AFL Player #23: Harrison Jones - Clocks up 50th game v Gold Coast - 5/8

[Lore]

Contract Status: Out of contract 2024
My Boy Draft 2024: Pick 22, Duckworth

 

[ant555]

Had pretty much zero impact last night. Couldn't hold a mark and I have no idea on where he was leading half the time unless he was being directed by Stringer and Langford to get out of the way.
Do not mind the wing role in short bursts but he sucks as a forward.
May be yet another failed forward we try as a back.

 

[BomberTime]

I look at him pretty similarly to Cox.

You got through a full season without injuries, that’s a positive. Start to have some confidence in his body.

They both need to hit the off-season and put on considerable size now.

 

[MarshawnLynch]

Clearly not a good enough forward, clearly not an AFL standard wing. Should just be depth going forward

 

[jdstorm]

Clearly not a good enough forward, clearly not an AFL standard wing. Should just be depth going forward

He’s played wing for a month. Give him time to learn the positioning and he will be good

 

[Nifft]

He’s played wing for a month. Give him time to learn the positioning and he will be good

I didn't mind him on the wing. He was floating back and forward pulling in a few marks. It'll take him a little while to get used to a new position.

 

[Bjchan13]

I look at him pretty similarly to Cox.

You got through a full season without injuries, that’s a positive. Start to have some confidence in his body.

They both need to hit the off-season and put on considerable size now.

Agree, the positive is that he got through the season. Dont think he has the frame to put considerable size on. A couple kilos of muscle, core strengthening and keep the running power should be his aim

 

[Darealrath]

I'd like to see him and Caddy occupy the key forward posts next season with Langford as the third tall, and surrounded by pace. The move to the wing has been good but I don't see it as a long term option.

 

[fairbump_playon]

Jones is getting judged on the last few weeks rather than the promise he showed across some of his better games in a new role

Reckon it’s all turned ugly, not sure I would use this week as the judge of what might be possible next year.

His best games for example were far superior to what Cox produced

 

[Mikevk123]

Jones has the making of a terrific backman. Reckon he would excel there.

 

[P Money]

Bit worried about Harry. Looking a lot like a failed forward that we are trying to shoehorn into a position. He's emblematic of a fair few players on our list really.

 

[Yoda_]

did we find out if he hit a trigger or something ? pretty sure I heard he'd hit a trigger to command another year

 

[Schnitzengruben]

I don't mind Jones but I just don't see how we make him fit in the team, especially now since we have Caddy.

I'd rather have a genuine winger rather trying to turn a key forward into one. Pretty unorthodox move and I doubt we're the club to make that work.

He'll be 24 by the time next season starts. IMO a trade makes the most sense, otherwise he'll be another one of these guys who's on the list for 8 years and end never amounts to anything.

 

[Vindicater]

I agree with those saying play him down back.

 

[The Donners]

We need to be ruthless. Trade/delist.

 

[Bjchan13]

Id start him in the VFL next year at CHF. Cox at CHB, Perkins forward flank.

 

[eth-dog]

I'm happy to let this wing thing cook. He's looked good there for the most part despite being relatively untried there. He has good hands and is a very nice kick of the ball. He was never going to be an immediate Richo there but he's shown signs.

 

[Call Me Cake]

I personally don't see and never saw the wing thing as Jones' to keep. I think it was more a way to have him get some confidence back/get games into him/work on his marking in a less demanding role with the occasional move forward (which is a sign).

I think Martin will eventually move back to the wing alongside Duursma when we have a suitable HBF to stake a claim in the team, most likely Roberts if he can continue to improve, which will free up Jones to a full-time key forward role once he's cemented more and others move on.

Jones has missed a lot of football (50 games just recently) and through injury at that. Takes a lot of time for talls to develop but has the athletic ability and tank that is a hallmark of a good key forward.

It's either that road, or we trade in someone else down the line. But Jones and Caddy fit the age demographic of the list for the long term.

 

[Bjchan13]

I personally don't see and never saw the wing thing as Jones' to keep. I think it was more a way to have him get some confidence back/get games into him/work on his marking in a less demanding role with the occasional move forward (which is a sign).

I think Martin will eventually move back to the wing alongside Duursma when we have a suitable HBF to stake a claim in the team, most likely Roberts if he can continue to improve, which will free up Jones to a full-time key forward role once he's cemented more and others move on.

Jones has missed a lot of football (50 games just recently) and through injury at that. Takes a lot of time for talls to develop but has the athletic ability and tank that is a hallmark of a good key forward.

It's either that road, or we trade in someone else down the line. But Jones and Caddy fit the age demographic of the list for the long term.

El Hawli?

 

[eth-dog]

I personally don't see and never saw the wing thing as Jones' to keep. I think it was more a way to have him get some confidence back/get games into him/work on his marking in a less demanding role with the occasional move forward (which is a sign).

I think Martin will eventually move back to the wing alongside Duursma when we have a suitable HBF to stake a claim in the team, most likely Roberts if he can continue to improve, which will free up Jones to a full-time key forward role once he's cemented more and others move on.

Jones has missed a lot of football (50 games just recently) and through injury at that. Takes a lot of time for talls to develop but has the athletic ability and tank that is a hallmark of a good key forward.

It's either that road, or we trade in someone else down the line. But Jones and Caddy fit the age demographic of the list for the long term.

Yes, because teams only ever play two wingers the entire game .

 

[P Money]

Hypothetical: If Jones wasn't on our list, and we were on the lookout for a winger, would we draft or trade for Jones to fill that spot? I doubt it.

Hope it works out for him but I'm not super confident. Fair bit of endowment bias with Harry and classic Essendon supporters overrating our own players (same thing really).

 

[jdstorm]

Hypothetical: If Jones wasn't on our list, and we were on the lookout for a winger, would we draft or trade for Jones to fill that spot? I doubt it.

Hope it works out for him but I'm not super confident. Fair bit of endowment bias with Harry and classic Essendon supporters overrating our own players (same thing really).

We’d ablsoutely draft a similar player who was shorter. Say a 192 Harry jones is just Joel Fajita.

 

[Runk]

I'd like to offer him a year and simply ask him to bulk up. If his body won't allow him to handle the rigors of AFL as a result of that we let him go.

 

[cAsEy_18]

I'd like to offer him a year and simply ask him to bulk up. If his body won't allow him to handle the rigors of AFL as a result of that we let him go.

It held up this year okay though didn't it?

I think there's a bit of an over-focus immediately looking at skinny guys and saying they need to "bulk up" and "hit the gym".

Eg: Cox. Cox looks like an absolute twig. But he deceptively sticks tackles quite well, and can get his arms free well in the tackle. His issue is a lack of intensity and will for the contest. Now you could make an argument that his intensity would come with greater confidence in his body, which might come with added size.

In regards to Jones, I'm not sure added size really helps him. His strength/ability is his aerobic capacity. Just adding size because it looks like he needs to fill out I think most likely takes away from his biggest strength.

**I know this went off on a slight tangent - just some general thoughts.

 

[faible]

It held up this year okay though didn't it?

I think there's a bit of an over-focus immediately looking at skinny guys and saying they need to "bulk up" and "hit the gym".

Eg: Cox. Cox looks like an absolute twig. But he deceptively sticks tackles quite well, and can get his arms free well in the tackle. His issue is a lack of intensity and will for the contest. Now you could make an argument that his intensity would come with greater confidence in his body, which might come with added size.

In regards to Jones, I'm not sure added size really helps him. His strength/ability is his aerobic capacity. Just adding size because it looks like he needs to fill out I think most likely takes away from his biggest strength.

**I know this went off on a slight tangent - just some general thoughts.

People also just look at a players arms to decide size half the time IMO.

If these guys stack on 5kg in the offseason at 200cm tall, how much of it is ending up in their arms versus their lower body where you don't really see it?

 

[Runk]

It held up this year okay though didn't it?

I think there's a bit of an over-focus immediately looking at skinny guys and saying they need to "bulk up" and "hit the gym".

Eg: Cox. Cox looks like an absolute twig. But he deceptively sticks tackles quite well, and can get his arms free well in the tackle. His issue is a lack of intensity and will for the contest. Now you could make an argument that his intensity would come with greater confidence in his body, which might come with added size.

In regards to Jones, I'm not sure added size really helps him. His strength/ability is his aerobic capacity. Just adding size because it looks like he needs to fill out I think most likely takes away from his biggest strength.

**I know this went off on a slight tangent - just some general thoughts.

I just wasnt to preface all this by saying I'm simply being practical & not trying to be confrontational.

Yeah it seems it (his body) did hold up this year, which is a super positive step in respect to his development. Is this because he's had a solid pre-season/over his past issues? Not sure but absolutely possible.

Just for the record adding bulk isn't me saying 'hE nEeDz bIgGa ArMz!!!' either. It's not that basic. The better defenders have that ability to float across packs and take contested marks, much like Jones already has, however what keeps them in the contest is their overall bulk size making them harder to jostle/knock off the ball.

As for Jones's aerobic ability, I always look at the example that was Nick Reiwoldt who was an aerobic machine & a big guy that developed from a skinny kid into an attacking machine & overall nightmare for defenders. At the end of the day I'm happy for aerobic ability to be compromised in some respect if it means he can develop into the more reliable half back as opposed to the lightly framed half forward who runs all day but gets outmaneuvered by defenders.