Trouble with Jones playing a season in the SANFL is that he will play CHB or FB because we don't have a lot of tall defenders.
At 186cm he is a HBFer at AFL level, so he is being asked to do different jobs at SANFL compared to AFL. Not sure that's good for his development.
Yep agreed. But.... I'm hoping that we get some KPDers in the upcoming draft period that can take the CHB/FB roles at SANFL level. Which would then allow Lachie Jones to settle into a flanker role in the maggies defence.
If we have Pasini, Pick33 or 60 (hoping at least 1 is a KPD, better if both are) and perhaps a Lord-type being redefined as a KPD then we dont need Jones to play that role. He can then develop his game as the natural defender (flanker) he has always been at junior levels.
He's not a defender at AFL level.
At the lower levels, his aggression is seen as a strength because the opposition doesn't have the ability to exploit it. It's why I'd stick with pairing him up with Powell-Pepper at half forward.
I've seen Lachie play for many years and he has never been a midfielder or worse yet a forward. Dumb arse Hinkley wants his 'pressure acts' in the forward area and tries to shoehorn players with certain physical attributes into those 'pressure act' forwards. He is trying to turn McEntee who has always been a midfielder through his juniors into some sort of tackling small forward. Then people get frustrated with him coz he doesnt have the natural instincts to play as a forward when necessary.
Sometimes (rarely) that works and its a fair enough risk to take with a speculative draft pick or midseason pickup.
But Lachie was the equivalent of a pick 16 - 18. If Hinkley wanted a pressure act forward he would have been better off picking someone like Beau McCreery who at least had an idea of how to be an effective forward as well as having the physical attributes to be that pressure act forward. And used the draft capital used up bidding on Lachie to go after a more pressing need like a key defender.