Re: VFL 2017 Round #2: Carlton vs Williamstown
Reply #105 –
If they are on the list, then what is the point of retaining them if they are not going to get a game?
Why wouldnt you put Jones on Buddy to play a role, if the other talls are currently a bad matchup?
Why wouldnt you put Jones to pinch hit into the ruck, if Phillips can barely run around for a half, Kreuzer is still "sore" and you dont want to slaughter Harry Mckay so early into his career?
Because he has no future in the game?? Thats not the right reason to exclude anyone who is currently on our list. We may as well have paid the bloke out last season, parted ways with him, and then recruited a new player. We still might do this at the end of this year, but if he manages to reignite his AFL career, we might even find someone who wants to trade with us for his services, and whilst that might seem farfetched, Hawthorn went and picked up Ty Vickery. Its not impossible. We only stand to lose, by ignoring players putting their hand up for selection and then ignoring them. It sends the wrong message to all and sundry and only cuts off your nose to spite your face.
If they are on the list, and havent retired they should be viewed as a senior player irrespective of when they are getting games.
One thing I am quickly learning about our reset, is that our football club isn't the only thing that needs to change.
I won't be giving up on Jones yet, his first few VFL games this year have shown a significant change, will that translate to AFL who knows?
I keep reminding myself he is only 26, and rumors now have him at 199cm tall and 102kg. The level of ground work he has done in the VFL in the first two games is Kreuzer like. That's worth something, worth persisting with for now anyway. I suspect coaches and selectors want to see that persist for more than just a game or two before he gets a run, because from my perspective based on that sort of effort he would have been better value than Phillips who gave us nothing at ground level.
I've argued often before, regarding Warnock, regarding Hampson, taps mean nothing for ruckmen if they don't come accompanied by marking, tackling, shepherds, blocks, positioning, intimidation and territory! Jones gave the NBs almost all that including a reasonable result on the tap work, last weekend Phillips was Warnock like and I find that more worrying than Jones' lack of clear tap work!
At the moment Jones has a touch of Setanta about him!
Fwiw, if Matthew Watson had shown the sort of commitment to work and change that Jones has, he'd probably still be around too!