NATHAN Jones says the likes of Jack Watts and Dom Tyson will be just as important as the younger players coming through the Melbourne ranks next year.

Jones said Tyson and Watts, who finished fourth and fifth respectively in this year’s best and fairest award, took their game to another level and believes they will continue to rise in 2017.

“I felt like Wattsy had a terrific season,” the captain told Melbourne TV.

“He really found his place and some responsibility with leadership with him – he’s really put his hand up in that area. Dom Tyson is another one.

“I think those guys are going to be as important as the young guys.

“We’ve really got to drive the standards and behaviours of a really elite team and those young guys will follow. What they experience will develop them into the players we hope they will.”

Jones said the Clayton Oliver and Sam Weideman were among the most promising players at the club. And he added that the emergence of Oscar McDonald and Sam Frost down back was also critical for the team.

“We probably didn’t expect him to play as many games, but I reckon for a young player to be able to play as a key back, for all the year and to hold down that post, I felt like he really grew in that role,” he said.

“He played some of his best footy towards the backend of the year.”

“Frosty was a revelation really. We saw him as a forward in the pre-season and then we sent him back to the VFL and then he became a key post in our backline.”