VICE captain Nathan Jones says last Saturday night’s thrilling three-point win against the Western Bulldogs at the MCG was a win for the club’s supporters.
Speaking at Gosch’s Paddock on Tuesday, where Melbourne held a kids’ clinic, Jones said it was important to give the fans something back after a trying season as a Demon.
“There’s no doubt about that. It’s great to see all the kids out here, in particular the long, long suffering supporters. You feel for them, there’s no doubt about that, and you want to win for them,” he said.
“They’re at the forefront of our minds, the ones that turn up week in week out and support us, they’re the lifeblood of the footy club. We love our supporters - it was great to see them in full voice on the weekend, and it’s great to see them here today.
“Hopefully, we can compete competitively and notch up a few more wins as the year [unfolds] … and supporters can get the enjoyment they deserve.”
Jones said there was “a bit of a different feel in the air” at the club this week, having notched up its second win of the season.
“It’s good to get a win on the board, that’s for sure … the boys are pretty excited and keen to get out there this week,” he said.
“It’s always a grind when we’re not getting the results on the field, but over the last couple of weeks, we’ve had a little bit of reward for effort.
“We had a few things to work on at the midway point of the year, and we saw a little bit of that against St Kilda, but we were lucky enough to put a winning performance in on the weekend.”
Jones said teammate Jack Watts played “possibly” the best game of his career last round.
“Possibly, I’ve seen glimpses of his talent at training and in games throughout his career, but on the weekend, he was able to put it all together and he was able to kick goals, and he was able to create play for us. Then the greatest moment of the game was that clutch mark in the last quarter, and his understanding of the situation of the game.”
“His confidence is growing - he’s had some really close mentoring with Craigy, and it’s great to see, because he’s a really great talent for us.
“If he can put it together on a consistent basis for us, he’s going to be the player that we all hope he will be.”
Jones said coach Neil Craig had provided “fresh air” since taking over the role, following Melbourne’s poor first half of the season, which was “not up to scratch”.
“Our focuses have been tinkered with a little bit in terms of how Neeldy (Mark Neeld) coached compared to Craigy, but the key philosophies are still there and the stuff that we tried to implement under Neeldy are still there,” he said.
“Craigy’s just encouraged us to attack the game offensively and that’s an area we’ve really struggled with in the first half of the year, in particular with being able to retain the ball in possession.
“That’s something we’ve been really focusing on and focusing on with our training.”
Jones wouldn’t be drawn into who he wanted as coach next year, but was asked what he thought about having 2005 Sydney premiership coach Paul Roos as a coaching option.
“I have a lot of respect [for Roos] and all of the stuff that he did at Sydney,” he said.
“But to be honest, that’s a decision that the board and the new CEO Peter [Jackson] will come to a decision on at some stage later in the year, in terms of choosing the coach.”
And in terms of potentially being elevated to captain next year, Jones said it was best to “stick with the two Jacks at the minute”.
“I’m comfortable in my role as vice captain, and if any change is to be, that’s out of my control. At the moment, they’re doing a fine job, and I’m 100 per cent behind them,” he said.
