Zak Jones comes out of contract next year and rivals are lining up

IT’S A rare sight to see Zak Jones standing still but the Sydney Swans are hoping he stays put as rivals line up to lure him home to Victoria when his contract expires in 2019.

ZAK Jones has made a name for himself with his speed and movement around the field.

But the Swans will be hoping the rising utility stays put.

The 23-year-old’s contract expires at the end of 2019 and the suitors are lining up - again - with big-money offers to prise him away from Sydney.

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Essendon, St Kilda, North Melbourne and Melbourne - his brother Nathan’s team - will all be in the hunt, just as they were 12 months ago.

This time around the stakes will be a lot higher. His current pay packet, estimated at $300,000 per year, is set to jump to between $500,000-$600,000 on the back of an even more impressive set of numbers.

Sydney midfielder Zak Jones ahead of the game against North Melbourne. Picture: Phil Hillyard

His 20.8 disposals per game are a career-high, as are his contested possessions (7.3), uncontested possessions (14.8), metres gained (368), clearances (2.5) and score involvements (5.5).

The extra space in the Swans’ salary cap after the retirement of Kurt Tippett will come in handy.

His purple patch has come on the back of an interrupted pre-season due to knee surgery and a two-week break in rounds two and three with a calf strain courtesy of the rock hard Perth Stadium surface.

Right now there is no talk about contracts, Jones has his head down and his backside up and concentrating on getting even better.

“I haven’t spoken about contracts,” Jones told the Daily Telegraph.

“I’m really happy in Sydney. I’m focused on now and I don’t want to look too far ahead. Everything passes pretty quickly so I’m just enjoying my time.”

Zak Jones breaks away from Mitch McGovern. Picture: Phil Hillyard

It’s an enjoyment which has been enjoyed by the Sydney coach’s box as Jones covers a range of roles across the ground. In his four games so far he has played 45 per cent midfield, 16 per cent forward and 39 per cent defence.

“He’s a real point of difference for the Swans,” Former Richmond and Western Bulldogs coach Terry Wallace said.

“He can step and baulk and run and carry. He’s not only getting it on the outside and carrying it he can also can win it in traffic and step and baulk to the outside. He turns inside ball into outside ball.”

He can also kick important goals like the one he landed early in the last quarter of Saturday’s win over the Cats at Geelong.

“Last year I had a consistent year and I’m trying to build on that and keep it going,” Jones said. “I wasn’t on the track much during the pre-season so I worked with the coaches to keep up on the game plan so I wouldn’t come in and not look lost.”