Liam Jones

[mjp]

Re: Liam Jones

Every club unless they are in full rebuild mode recruits established players. To me topping up is tipping the balance that way at the expense of going to the draft. We have continued to go to the draft (and through good fortune have brought in some top end talent recently). I clearly acknowledged we had brought in some older players as well so not sure what point you are trying to make anyway?

We actually haven't been to the draft lately.

We have used all of our draft capital on 2x players and have a big hole in our list. We HAVE added quite a number of older players in recent times...

Yes, all clubs do it but I think problems occur when your OLDEST players are not automatic selections in the team. For us, we have a growing list of older players who are not guaranteed a game and I don't think that is representative of a healthy list.

I don't know Collingwood's list that well but if your ageing players are Pendlebury, Sidebottom and Elliot, I suspect that is a good position to be in...Our ageing players are Martin, Bruce, Crozier and O'Brien none of whom were first choice selections in the recent elimination final. That's bad. I just don't see recruiting a 30+ Jones straight out of footy in QLD and 18-months out of the AFL as anything other than a stop gap plan...

[Bornadog]

Re: Liam Jones

"We have used all of our draft capital on 2x players"

Not really MJP

Last three Drafts

2019
Ryan Gardner
Cody Weightman
Louis Butler
Riley Garcia


2020
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan A
Dominic Bedendo
Lachlan McNeil


2021
Sam Darcy
Arthur Jones
Luke Cleary

Will Be 30 plus at start of 2023

Martin, Stefan
Duryea, Taylor
Keath, Alex
Liberatore, Thomas
Bruce, Josh
Wallis, Mitchell
Johannisen, Jason

Agree we have holes in list

[mjp]

Re: Liam Jones

"We have used all of our draft capital on 2x players"

Not really MJP.

Agree we have holes in list

Last 3x drafts we have picked Weightman, Ugle-Haden and Darcy and taken some fliers late in the draft.

You MUST make 3x changes each year so...

[Bornadog]

Re: Liam Jones

Last 3x drafts we have picked Weightman, Ugle-Haden and Darcy and taken some fliers late in the draft.

You MUST make 3x changes each year so...

I think McNeil, Cleary and Garcia will be ok and Bedendo has shown something as well.

Anyway, I know what you are saying, but I think it was worth getting the Number 1 and two draft picks.

[Mofra]

Re: Liam Jones

I don't know Collingwood's list that well but if your ageing players are Pendlebury, Sidebottom and Elliot, I suspect that is a good position to be in...Our ageing players are Martin, Bruce, Crozier and O'Brien none of whom were first choice selections in the recent elimination final. That's bad. I just don't see recruiting a 30+ Jones straight out of footy in QLD and 18-months out of the AFL as anything other than a stop gap plan...

Fair cap difference between Collingwood's trio and our guys, of whom one is coming off an ACL and the other is more 'break glass' than required player. O'Brien has been a bust and Crozier declined rapidly after playing good football for us.

I suspect we'll be making more than 3 list changes this year - with retirements, delistings and trades we'll probably have our biggest turnover for some time.

[Axe Man]

Re: Liam Jones

We actually haven't been to the draft lately.

We have used all of our draft capital on 2x players and have a big hole in our list. We HAVE added quite a number of older players in recent times...

Yes, all clubs do it but I think problems occur when your OLDEST players are not automatic selections in the team. For us, we have a growing list of older players who are not guaranteed a game and I don't think that is representative of a healthy list.

I don't know Collingwood's list that well but if your ageing players are Pendlebury, Sidebottom and Elliot, I suspect that is a good position to be in...Our ageing players are Martin, Bruce, Crozier and O'Brien none of whom were first choice selections in the recent elimination final. That's bad. I just don't see recruiting a 30+ Jones straight out of footy in QLD and 18-months out of the AFL as anything other than a stop gap plan...

Your first 2 sentences are contradictory. We haven't been to the draft but we used all our draft capital on 2 players (which I acknowledged). I also mentioned we have added mature players.

As I said I don't classify our recent approach as topping up. We have done a little bit of both, brought in some mature players whilst still taking first round draft picks. Unless we were going to skip JUH or Darcy I'm not sure we could have done too much differently.

[Mofra]

Re: Liam Jones

As I said I don't classify our recent approach as topping up. We have done a little bit of both, brought in some mature players whilst still taking first round draft picks. Unless we were going to skip JUH or Darcy I'm not sure we could have done too much differently.

Marra was such a gift the AFL changed the rules to stop it happening again.
Darcy was responsible for 99% of our collective excitement late in the season.
Yes we have holes in the list but we should be celebrating the fact we brought a pick and a pick 2 into the club while we played in a GF one year, then made finals the next.

[Axe Man]

Re: Liam Jones

Liam Jones statement

Liam Jones has nominated the Western Bulldogs as his preferred playing destination for the 2023 season.

After sitting out the 2022 AFL season, Jones was classified by the League as an Unrestricted Free Agent, allowing him to automatically move to the Club of his choice.

The Bulldogs will work with Jones and his management to facilitate a move within the trade and free agency period.

Jones made his debut for the Bulldogs in 2010, playing 66 games in the red, white and blue before moving to Carlton, where he played a further 95 games over seven seasons.

[GVGjr]

Re: Liam Jones

I hope Jones is prepared to put a lot of hard work in now to get ready for a big season.
He would have a lot of ground to make up.

[Bulldog4life]

Re: Liam Jones

Liam Jones statement

Liam Jones has nominated the Western Bulldogs as his preferred playing destination for the 2023 season.

After sitting out the 2022 AFL season, Jones was classified by the League as an Unrestricted Free Agent, allowing him to automatically move to the Club of his choice.

The Bulldogs will work with Jones and his management to facilitate a move within the trade and free agency period.

Jones made his debut for the Bulldogs in 2010, playing 66 games in the red, white and blue before moving to Carlton, where he played a further 95 games over seven seasons.

34 games for father/son. Go Liam.

[Bulldog4life]

Re: Liam Jones

I hope Jones is prepared to put a lot of hard work in now to get ready for a big season.
He would have a lot of ground to make up.

He has started already. Waved his club up North goodbye a month or so back.

[GVGjr]

Re: Liam Jones

He has started already. Waved his club up North goodbye a month or so back.

Was that to make sure he didn't get injured or to start working with a personal trainer to get ready for a preseason?

[Grantysghost]

Re: Liam Jones

Have we ever had a player leave and return?

[Axe Man]

Re: Liam Jones

Have we ever had a player leave and return?

Monty comes to mind immediately. Tony Campbell returned but didn't play elsewhere in his absence. I'm sure there are others.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Re: Liam Jones

Have we ever had a player leave and return?

Robbie McGhie comes to mind, but only just. He came back briefly coming into the Royce Hart era.