- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Melbourne dual best and fairest winner Nathan Jones says he’ll be feeling less pressure next AFL season thanks to the Demons’ midfield recruiting spree.
Jones, the club’s likely captain next year, was Melbourne’s clear midfield stand-out this season.
But he had little support in a team that won just two games.
That’s set to change, after the Demons supplemented the acquisition of AFL-experienced midfielders Daniel Cross, Bernie Vince, Dom Tyson and Viv Michie over the trade and free agency period by drafting young midfielder Christian Salem with the No.9 pick last Friday night.
“Personally, there won’t be as much pressure on individuals and there won’t be as much pressure on a smaller group,” Jones told reporters on Monday.
“The really good teams have 10 or 11 players that can rotate through the midfield at any one time.
“That’s one area that obviously … we needed to improve on.”
The captaincy will be decided in February and Jones said he would love the job.
For now, the Demons are focused on lifting their skill level and learning new coach Paul Roos’ gameplan.
“He’s really simplified stuff and he’s really pulled back training and had a real focus on skill execution,” Jones said.
Roos said the Demons were already a fit squad, after a heavy running program last pre-season, so skills were a priority.
He said the midfield bolstering had been needed to bring their list balance more in line with the AFL’s heavyweights.
“You’ve got to have a lot of midfielders, you look at the best teams and that’s what they do,” Roos said.
Jones and Roos were speaking after they and the rest of the Demons’ players participated in the annual Walk Against Family Violence, to raise awareness of violence against women.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.