On The Couch (Fox Footy)
MELBOURNE skipper Nathan Jones says he’s enjoying his club’s revival in 2016, but he woudln’t reveal the cheeky conversation he had with Richmond forward Jack Riewoldt after his side’s Round 5 victory.
While Jones remained tight lipped on the pleasantries that were exchanged, he said it was payback for years of sledging.
“I’ve got a long memory,” he told On The Couch.
“There was a fair bit of banter during the game and at one stage Jack actually had Jack Viney and myself in a head lock.
“Fortunately, we got a good result that night. There’s wasn’t too much in it, just a bit of friendly banter. What’s said on the field stays on the field, but there was nothign untowards said.”
After losing strength because of surgery on his vertebrae in the off season, the 28-year-old said he was feeling better than ever.
And with the club in its best position in some years, he said he was optimistic Melbourne’s fortune would continue to improve, especially given the stability in the club’s coaching ranks.
“Roosy is obviously the senior coach a the moment, but we saw Goody gain some experience during the NAB Challenge series that opened the eyes of the players to what it’s going to look like beyond Roosy,” Jones said.
“We’ve got a handful of coaches who are all on the same page, educating the way we want to play footy.”
Jones said he was thrilled by his side’s spike in scoring this season, a stat that has been mirrored by the team’s willingness to run and attack.
But the Melbourne captain said the focus on young forward Jesse Hogan and his goal kicking was unwarranted.
“From my perspective it’s not too much of a focus,” he said.
“It’s a work in progress for him. He’s only 28 games into his career and he’s still working out what works and what doesn’t. All in all, it’s something that’s very personal and something that he’s still working through.
“He spends a lot of time at training getting it right and when he does, we saw it against St Kilda, he kicked seven straight.”
Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall - one of only five players in the history of the game to kick more than 1000 career goals - said the focus on Hogan’s kicking was out of proportion.
“He does a number of things that I ideally wouldnt like to see,” he said.
“But you let him go if he’s comfortable because he’s still converting. I don’t think we need to make as big of a deal of it as perhaps people are.”