Carlton captain Marc Murphy backs Liam Jones to become a permanent defender

LIAM Jones’s revival has won huge praise from his skipper, and the defender’s rebirth means Carlton is likely to open contract discussions in the coming weeks.

Liam Jones. Picture: AAP

CARLTON captain Marc Murphy has backed Liam Jones to become a permanent fixture in the club’s backline in the season’s most remarkable career revival.

Murphy said Jones — who stopped No.1 pick Jon Patton in the Blues’ shock win against GWS — was like “watching a bloke play against schoolkids” in the VFL after his extraordinary rebirth as a defender.

Jones, 25, will take on Gold Coast superstar Tom Lynch on Saturday night and his management expects to open contract talks with Blues’ list manager Stephen Silvagni “sooner rather than later”.

SUPERCOACH: CAPTAIN DOCHERTY?

HIGH FLYERS: FOOTY’S GREATEST ‘SPECCY’ TAKERS

Lynch kicked a career-best seven goals against Carlton in Round 4.

Rival clubs took note of Jones’ revival in the VFL, where Murphy said he was “easily best-on-ground” in five or six consecutive matches.

And the Herald Sun understands 200cm forward Harry McKay is in calculations to become coach Brendon Bolton’s 10th debutant — and seventh this season — when the Blues face the Suns.

Liam Jones has a new lease of life. Picture: Getty Images

Defender Alex Silvagni (knee) will miss a month, while Blues insiders confirmed Stephen Silvagni “loves” star midfielder Josh Kelly, who is being courted with godfather contract offers to return to Victoria.

Silvagni drafted Kelly to GWS with the No.2 pick in 2013.

Former Carlton coach Mick Malthouse labelled Jones an “explosive animal” in 2014 and after two disappointing seasons as a forward he seems to have found his true calling at the opposite end of the ground.

“He has copped a bit of criticism, but I’ll tell you what — watching the VFL this year, he’s been best-on nearly every game,” Murphy told the Herald Sun.

“It was almost watching a bloke play against schoolkids the way he was crashing packs and spoiling and taking big, contested marks. He was that good.

“It hadn’t really been working for him up forward, and to his credit he thought he’d try and get an opportunity down back and change up what he’s done for the last seven or eight years.

“He’s worked his backside off on the training track and in games. It’s a new lease of life.”

Jones played on Patton for 81 out of 110 minutes on Sunday and led the game for spoils (12) and intercept marks (four) with his closing speed and field kicking sharp.

Liam Jones swapped by defenders playing for Northern Blues. Picture: Michael Klein

Dual Brownlow Medallist Chris Judd said: “We know how hard it is to find key defenders and if he plays like that he’s got plenty of footy left in him.”

One of the knocks on Jones has been his tank, but he appears to be running more efficiently in defence.

If Jones’ form continues and he wins a new contract, the Blues would face a tough call on ACL victim Sam Rowe.

The fellow defender turns 30 in November and is out of contract at the end of the season.

Jones has worked closely with development coach Josh Fraser and averaged 139 SuperCoach points in his past four VFL games before logging 100 points against the Giants.

Jones averaged 52 points and just one goal in the previous seven years spent in attack at VFL and AFL level.

The longtime whipping boy only shifted into defence when the season started, training all summer and playing pre-season games as a forward.

Originally published as Carlton captain Marc Murphy backs Liam Jones to become a permanent defender