SKIPPER Nathan Jones says that greater depth through Melbourne’s midfield has afforded him more versatility as a player this season.

Jones, who underwent neck surgery at the end of the 2015 season, said that he has so far enjoyed the opportunity to play a variety of roles this year.

“I felt like I started the year reasonably well but I was sort of fading out in games so I tinkered with a few things physically,” he said.

“It obviously helps [having] greater depth in the midfield as there’s less reliance on individuals [so] that has allowed me to play a couple of different roles.

“I’ve had some really good experiences playing off half-back and playing on the wing. I’m still being tagged every now and then but [I’m] able to influence the game from different positions and put myself in different places on the ground.”

The 28 year old said he is now more motivated than ever to take both his game and leadership to the next level.

“I feel like my leadership has come a long way and I’ve worked really hard with Goody [Simon Goodwin], Ben Mathews and Roosy [Paul Roos] in particular, to understand what that looks like and the different ways  I can influence and that’s helped my performance.

“I’ve worked really hard on trying to elevate my game from being consistently good to trying to push down the door to become an elite midfielder.

“Even as you get older, I feel like I’m still right in my prime so I’m pushing to get better and I’m really driven to be the best I can be and set a great example as a leader with my performances for the rest of the team.”