Nathan Jones deserves to be recognised as Melbourne great, writes Max Gawn

NATHAN Jones has stood tall when the Demons were at their lowest and he deserves to mentioned in the same sentence as some of the greatest Melbourne footballers of all-time, writes MAX GAWN.

Melbourne skipper Nathan Jones will keep leading the Dees to that elusive premiership. Picture: Michael Klein

MELBOURNE Football Club has a rich history. We have won 12 premierships — six of those from the mid ’50s to the mid ’60s - and there’s been six Brownlow medal winners along the way.

Four players — Ron Barassi Jr, Ian Ridley, Norm Smith and Brian Dixon — stand alone as the greatest Melbourne players of that VFL era.

Unfortunately, since 1964 we haven’t been able to lift the premiership cup.

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So should that mean anyone who has represented this great club since 1964 can’t be rated among the best players to pull on the red and blue?

I don’t think so.

David Neitz, club games record holder, most games as captain, Coleman medallist and best and fairest winner is, in my humble opinion, the next legend of the club.

Then there is Garry Lyon, Robbie Flower and how could I forget the late, great Jim Stynes?

But where does Nathan Jones sit amongst these names?

He has won three best and fairests, played 242 games and captained the club for five years now.

Unfortunately what separates Nathan from all the names above is league-wide recognition.

No success, basically, since his first year when he helped the club win an elimination final leaves him with a lot of unwanted records.

But some stats don’t lie.

Another best and fairest puts him equal with Stynes as the most in the history of the club.

Nathan Jones continues to strive for success. Picture: Michael Klein

In another three seasons he could be a chance to have played the most games in a Melbourne jumper, and with the speed of the game and free agency, that may never be beaten.

But what I’m sure he is striving for the most is that elusive premiership.

The way I see Nathan is, I’m sure, similar to the way teammates saw Jim Stynes play through any injury that ever came up, or the way people saw Robbie Flower go and go again, or those who witnessed the determination and passion of Ron Barassi.

Nathan is a footy-first, everything-else-second type of person, although this has softened a touch with a young family.

He rarely misses a training session, let alone a game.

He has stood tall when the club was at its lowest.

Seven coaches have changed game plans and altered Nathan’s role, yet he just learns the new one and perfects that.

He puts friendships aside to have tough and honest conversations with teammates to try and get the best out of them.

One of those teammates was me.

On my first Christmas break as a player I came in to do weights at the club thinking I was doing the right thing.

I fluffed around in the weights room and wouldn’t have broken a sweat.

Nathan came in and asked the weights coach if I had done my program. The coach said yes, but confessed that I may have gone easy on the chin-ups. Nathan didn’t let me leave until I maxed out on the chin-up bar twice.

I’d say that if it wasn’t for Nathan’s brutal, yet well-intentioned, leadership I wouldn’t be here today.

He has gone out of his way to make sure your life is OK off-field, to demanding more and more effort on-field.

As a young fella, ‘Nath’ was a rough Mt Eliza boy whose hair was gone by 11 and had tatts covering his skin before puberty had arrived.

Deep down he would define himself as a bogan, although nowadays he does drink expensive red and dresses in only dark shades of clothing.

Early on, Nathan had very little understanding of people different to him.

Ron Barassi is a legend of Melbourne.

There was one way to do it and that was “Chunk’s” way — a surf in the morning, skate in the arvo and hanging out at Frankston train station at night.

A lot has changed since then, obviously, and he has developed as a person to become captain, husband, father and one of the most caring and understanding people I know.

As a player he is hard and competitive and always striving to get more out of himself. Regularly seen at the bottom of packs doing the dirty work and yet somehow he is maybe the most-skilled player in the team.

He’s kicked more than 100 goals as a midfielder who can’t take a contested mark to save himself.

Todd Viney, probably the greatest inside midfielder the club has had in recent years, kicked 92.

Yet the quality that stands out the most, like the players above, is loyalty.

Would anyone have blamed Nathan if he left at the end of 2014? Even at the end of 2009?

Nathan Jones has stayed loyal to the Demons. Picture: Mark Dadswell

He could have gone and chased a flag somewhere, but he knows that the flag wouldn’t be as sweet as it will be if he wins one at the club he loves and the club he has given his all too.

I’m excited for what is to come for Nathan.

Now a family man with two beautiful children and a gorgeous wife waiting for him after every game with a big grin on their faces, no matter the result.

It’s been another pre-season with younger midfielders still behind him in most running tests and he was again appointed captain alongside a born leader in Jack Viney.

He warrants respect with his accolades, but demands respect with his loyalty and performances.

If he finished up tomorrow he would be an automatic induction into the club’s hall of fame.

But he’s not retiring tomorrow and not any time soon as he chases the dream.

He deserves to mentioned in the same sentence as some of the greatest Melbourne footballers of all-time.

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Originally published as Nathan Jones deserves to be recognised as Melbourne great, writes Max Gawn