Josh Jenkins has a solid game in the SANFL after a week in which he and the Crows had to deny Pyke fight rumours
After a week in which he and the Crows had to deny he had a physical fight with Don Pyke, Josh Jenkins was able to let his game do the talking for him in the SANFL.
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HE had to do plenty of clarifying over the last seven days, at Richmond Oval on Sunday afternoon Crows forward Josh Jenkins could finally let his game do the talking for him.
And while he didn’t trouble the scoreboard, even though Adelaide’s SANFL side kicked 15 goals in its big win over West Adelaide, the Crows big man made his case to return to AFL level by having an impact around the ground.
Jenkins and the club were forced to deny rumours of a physical altercation between him and coach Don Pyke last week after he was left out of the Crows’ side to take on St Kilda at Adelaide Oval.
Instead of running out at the award-winning and sun-blessed Perth Stadium on Sunday, Jenkins was instead taking to a muddy and wet Richmond Oval after being dropped to the SANFL for the second time this season.
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He spent time up forward against the Bloods, but didn’t kick a goal, instead doing most of his best work of the day around the ground.
Helping out Kieran Strachan in the ruck, Jenkins finished with 14 disposals, eight marks, two tackles, 16 hitouts and three clearances.
He crumbed at one stage and even lined up as a midfielder at one centre bounce, and after the game said he was pleased to get back on the footy field spending last week on the sidelines.
“(It was) good to get back out there, as players we like to play,” he said.
“(There was) difficult conditions, there is a lot of traffic that goes through that oval so it was pretty chopped up but we stuck to our guns and got the reward at the end
“Yeah I was happy enough (with his game), I didn’t hit the scoreboard but I thought I was pretty good in the ruck and did some stuff around the ground.
“I just wanted to be involved in the game in different ways, I’ve been kicking goals at AFL level but not getting involved much in other aspects of the game.”
Jenkins could have very well kicked the first goal of the game, taking a solid grab about 40m out just before the five minute mark of the afternoon.
But as the 200cm forward was about to line-up to kick for goal, Crows teammate Matthew Wright pushed a West Adelaide player and gave away a free-kick.
He did manage to set up Myles Poholke for one of his two goals, but it was Jenkins’ effort around the ground that pleased Adelaide’s Defensive development coach Brent Reilly.
“He was really solid, he created contests for us,” Reilly said.
“That’s what he is paid to do (play football) and he did that well.”
However Jenkins had some moments that he would wish he could have again, much to the delight of some West Adelaide fans but the big forward was not fazed.
“They were OK, I expected one or two comments especially when the fence is between us but they were pretty good,” he said.
Jenkins might have an uphill battle to return to the Crows’ AFL side to take on Collingwood on Saturday after his replacement Darcy Fogarty booted five goals in a breakout game for Adelaide against West Coast on Sunday.