Another scalp for Clinton Jones

[joxstrap]

Jones had a brilliant year last year and has looked in great form early this year. I really, really admire the way he goes about it. I've made a point of following him during games, and check out his eyes if you can, he is just ridiculously intense, always has his eyes on his man, and gets the job done almost every time. He is also pretty handy at actually finding the ball too and making a quick kick forward without giving up his coverage of his opposite number. I'm really impressed with him.

If he keeps improving as he did last season he'll be a gun in the not too distant future. Dominated Didak, even though he's slightly (very!) prone to going to water with a tag, and it's only the NAB, CJ couldn't have done any more really.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

As long as he keeps his current tagging role there is not much more he can do.
The next step up is tagging 2 players out of the game.

 

[Plugger35]

They actually had an interview with Clinton Jones on 6PR Sportstalk here last night and they were talking about his transformation from when he was playing WAFL in Perth.

Back then he was just an attacking wingman/midfielder with hardly any defensive side to his game at all so it's a credit to the Saints coaching staff and Jones the way he has transformed himself into one of the best taggers in the game.

Fair to say he probably needed to do that though as his disposal skills weren't good enough to get him a game in the AFL as a purely attacking midfielder. His disposal skills have actually improved a lot now though and he can be quite a damaging offensive player too when required.

 

[Value Added]

I'd prefer CJ to Ling. CJ is getting better while Ling is past his best.

 

[GeorgeGrljusich]

Clint Jones makes me cry.
What a missed opportunity with the benefit of hindsight.
Cracking player.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Clint Jones makes me cry.
What a missed opportunity with the benefit of hindsight.
Cracking player.

Yep, we thought it was a risk to take on such a young player, but we snapped him from under your noses before his 24th birthday.

http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/in-like-clint-20091124-j5km.html

Look at the bright side, if you'd drafted him you probably would have turned him into an attacking wingman with poor disposal.

 

[GeorgeGrljusich]

Yep, we thought it was a risk to take on such a young player, but we snapped him from under your noses before his 24th birthday.

http://www.smh.com.au/afl/afl-news/in-like-clint-20091124-j5km.html

Look at the bright side, if you'd drafted him you probably would have turned him into an attacking wingman with poor disposal.

We just traded you one of those.

 

[Plugger35]

Clint Jones makes me cry.
What a missed opportunity with the benefit of hindsight.
Cracking player.

Easy to looks at things with the benefit of hindsight though. At the time we picked up Jones he wasn't really anything special but obviously our recruitment staff saw something in him. I remember his first few games at the Saints before he became a tagger and his disposal skills were pretty ordinary. Honestly didn't think he'd be any more than a fringe player at best.

However he worked hard on the defensive side of his game and he is now an elite tagger and a crucial member of our team. Hard to say whether he would have become the same sort of player at Freo or any other club. Lyon really emphasises the defensive side of players games so he may not have been turned into a tagger elsewhere.

 

[Plugger35]

We just traded you one of those.

You might be crying about Peake too by the end of this year.

Early days yet but he has looked OK for us so far and the other players seemed to be quite impressed with him.

 

[GeorgeGrljusich]

Easy to looks at things with the benefit of hindsight though. At the time we picked up Jones he wasn't really anything special but obviously our recruitment staff saw something in him. I remember his first few games at the Saints before he became a tagger and his disposal skills were pretty ordinary. Honestly didn't think he'd be any more than a fringe player at best.

However he worked hard on the defensive of his game and he is now an elite tagger and a crucial member of our team. Hard to say whether he would have become the same sort of player at Freo or any other club. Lyon really emphasises the defensive side of players games so he may not have been turned into a tagger elsewhere.

Agreed on his WAFL form. Watched him a fair bit with Souths and he was aa average player at best.
He definitely wouldn't have progressed with us under Connolly. He couldn't coach defense to a player if he had Langford, Silvagni and Scarlett at his disposal.
Harvey, however, is HUGE on it, and it is starting to pay dividends.

 

[Plugger35]

Agreed on his WAFL form. Watched him a fair bit with Souths and he was aa average player at best.
He definitely wouldn't have progressed with us under Connolly. He couldn't coach defense to a player if he had Langford, Silvagni and Scarlett at his disposal.
Harvey, however, is HUGE on it, and it is starting to pay dividends.

Harvey does seem to have brought a much harder edge to Freo. Was quite impressed with the way you played last year, even if you didn't win many games. You look to have a good group of young players coming through now and seem to be on the right track.

I'd expect Freo to be the big improvers this year, not sure if you'll play finals but you won't be far away.

 

[GeorgeGrljusich]

Harvey does seem to have brought a much harder edge to Freo. Was quite impressed with the way you played last year, even if you didn't win many games. You look to have a good group of young players coming through now and seem to be on the right track.

I'd expect Freo to be the big improvers this year, not sure if you'll play finals but you won't be far away.

Cheers.
We aren't as bad as some reckon, and our kids are badly underrated by some as well.
Maybe not the 8 this year, but developing a reputation as a decent team going into 2011,12.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

The artical I linked to doesnt think there was much wrong with him!
But maybe they just take it in turns getting B&F at South Freo.

"Jones did not exactly crawl from behind a rock. He was a star at South Fremantle from the colts to senior best and fairest in the premiership year of 2005 and third in the Sandover Medal for the league's best player in 2006, when the Bulldogs lost the grand final.

It was just that kicking, and that awkward ball drop. ''I wouldn't say he was bad,'' said Dimmer. ''His technique was a bit different, and occasionally he would miss targets. He actually turned his foot at a funny angle and almost kick it off his instep. We talked about it but we didn't want to change it, because his kicking wasn't that bad … It's a bit like golf: it's how many, not how.''

All the recruiters knew about him by the end of 2006 but none had taken him on until Lyon gave him a chance. St Kilda was aware of the knock on his kicking, but could also see that he was a hard runner, quick and tough. ''That's what can happen with a lot of players,'' said Dimmer. ''The recruiting people say 'he's got this wrong' and they put a line through him. They ignore 50 other things that are sensational and the one thing cancels him out. I think they're too choosy and picky with mature players. They're continually going for 17 and 18-year-olds. I'm convinced there are plenty of 21 to 23-year-olds who can play AFL, but they've been passed by.'' "

 

[GeorgeGrljusich]

You might be crying about Peake too by the end of this year.

Early days yet but he has looked OK for us so far and the other players seemed to be quite impressed with him.

I find it difficult to give a fair and balanced appraisal here.
His old man was a champion and brett showed every sign that he might be nearly as good for a while in 2006.
But man was he a frustration to follow. Fall over, run around in circles and terrrible disposal.
Personally, I blame Connollys shit development skills.
And these were so ingrained in him by the time that Harvey took over that he found it difficult to change. His attitude was pretty crappy at times as well.
A change of scenery will do him good, no doubt. but I question his ability to pick the right option under pressure and maintain his intensity, Regardless of who is coaching him.
my 2 cents.

The artical I linked to doesnt think there was much wrong with him!
But maybe they just take it in turns getting B&F at South Freo.

"Jones did not exactly crawl from behind a rock. He was a star at South Fremantle from the colts to senior best and fairest in the premiership year of 2005 and third in the Sandover Medal for the league's best player in 2006, when the Bulldogs lost the grand final.

It was just that kicking, and that awkward ball drop. ''I wouldn't say he was bad,'' said Dimmer. ''His technique was a bit different, and occasionally he would miss targets. He actually turned his foot at a funny angle and almost kick it off his instep. We talked about it but we didn't want to change it, because his kicking wasn't that bad … It's a bit like golf: it's how many, not how.''

All the recruiters knew about him by the end of 2006 but none had taken him on until Lyon gave him a chance. St Kilda was aware of the knock on his kicking, but could also see that he was a hard runner, quick and tough. ''That's what can happen with a lot of players,'' said Dimmer. ''The recruiting people say 'he's got this wrong' and they put a line through him. They ignore 50 other things that are sensational and the one thing cancels him out. I think they're too choosy and picky with mature players. They're continually going for 17 and 18-year-olds. I'm convinced there are plenty of 21 to 23-year-olds who can play AFL, but they've been passed by.'' "

Yeah...i don'tknow about a star. He would flash in and out of games to much for mine.
But when he did have a cracker, that shock of blond hair brought him to the umpies attention for votes.
Massively improved since joining you guyd. Incredibly so, for mine.
And good on him for showing the application in doing so.

 

[Zagg]

I find it difficult to give a fair and balanced appraisal here.
His old man was a champion and brett showed every sign that he might be nearly as good for a while in 2006.
But man was he a frustration to follow. Fall over, run around in circles and terrrible disposal.
Personally, I blame Connollys shit development skills.
And these were so ingrained in him by the time that Harvey took over that he found it difficult to change. His attitude was pretty crappy at times as well.
A change of scenery will do him good, no doubt. but I question his ability to pick the right option under pressure and maintain his intensity, Regardless of who is coaching him.
my 2 cents.


Yeah...i don'tknow about a star. He would flash in and out of games to much for mine.
But when he did have a cracker, that shock of blond hair brought him to the umpies attention for votes.
Massively improved since joining you guyd. Incredibly so, for mine.
And good on him for showing the application in doing so.

The application is definitely the key - he won the Robert Harvey medal at our club last year for being the best trainer

 

[Plugger35]

The application is definitely the key - he won the Robert Harvey medal at our club last year for being the best trainer

That's probably his greatest trait, his hard work and application. If you have that you can go a long way. You compare him to someone like Lovett who has all the talent in the world but none of the application or discipline to make the most of it. To think that we picked up Jones for next to nothing and Lovett cost us a first round draft pick and potentially a million dollar payout.

Having said that, I reckon our recruiting staff have done a lot more right than wrong. Players like Fisher, Gilbert and Jones were all bargains in the draft and Stanley, Geary and Steven all look like following suit. Likewise most of our recycled players like Schneider, Dempster, Gardiner, King, Ray and Dawson have all been positives for us. Hopefully the likes of Peake, Smith and Pattison can do likewise.

 

[Rough_Edges]

Seriously just does not get beaten. And can hurt you going the other way, has kicked goals and can use his pace and handball to set up attacking moves.

Ross needs a big pat on the back for turning this Honest Tryer into one of the AFL's most effective Taggers.

 

[Natho]

Easily is the best stopper in the AFL now. Top recruiting I must say.

 

[yirra_kurl]

I have big wraps on this guy, i think he'll be the most improved player across the competition. Playing in the midfield with blonde hair - he may even poll well in the Charlie, but probably doesn't get enough of the ball.

Definately a keeper

 

[GeorgeGrljusich]

Made me cry again.

 

[Big Ted]

Would have to lead the league though in Clangers ...

If he could get his disposal right, you would have another gun midfielder for sure. He is finding the ball a lot so far for a tagger. Now only if he could use it lol

 

[sauce_head]

Did he play on anbody tonight or just go get 40 instead?!

 

[SaintsSeptember]

I have big wraps on this guy, i think he'll be the most improved player across the competition. Playing in the midfield with blonde hair - he may even poll well in the Charlie, but probably doesn't get enough of the ball.

Definately a keeper

Yeah I hate these players who go out there, rack up thier 40 possies and then slack off.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Did he play on anbody tonight or just go get 40 instead?!

He played on the Fremantle Football Club.

 

[goodie23]

If I recall correctly he started on Haselby. Let's face it, with Pavlich starting forward who else could he go to?