Welcome to the Western Bulldogs - Arthur Jones

[D Mitchell]

From the Tackle. Mark Robinson.

Arty Jones

Good bloodlines? Well, he’s Krakouer related and calls Jimmy and Phil “Pops’’, so the bloodlines run deep. So does the talent. He’s 19 and played seven games and his trajectory already is significant. And he is exactly what the Bulldogs have been searching for: a smart, high speed and high-pressure small forward. Ahead of the 2019 national draft, The Bulldogs had Kozzie Pickett on the drafting board, but the Demons took him three picks before the Dogs had their first pick. The Dogs settled on Cody Weightman, another small forward, but he was more a Jamie Elliott-type, a marking threat. Jones is a swooper. His final 12 minutes against the Blues on Saturday night won the game. With momentum against them, the Dogs kicked 4.2 and Jones was involved in four of those scores, which included a goal, a gather then curler on his right foot from the right-hand pocket. It was 12 minutes of Arty Jones mayhem. He had five touches and 41 SuperCoach points. In comparison, Carlton’s highest ranked player in that period was Adam Saad with 11. Soon enough, TV commentators will call him the X-factor and a cult figure, as happens with most Indigenous players with blinding speed, but he’s much more than a stereotype. He’s a 71kg kid in his seventh game who ripped the momentum from the opposition and turned the result. That’s rare. Not even Kozzie, Charlie Cameron or Tom Papley were able to do that so early in their careers.

The lad's done well, just how good he can be is exciting. You don't have to be a monster to apply pressure. I hope the Club doesn't insist that he become a monster and load him up in the Gym. Does anyone else remember the mismanagement of Dallas Patterson ?

[1eyedog]

10 years in the gym wouldn't make much of an impact on Arty's frame.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Did a lot more than Weightman on Saturday. The small forward role in our forward line would be a tough one to play. I think he's doing an admirable job and hope he keeps improving as he gets more experience. We desperately need his pace up forward.

Might be a coincidence but we're 4-1 with him in the side.

Make that 6-1.

I'm absolutely loving watching him play and what he brings to our side. Keep it up Arty.

[Hotdog60]

Do you think we should start trying to play Arty of the back line sort of like a JJ role. Does he have the tank to be a running back?
I ask because he seemed lost in the forward line and he has good evasive skills.

I just hit 5000 posts go me.

[SquirrelGrip]

Arty definitely has the tank. For me his our long term wing option who can run all day. He was pigeon-holed into the defensive small forward by necessity.

With the right pre-season, he could be a wing solution.

[kruder]

Do you think we should start trying to play Arty of the back line sort of like a JJ role. Does he have the tank to be a running back?
I ask because he seemed lost in the forward line and he has good evasive skills.

I just hit 5000 posts go me.

Lit it up for a quarter in the VFL when sent to half back after not getting any touches for a month.

[Bigdog]

Heard arty isn’t playing vfl as he is getting surgery? Anyone know what his carrying?

[The Bulldogs Bite]

It's a good suggestion. I'd like to see him further up the ground too, whether that's wing or half back I'm not sure but I'd lean towards the latter as it's an easier position to play.

[bornadog]

It's a good suggestion. I'd like to see him further up the ground too, whether that's wing or half back I'm not sure but I'd lean towards the latter as it's an easier position to play.

MJP says he was a winger based on his junior years.

[meenies]

Heard arty isn’t playing vfl as he is getting surgery? Anyone know what his carrying?

I thought it was a shoulder

[lemmon]

Weightman and West being out this week really shines a spotlight on Arty's development in a not particularly favourable light.

He might be better suited to a wing or high half-forward spot, but we've invested fairly significantly in him as a small forward and at the moment it's not paying dividends. He showed signs in the senior side last year but his VFL form was really poor and that's seemingly continued this season. You'd hope that a young player would elevate their game after getting a taste of AFL, but it seems like he's regressed.

As a third-year small forward, with spots opening up, this is the kind of opportunity Arty should be ready for but it feels like the form just isn't there.

He's probably the guy we all want to 'make it' because he seems to be such a loveable, genuine character, but his footy isn't there at the moment.

Would you play him this week?

[bulldogtragic]

Weightman and West being out this week really shines a spotlight on Arty's development in a not particularly favourable light.

He might be better suited to a wing or high half-forward spot, but we've invested fairly significantly in him as a small forward and at the moment it's not paying dividends. He showed signs in the senior side last year but his VFL form was really poor and that's seemingly continued this season. You'd hope that a young player would elevate their game after getting a taste of AFL, but it seems like he's regressed.

As a third-year small forward, with spots opening up, this is the kind of opportunity Arty should be ready for but it feels like the form just isn't there.

He's probably the guy we all want to 'make it' because he seems to be such a loveable, genuine character, but his footy isn't there at the moment.

Would you play him this week?

No. I’d move him up the ground and invest in Clarke now.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Weightman and West being out this week really shines a spotlight on Arty's development in a not particularly favourable light.

He might be better suited to a wing or high half-forward spot, but we've invested fairly significantly in him as a small forward and at the moment it's not paying dividends. He showed signs in the senior side last year but his VFL form was really poor and that's seemingly continued this season. You'd hope that a young player would elevate their game after getting a taste of AFL, but it seems like he's regressed.

As a third-year small forward, with spots opening up, this is the kind of opportunity Arty should be ready for but it feels like the form just isn't there.

He's probably the guy we all want to 'make it' because he seems to be such a loveable, genuine character, but his footy isn't there at the moment.

Would you play him this week?

Well it hasn't stopped us playing others in the past (McNeil).

I'm probably more concerned with where he should play rather than his form in the VFL - strikes me as a type that will never blitz VFL because he doesn't really have a contested game. The grounds are smaller, the skills are worse, there's less space ... all things that work against his natural game to shine.

Given our needs, I'd start playing him as a wing.

[lemmon]

Well it hasn't stopped us playing others in the past (McNeil).

I'm probably more concerned with where he should play rather than his form in the VFL - strikes me as a type that will never blitz VFL because he doesn't really have a contested game. The grounds are smaller, the skills are worse, there's less space ... all things that work against his natural game to shine.

Given our needs, I'd start playing him as a wing.

I'm going to preface the below by saying I don't think McNeil is the answer or an AFL standard player

BUT...he was also our best-performing small forward during pre-season and looked like he'd actually turned the corner in that role against the Hawks in Launnie. He was dumped after a shocker (when 15 of his teammates could have got the same treatment), but we did see some signs that he could play the position.

We're yelling out for Arty to show something similar this year.

[GVGjr]

Arty is such an energy boost around the club.
There was a youngster at training today kitted out in his Aaron Naughton jumper and Arty was kicking the footy too him and having a good old chat.
I really hope he starts to make the most of his chances