Woodville-West Torrens defender Lachlan Jones aiming for bright AFL future in the backline
Eagles young gun Lachlan Jones has modelled his defensive game on two Port Adelaide stars, and next year the academy prospect could be their teammate. YOUR ROUND 8 TEAMS HERE
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IT should come as no surprise Woodville-West Torrens teenage revelation Lachlan Jones models his game on Port Adelaide hardmen Tom Jonas and Darcy Byrne-Jones.
He plays just like them.
The powerfully-built 18-year-old defender has belied his tender years to be one of the unsung heroes of the Eagles’ dramaticrise from seventh to first this season, taking on and beating some of the competition’s most dangerous forwards.
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With captain Luke Thompson missing the past three games with a thigh injury, Jones has risen to the challenge of getting thetough stopping jobs on SANFL guns, Glenelg’s Liam McBean, Central District’s Troy Menzel and West Adelaide’s Tom Keough.
Only last year’s Ken Farmer Medallist McBean, who had a 16cm height advantage, has had any success against him, kicking fivegoals in an Eagles win at the Bay.
“Lachie’s a special kid with elite attributes,’’ new Eagles coach Jade Sheedy said.
“The game doesn’t know how old you are and ‘Jonesy’ is mature beyond his years and wants these big jobs.
“He’s strong, quick, versatile, fearless, loves one-on-one contests and can play on talls and smalls, so we trust him to get the job done. He’s done that superbly and shown why he will go high in the draft.’’
A member of Port Adelaide’s Next Generation Academy (he has indigenous heritage on his dad Ben’s side of the family and hailsfrom the Yorke Peninsula town of Bute), Jones was named the Eagles’ best player by Sheedy in their eight-goal thumping of the Bloods last week.
The long-kicking right-footer held their captain Keough to only one goal and nine disposals while gathering 17 touches andfive marks in a display Sheedy described as “electric’’.
“Standing McBean was an eye-opener – he’s the best forward I’ve played against – but I’ve enjoyed getting these big jobs,’’ said the 186cm, 87kg Jones.
“It was a little bit daunting playing league footy from round one, making that jump from the under-18s, but I’ve found myfeet in the past few weeks and feel comfortable at the level now.
“It was nice to keep Keough to one goal, a tick for doing my job.’’
Jones, who wants to emulate what Glenelg defender Will Gould, now at Sydney, did last season and play in a league premiership in his draft year, has a big appetite for the contest.
He loves crashing in like Port skipper Jonas and his defensive sidekick Byrne-Jones and barracks for the Power.
As an NGA prospect, Port has first option on Jones at the draft.
But having already surrendered its first round selection this year to Brisbane, it is likely to have to package multiple picksto match a bid – which is almost certain to come in the first round – to secure him.
“I’d love to play for Port but there’s still half a season of SANFL for me to play, so I’m focusing on that and trying to do what Gould did as an 18-year-old and win a flag,’’ Jones said.
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EAGLES’ DEPTH OF NEST
Woodville-West Torrens’ depth is frightening.
The club’s eight-goal win against West Adelaide on Saturday was its sixth straight and was achieved without a host of key players.
Captain Luke Thompson, star midfielder Jordan Foote, playmaker Matthew Goldsworthy and tough on-baller Jesse Lonergan were out injured while star mid-season VFL recruit Sam Lowson was unavailable as he serves a 14-day quarantine period after arriving from Victoria.
The Eagles blooded another VFL recruit, inside midfielder James Tsitas, against West just four days after he came out of isolation and he was impressive in the first half with 13 disposals before finishing with 16.
Coach Jade Sheedy – in his first year in the job – hailed his club’s depth as it sits top in both league and reserves.
The league team’s only loss was by a goal to South Adelaide in round one while the reserves are unbeaten after seven rounds.
“Our depth is good, which is a credit to the football club,” Sheedy said.
“It‘s a credit to Shane Reardon in the under-18s and the program he runs.
“He teaches the kids unbelievably well and is a great mentor for them and it flows through.
“Brad Graham is doing a tremendous job with the reserves and there are a lot putting pressure on for a league game and when that happens it keeps the league side playing really well.
“I feel we’ve got a genuine squad of 30 who can play good league footy and we’ll continue to build on that.”
BLOODS GET THE MESSAGE
Expect West Adelaide to play more through the corridor against North Adelaide at Richmond Oval on Friday night.
Coach Gavin Colville was critical of his team for overusing the ball and going wide in the 48-point loss to the Eagles where it had 19 more disposals but 16 fewer inside 50s.
“Our ineffectiveness going forward just cost us, we couldn’t get any fluency,” he said.
“We overused the ball in the middle of the ground far too much, which was disappointing because we’d spoken about that and we didn’t stick to what we’d planned to do.
“We went away from our ball movement plan and it cost us because we were too ineffective and couldn’t penetrate inside 50 anywhere near enough.
“The message will be to be more direct.”
The Bloods poor, slow ball movement was illustrated in them kicking only four goals against the Eagles, who managed 11.
A LOT CAN CHANGE IN A MONTH
Sturt coach Nathan Grima admits he will have to recalibrate his expectations in 2020 after his side lost its fourth game in a row on Saturday.
The former North Melbourne defender said it was a mixture of indifferent form and injury which had seen the Double Blues use more than 30 players in seven matches, with six changes alone for the North Adelaide clash.
“It’s unheard of,” Grima said.
“We’ve blooded eight or nine debutants this year.”
Grima said it was a delicate balance between blooding youngsters but also keeping standards high.
“You try not to judge them too harshly,” he said.
“(But) we also need to let these young guys … that’s not the way we want to play (against North Adelaide).”
EVERY DOG WILL HAVE ITS DAY, EVENTUALLY
Gallant is a word Central District coach Jeff Andrews says he has been using too much this season as his side sits bottom with just one point from a draw against West Adelaide in round two.
But it’s hard to find another word as his understrength team keeps battling week after week against tough opposition.
Against Glenelg last Saturday the floodgates looked to be on the verge of opening when the visitors piled on the goals to lead by 49 points early in the last quarter.
But class players such as Travis Schiller, who snared 38 disposals including 22 handballs and nine clearances, Troy Menzel (13 marks), ball magnet James Boyd (32 touches, five inside 50s) and Jarrod Schiller, who chalked up 27 disposals and eight clearances, will be vital to the side as they keep showing the way for the young players coming through.
Judging by the Reserves’ strong start to the season there could be a couple more young Dogs pushing for a league jumper soon.
TIGER LEADERS PERFECT FOIL FOR COACH
Something wasn’t sitting right with Glenelg coach Mark Stone when he raced down from his box at the top of the Elizabeth Oval grandstand midway through the second quarter last Saturday.
A combination of Central’s good play and some lazy mistakes from the Bays had Stone very much on edge as the Bulldogs hit the front briefly before Glenelg recovered by halftime.
Stone explained that he had challenged his leaders to sort things out on the field.
“It’s all about when we are in flat spots our leaders need to recognise that and do something about it,’’ Stone said.
“It’s human nature that concentration wavers at times.
“But you know, in the end, to win out here is something the club hasn’t done over a very long period.
“Now we have made it two wins in a row out here. They (Central) are a very, very proud club and are always mighty hard to beat here.’’
Stone was impressed with his players’ response in the second half and had a special word for debutant Luke Edwards, who smothered a ball with his head in the last quarter, leaving the teenager dazed and groggy as he was taken off the ground and heading off with a family member to get checked post game.
SCOREBOARDS
NORTH 0.3 1.9 8.11 8.14 (62)
STURT 0.1 1.3 3.3 6.7 (43)
BEST – North: C. Craig, Wigg, C. Combe, Moore, Allmond, Minervini, Young, Lebois. Sturt: Battersby, Davis, Slimming, Colquhoun, Johnson, McEntee.
GOALS – North: Young 3, Lebois 2, Combe, Ramsey, Magor. Sturt: Morrison, Fahey-Sparks 2, Hone, Slimming.
UMPIRES – G. Lewis, M. Schramm, T. Bryce.
CROWD – 1825 at Prospect Oval.
GLENELG 3.4 5.6 10.10 15.14 (104)
CENTRAL 1.1 4.3 5.5 11.5 (71)
BEST – Glenelg: Snook, Agnew, Partington, Proud, McBean, Nicholson, Hannath.
Central: T. Schiller, Menzel, J. Schiller, Boyd, Hoskin, Toner.
GOALS – Glenelg: McBean 4, Bailey, 3, Partington, Allen 2, Snook, Yates, Nicholson, Kluske. Central: Stephenson, Hoskin 2, Boyd, Olsson, Lange, Durdin, Gillard, Habel, Butcher.
INJURIES – Central: Lange (ankle).
UMPIRES – S. Morgan, A. Crosby, D. Sobieraj.
CROWD – 991 at Elizabeth Oval.
EAGLES 2.2 4.9 7.11 11.12 (78)
WEST 1.1 3.1 3.4 4.6 (30)
BEST – Eagles: J. Hayes, Jones, Toumpas, Rowe, Hall, Sinor, Carcuro. West: Stevens, Anderson, Boyle, May, Waite, Thilthorpe.
GOALS – Eagles: Rowe, Carcuro 4, Von Bertouch 2, Sinor. West: Keough, Turner, Koster, Ellem.
UMPIRES – M. Sboro, A. Bennett, C. Bowen.
CROWD – 1119 at Woodville Oval.
NORWOOD 3.3 3.5 7.7 10.10 (70)
SOUTH 1.2 5.5 6.8 9.12 (66)
BEST – Norwood: Nunn, Baulderstone, Douglas, Johnston, Panos, Grigg.
South: Haines, Broadbent, Cross, Milsom, Heaslip, Sampson.
GOALS – Norwood: Wilson, Pinyon 2, Bampton, Douglas, Grigg, Ellison, Barry, Baulderstone. South: Fitt 3, Wilkinson 2, Cross, Heaslip, Schwarz, Broadbent.
INJURIES – Norwood: Hamilton (ankle), Johnston (quad). South: Highmore (ankle).
UMPIRES – M. Scott, R. Hundertmark, M. Harris.
CROWD – 1847 at Norwood Oval.