Why emerging Crow Chayce Jones takes a notebook into every team meeting
Second-year star Chayce Jones has always had an obsession with taking notes. The emerging youngster reveals how the habit started, and why it’s helping him become a better player.
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Chayce Jones is the note-taker.
At every senior coach and line meeting with the players, the Adelaide speedster can be seen sitting front and centre with a notebook in one hand and a pen in the other.
No Crow is as fastidious as the 20-year-old.
“It’s something I’ve done for a few years now because if you have something written down then you’ve always got something to refer to,’’ Jones said.
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“It locks things down for you, so I take a notebook and pen into every team meeting, just so I can take in as much as I can.
“It’s just a personal preference.
“Some guys learn a bit differently, have their own way of doing things, but it’s what works best for me, so I’m sticking with it.’’
Tasmanian Jones – Adelaide’s first selection at the 2018 national draft (No. 9 overall) – has been taking notes since his under-18 days with local club Launceston, where he also played senior football and famously finished second in the best and fairest in 2018 despite playing just six games, and the Allies national championships side.
“I mainly write down key focuses from the meetings, whether it be game plan tactics, different scenarios that might unfold, any messages that I think should stick in the back of my head,’’ he said.
“I’ve been a big note-taker for the past four years, it probably looks to others as more scribble than notes, but I’ve got a handful of notebooks tucked away at home.
“I go through periods where I refer to them a lot, looking at key notes to focus on, and other times when I only need a refresh, perhaps on game day.
“It worked well for me in the under-18s, being able to refer back to the notes to talk to coaches about key aspects of my football, so I’ve stuck with it.’’
Magnificent from Chayce Jones!
— AFL (@AFL) March 8, 2019
The young gun is putting his hand up for a round one debut. #JLTSeries pic.twitter.com/PCGSvH9FhF
Jones’ meetings at Adelaide are primarily with new senior coach Matthew Nicks and midfield coach Michael Godden, while he occasionally attends forward line meetings with Ben Hart.
His attention to detail illustrates his professionalism, something instilled in him by his dad, Brendan.
“When I was growing up dad was a footballer and coach with my local club side Longford and he was always telling me that to improve you can’t stand still, you’ve got to always find ways to keep moving forward,’’ Jones said.
“Taking notes is a part of that improvement process.’’
Jones played eight AFL games in his debut season last year, mainly as a pressure forward, before being released into the midfield for the round 23 clash against the Western Bulldogs in Ballarat, where he shone with a career-high 18 disposals, including eight contested, four clearances and two goals.
His rookie performances saw him win the Mark Bickley Emerging Talent Award as the Crows’ best young player.
Jones stacked on 4kg of muscle to his 181cm frame in the off-season, now tipping the scales at 81kg, in a bid to cement a midfield berth this year as Nicks looks for an injection of speed and class in the centre square.
Jones attended seven centre bounces in the three-point, round one loss to Sydney but his pursuit of a regular on-ball spot has been put on hold during the AFL’s shutdown period.
With no games being played and players not even allowed into their clubs because of the coronavirus crisis, Jones has been restricted to online meetings and fitness and skill drills with teammates Kieran Strahan and Jordan Gallucci.
“The club’s given us a fitness program and there’s an oval just up the street (Flinders Park) where we can do some ball work,’’ he said.
“It’s all a bit unusual, being taken out of your usual training routine, but we’ve just got to do as much as we can to try to make sure we don’t lose too much condition or touch and when that football resumes we are ready to play.’’
While he has put on some much-needed size to help him combat the big-bodied on-ballers, Jones has lost none of his trademark speed and endurance.
“Running’s always been a strength of mine so you have to make it a big weapon,’’ Jones said.
“It was pleasing to be able to put on some weight without it affecting my running.’’
Jones opted to stay in Adelaide during the shutdown period rather than return home to Tasmania, where his family – dad, mum, Sue, and 18-year-old sister, Maddi – live.
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He figured he would be quarantined in self-isolation for a month – two weeks in Tassie and two weeks in Adelaide – if he had moved back to the Apple Isle, which would have impacted on his preparation.
Jones is living in the western suburbs with girlfriend, Nicola, and Crows teammates Will Hamill and Ayce Taylor.
Such is the Crows’ faith in him, Jones was last year offered – and signed – a three-year contract extension, tying him to the club until the end of 2023.
“I love living in Adelaide,’’ he said, in music to the ears of Crows fans who have seen a succession of interstate players leave the club to return home.
“It’s like a big country town, bigger than what Tassie has to offer, but not as big as Melbourne or Sydney.’’