Josh Jenkins knows his AFL football future may be well out of his control
Josh Jenkins is contracted to be at the Crows next year and determined to stay in Adelaide. But he admits the AFL landscape has changed and he has had no guarantees from the club.
- Bickley: Why Jenkins and Crows must part ways
- The challenge of JJ’s life membership dream
- Betts confident he’ll stay a Crow in 2020
- Talia reveals words of advice that helped The Fog
Josh Jenkins says he’s determined to stay in Adelaide despite conceding he was unlikely to be recalled to the senior side again in 2019.
Jenkins was his usual frank self when questioned on his AFL future and if he’d be at the Adelaide Football Club in 2020.
“There is a lot of possibilities in life, if you want to look at it that way, I’d certainly like to think that’s not the case, but there is a possibility, yes,’’ Jenkins said.
“I understand the landscape, I’ve said that before but a piece of paper says I’ll be around for another couple of years.”
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Jenkin said he met with Adelaide football director Brett Burton almost two weeks ago to talk about a lot of topics but said unlike fellow forward Eddie Betts, who revealed on Wednesday he was confident of staying a Crow, was given no certainties surrounding his future.
“I haven’t had any guarantees as such,’’ Jenkins told SEN SA Breakfast on Thursday.
“Perhaps it’s a little worrying if Eddie (Betts) is getting those assurances and I haven’t.
“I have’t sought a guarantee of any sort, you fall back on your contract which is there. I’ve got one that says I’ll be at the Adelaide footy club for another 24 months after this season
Jenkins said it was a broad talk with Burton.
“Being a more senior player and being in and out of the side it was great on Brett’s behalf to have a coffee and give a different perspective to what I need to do and what’s happening and what the future looks like.
“It was more around ensuring I had enough clarity about why I wasn’t in the side and just a general catch up.
“It was a great two-way conversation.”
Jenkins said he was impossible not to be impressed by Darcy Fogarty’s five-goal haul against West Coast while he went goalless in the SANFL.
“I was just really pleased for the young man,’’ Jenkins said of Fogarty.
“He was pretty impressive, he’s always going to take his chances and he doesn’t need many opportunities and it was great to see him do so.
“I was happy enough (with his SANFL game. I’ve certainly played better games, I guess as a tall forward you want to hit the scoreboard, but that was probably the one thing I was ticking off at AFL level and there was some other things I wasn’t doing.
“I was really pleased with how I rucked,’’ he said.
Jenkins maintains he wants to be at the Adelaide Football Club next year and earn life member status despite the football community divided on where his future lies.
Crows legend and dual premiership captain Mark Bickley, a good friend and former coach of Jenkins, wrote in his Advertiser column this week a parting ways in 2020 would be a win/win for both the Crows and Jenkins.
“Jenkins’ forthright nature in his media commitments and openly challenging selection decisions has not endeared himself to the coach,” Bickley wrote earlier this week.
“It appears when there have been lineball decisions at selection, most have gone against Jenkins. I’m not saying they were wrong, as players ultimately pick themselves through their performance, just noting the factors that have contributed to the strained relations.
“Despite some flaws, Jenkins still has plenty to offer but with the Crows ageing list and the need to blood some young key forwards, his future lies elsewhere …
“A split would allow Josh to continue his career in a new environment where his skill set and experience are required and for the Crows a chance to get a draft pick and some salary relief as they look to reset and build towards their next flag.
“It’s not exactly a win-win, but it does allow both parties the chance to move on,” he said.