Matt Jones to remain at South Croydon in 2020
South Croydon star Matt Jones had come to the decision to retire at the end of the Premier Division season, but the former AFL midfielder has had a change of heart and will continue in 2020.
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South Croydon’s package of recruits has convinced former Melbourne midfielder Matt Jones to continue for one final season in an attempt to win a second premiership in four years.
Jones, 32, revealed he had made the decision to retire following the elimination final against Rowville, when he was knocked out.
But the Bulldogs string of top additions, which includes star Woori Yallock trio Jordy Williams and Ben and Zach Monkhorst, swayed the 2019 club best and fairest winner’s decision to remain at Cheong Park in 2020.
Jones informed South Croydon last week that he had had a change of heart.
“I told them at the end of this season that it was probably going to be my last year,” Jones said.
“They gave me time to think about it and as the weeks have gone on, one of the guys there has been asking me what I was thinking about.
“When the season finished, I thought, ‘That was it’ but over the last three or four weeks, I’ve changed my mind a bit.”
The star midfielder has been a Team of the Year member in each of his three seasons since returning to South Croydon following a 61-game career at Melbourne.
He was also influential during South Croydon’s 2017 finals series, which culminated in a grand final boilover against Vermont.
Jones also played in South Croydon’s 2006 Division 3 and 2009 Division 2 premierships before his AFL career.
He said Williams and the Monkhorst brothers would keep South Croydon in premiership contention.
The Bulldogs were knocked out of this year’s Premier Division flag race in the semi-final against Blackburn — a result some considered an underachievement given it signed a quartet of former Box Hill Hawks players ahead of this season.
“I just felt like with the list we’ve got, we’re still a massive chance to win it,” Jones said.
“I didn’t want to leave and then potentially miss out on another flag.
“Now we’ve got those players, I feel like they can really helps us. They’re the type of players we sort of needed.
“I didn’t want to miss out.”
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Jones declared next season would be his last.
“That’ll be it,” he said.
“2020 will be it for me.”
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