CO-CAPTAIN Nathan Jones is optimistic key Demon tall James Frawley will remain at the club, despite being an unrestricted free agent at the season’s end.

Jones said speculation surrounding his future – and other players – was now just “part and parcel” of the game.

“It’s always going to happen. There’s always going to be speculation and there’s going to be innuendo and I think Chip’s handling it terrifically – he’s well within his rights to assess all of his options and he’s going to come to a decision at some stage,” he told Dee TV.

“I think a lot of Melbourne people – in particular myself and the boys that are going to be here for the long term – are expecting him to stay, and we want him to stay.

“But at the same time, from a purely player’s individual perspective, he’s doing what a lot of players would probably do. He’ll come to the right decision and it’s going to help if we continue to win games, show some real improvement and form – he’ll see some real hope.

“I’m excited for Chip – he’s found himself in a new role and at the same time, he’s been through some really tough times and I know he’s a really loyal person. He’d want to experience the team improving, because of our past results.

“He’s probably driven like that – similar to myself and I’m going to expect him to sign on. But at the same time, I think it’s a bit of a waiting game and that creates angst amongst, in particular, the media.”

Meanwhile, Jones couldn’t speak highly enough of ruckman Mark Jamar’s form since his return from injury in round six. Jones said he was excited by what Jamar could add in the second half of the season.

“[He’s] a prime example of confidence in your own ability. I think finally Russian has got that back and that’s a credit to Roosy and the coaching staff,” he said.

“His preparation – and I’ve spoken to him about it – leading into the season was nowhere near his best. He was in and out of rehab and hadn’t done a full session up until Christmas time.”

Jone said Jamar had returned to the type of form that netted him All-Australian honours in 2010.

“I think he’s in the best form he’s been in since his All-Australian year and he just shows how important he is for us. He gives us a great look in the ruck and what he’s really got back – and it’s a real barometer for his form – is being able to take marks around the ground, and follow up and win contested possession in clearances,” he said.

“He’s really showed that in his last month of footy and it’s awesome having him up and going again, because we’ve seen in the past how good he is, in terms of where he ranks in the competition. When he’s in that form – it’s exciting for all of us and I love playing underneath him, because he gives us great service.”

“He’s got a lot of confidence that the coaches really believe in his ability, but that’s just making him flourish and it’s great to see him back in form.”

Reflecting on his first season as captain so far, Jones said it was tough to see close friend Mitch Clark retire from the Demons, but he was pleased the big man was now in a better place.

“That was one of the real challenges for the leadership group. It was supporting Mitch as a mate, as he’s a really good friend of mine,” he said.

“We had to play a role as a captain, a mate and a teammate – and balancing that wasn’t a difficult task, but it was a real challenge of the group, in terms of just being able to understand that we were still going to move forward without Mitch, but we were still going to support him.

“I think the club handled it terrifically and he’s moved on into the next chapter in his life and he’s in a much better space than he was when he had the pressures of the footy.”

But Jones said the pragmatic side of the game meant that it had opened up opportunities for other Demons.

“On the flipside, I think we’ve able to move forward pretty quickly and been able to move on from that. We’ve had guys really step up in Mitch’s absence and it’s given other guys opportunities. At the moment, it’s a win/win and as much as we’d love him still here, the most important thing is his health,” he said.

“The outcome we got from the whole situation was really positive and Mitch has found himself in a better place.”