectFooty]

Over his career, in a season or something else?

His career. This is all time stats for the club

 

[Cannon82]

Currently going through his stats on AFLtables. Obviously due in to play his 250th this year, but i'm actually surprised he leads the club in some stats. The lesser known to goals and games records

Most Handballs - 1st
Most Disposals - 1st
Most Tackles - 2nd (Junior still holds it, but is only 64 ahead)
Inside 50's - 2nd (Yze 1st)
Most Clearances - 1st

Modern Era Stats
Contested Possessions - 1st
Uncontested Possessions -1st
Goal Assits - 1st

And unfortunatly
Most Clangers - 1st

I expect Clarence will wrest the handball top spot off him in a few seasons.

 

[ponsdale]

I expect Clarence will wrest the handball top spot off him in a few seasons.

This year or next?

 

[booshboy]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...n/news-story/4860b8cde153800f0d40a229236144a4

 

[LeverPuller]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport...n/news-story/4860b8cde153800f0d40a229236144a4

Paywall

 

[Tulip]

Please unlock dudwatch

 

[booshboy]

Paywall

damn. its an article by Gawny on Nathan Jones' deserved legend.

 

[booshboy]

Paywall

Nathan Jones deserves to be recognised as Melbourne great, writes Max Gawn


MELBOURNE Football Club has a rich history. We have won 12 premierships — six of those from the mid ’50s to the mid ’60s - and there’s been six Brownlow medal winners along the way.

Four players — Ron Barassi Jr, Ian Ridley, Norm Smith and Brian Dixon — stand alone as the greatest Melbourne players of that VFL era.

Unfortunately, since 1964 we haven’t been able to lift the premiership cup.

So should that mean anyone who has represented this great club since 1964 can’t be rated among the best players to pull on the red and blue?

I don’t think so.

David Neitz, club games record holder, most games as captain, Coleman medallist and best and fairest winner is, in my humble opinion, the next legend of the club.

Then there is Garry Lyon, Robbie Flower and how could I forget the late, great Jim Stynes?

But where does Nathan Jones sit amongst these names?

He has won three best and fairests, played 242 games and captained the club for five years now.

Unfortunately what separates Nathan from all the names above is league-wide recognition.

No success, basically, since his first year when he helped the club win an elimination final leaves him with a lot of unwanted records.

But some stats don’t lie.

Another best and fairest puts him equal with Stynes as the most in the history of the club.

In another three seasons he could be a chance to have played the most games in a Melbourne jumper, and with the speed of the game and free agency, that may never be beaten.

But what I’m sure he is striving for the most is that elusive premiership.

The way I see Nathan is, I’m sure, similar to the way teammates saw Jim Stynes play through any injury that ever came up, or the way people saw Robbie Flower go and go again, or those who witnessed the determination and passion of Ron Barassi.

Nathan is a footy-first, everything-else-second type of person, although this has softened a touch with a young family.

He rarely misses a training session, let alone a game.

He has stood tall when the club was at its lowest.

Seven coaches have changed game plans and altered Nathan’s role, yet he just learns the new one and perfects that.

He puts friendships aside to have tough and honest conversations with teammates to try and get the best out of them.

One of those teammates was me.

On my first Christmas break as a player I came in to do weights at the club thinking I was doing the right thing.

I fluffed around in the weights room and wouldn’t have broken a sweat.

Nathan came in and asked the weights coach if I had done my program. The coach said yes, but confessed that I may have gone easy on the chin-ups. Nathan didn’t let me leave until I maxed out on the chin-up bar twice.

I’d say that if it wasn’t for Nathan’s brutal, yet well-intentioned, leadership I wouldn’t be here today.

He has gone out of his way to make sure your life is OK off-field, to demanding more and more effort on-field.

As a young fella, ‘Nath’ was a rough Mt Eliza boy whose hair was gone by 11 and had tatts covering his skin before puberty had arrived.

Deep down he would define himself as a bogan, although nowadays he does drink expensive red and dresses in only dark shades of clothing.

Early on, Nathan had very little understanding of people different to him.

There was one way to do it and that was “Chunk’s” way — a surf in the morning, skate in the arvo and hanging out at Frankston train station at night.

A lot has changed since then, obviously, and he has developed as a person to become captain, husband, father and one of the most caring and understanding people I know.

As a player he is hard and competitive and always striving to get more out of himself. Regularly seen at the bottom of packs doing the dirty work and yet somehow he is maybe the most-skilled player in the team.

He’s kicked more than 100 goals as a midfielder who can’t take a contested mark to save himself.

Todd Viney, probably the greatest inside midfielder the club has had in recent years, kicked 92.

Yet the quality that stands out the most, like the players above, is loyalty.

Would anyone have blamed Nathan if he left at the end of 2014? Even at the end of 2009?


He could have gone and chased a flag somewhere, but he knows that the flag wouldn’t be as sweet as it will be if he wins one at the club he loves and the club he has given his all too.

I’m excited for what is to come for Nathan.

Now a family man with two beautiful children and a gorgeous wife waiting for him after every game with a big grin on their faces, no matter the result.

It’s been another pre-season with younger midfielders still behind him in most running tests and he was again appointed captain alongside a born leader in Jack Viney.

He warrants respect with his accolades, but demands respect with his loyalty and performances.

If he finished up tomorrow he would be an automatic induction into the club’s hall of fame.

But he’s not retiring tomorrow and not any time soon as he chases the dream.

He deserves to mentioned in the same sentence as some of the greatest Melbourne footballers of all-time.

 

[Topkent]

He will always be a legend of the club to me. No matter what happens from here I'll never ever forget what he did for the club between 2012-16

 

[ABray10]

Was good yesterday, thought it was his best game of the year by far.

 

[saj_21]

Just watched the relay, his last quarter was superb. Set up two goals and kicked one himself, when we really needed it. It’s like he said stuff this I’ve had enough of losing to North.

 

[schmuttt]

Has had an excellent start to the year, been in our best half dozen in all 3 games and was arguably BOG yesterday. Shows how seriously he took the JLT games.

 

[Sando22]

He will always be a legend of the club to me. No matter what happens from here I'll never ever forget what he did for the club between 2012-16

Absolutely this!

 

[rhaz]

His 250th will be against the Doggies at Etihad. Shame it wasn't timed better, 1 more week and it'd be our Queen's Birthday home game at the G...

If he keeps playing he will be 5th all time games played by the end of the season.

 

[Topkent]

Still love when he shakes his hips while being tackled and ends up stationary while the bloke who tackle him is on the ground. I love Nate Jones. If anyone in the AFL deserves to enjoy some beltings it's him.

 

[stabler]

His 250th will be against the Doggies at Etihad. Shame it wasn't timed better, 1 more week and it'd be our Queen's Birthday home game at the G...

If he keeps playing he will be 5th all time games played by the end of the season.

But that's timed perfectly.

I was just thinking how the hell do we get up from a 6 day break after a trip to Alice, and now I know.

No way do the boys not get up for Jonesy's 250th. We are not losing that game

Edit - 6 day break

 

[RandB]

250th against the Dogs.

Jones appreciation all week in here please.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

u Naffffff

How he wasn't made captain sooner ill never know. Guess it only took a coach with a brain to realise it.

Its a testament to the man that he is admired by all other teams supporters, haven't met an opposition fan who doesn't rate him or love the way he plays. Club legend no doubt, has done the #2 so proud that i reckon its almost now our clubs most famous number following on from Robbie Flower (and Stephen Tingay lovers like me )