Zak Jones

Last updated

Zak Jones
Zak Jones 2017.7.jpg
Jones playing for Sydney in June 2017
Personal information
Full name Zachary Jones
Date of birth (1995-03-15) 15 March 1995 (age 29)
Original team(s) Dandenong Stingrays (TAC Cup)
Draft No. 15, 2013 national draft
Height 181 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 79 kg (174 lb)
Position(s) Defender / Midfielder
Club information
Current club St Kilda
Number 3
Playing career1
YearsClubGames (Goals)
20142019 Sydney 90 (23)
2020 St Kilda 49 (11)
Total132 (34)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 5, 2024.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Zachary Jones (born 15 March 1995) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Contents

Early life

Zachary is the younger brother of former Melbourne captain Nathan Jones. Jones played for the Dandenong Stringrays in the TAC Cup and was a joint-winner of the Most Valuable Player for Vic Country at the 2013 AFL Under 18 Championships [1] and was named in the All-Australian team. [2]

He was recruited by the Sydney Swans with the 15th overall selection in the 2013 national draft.

AFL Career

Sydney Swans

He made his senior debut against Richmond, at the MCG in round 14 of the 2014 AFL season. [3]

In 2016, he was able to overcome an ankle injury and a severe concussion through the season, and was selected to play in the 2016 AFL Grand Final, cementing himself a spot in the team.

Coming out of contract at the end of the 2019 season, Jones requested a trade to St Kilda. Swans CEO Tom Harley said of Jones "everyone knows within footy circles he comes from a really strong and tight family and his desire to return to Victoria is to be closer to his family. St Kilda is the club that has expressed interest and Zak has let us know that, he has been really transparent about that...We actually had some challenges in re-signing him last time so this wasn’t totally unexpected." [4] At the conclusion of the 2019 AFL season, Jones and pick 56 was traded to St Kilda for pick 32, 76 and a 2020 3rd Round pick. [5]

St Kilda FC

Jones made his St Kilda debut in Round 1 of the 2020 AFL Season against North Melbourne. [6] Jones was one of the best-on-ground in the Saints' round two win over the Western Bulldogs, collecting 29 disposals and a goal in a match with shortened 16-minute quarters. Jones left the field early in the Saints' Round 4 win against Richmond, and missed the Round 5 win against Carlton as a result. [7] [8] Jones eventually managed 16 of a possible 19 games (including two finals for nine wins and seven losses) in his first year at the Saints, finishing sixth in the Trevor Barker Award.

Jones suffered a hamstring injury in the 2021 pre-season and did not participate in the Saints' pre-season matches. Jones had a career best game in round seven against Hawthorn, winning the Silk-Miller Memorial Medal in the Blue Ribbon Cup game and collecting 37 disposals, two goals, six tackles, eight marks and had 13 score involvements. The following week, against Gold Coast, Jones had 31 disposals and laid seven tackles to be amongst the Saints' best in their round eight win. In mid-May, Jones ruptured his right quad at training ahead of round nine. He underwent surgery and was unavailable for selection for approximately eight weeks. [9] Despite the injuries, Jones returned immediately to the side Round 17 and having a big impact, collecting twenty-six disposals (13 contested) and a game-high 10 clearances from just over 60 percent game-time. [10] Jones ultimately played seven consecutive games to see out the season, including a prolific 32-disposal game against West Coast and a strong 30 disposal game against Carlton. Of his return to the side despite injury, teammate Seb Ross stated that "every time Jonesy’s had an injury, he’s basically nearly returned straight into the AFL team off just the work he’s been able to do in rehab. You don’t see that too often. The way he attacks his rehab and prepares his mind and body to be able to come straight in and not look out of place with his run and drive is a real credit to his professionalism." [10]

Statistics

Updated to the end of round 7, 2023. [11]

Legend
  G  
Goals
  K  
Kicks
  D  
Disposals  
  T  
Tackles
  B  
Behinds  
  H  
Handballs  
  M  
Marks
SeasonTeamNo.GamesTotalsAverages (per game) Votes
GBKHDMTGBKHDMT
2014 Sydney 10410111829370.30.02.84.57.30.81.80
2015 Sydney 101100694911820270.00.06.34.510.71.82.50
2016 Sydney 1016311538523833520.20.19.65.314.92.13.30
2017 Sydney 1023106256202458109790.40.311.18.819.94.73.42
2018 Sydney 10196319417637076350.30.210.29.319.54.01.80
2019 Sydney 10173721716338068660.20.412.89.622.44.03.90
2020 [lower-alpha 1] St Kilda 3165815714730447570.30.59.89.219.02.93.67
2021 St Kilda 3134216314130449570.30.212.510.823.43.84.44
2022 St Kilda 3132111711823538460.20.19.09.118.12.93.50
2023 St Kilda 30
Career13234281337109924364434260.30.210.18.318.53.43.213

Notes

  1. The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Injuries

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paddy Ryder</span> Australian rules footballer

Patrick Ryder is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Essendon, Port Adelaide and St Kilda Football Clubs in the Australian Football League (AFL). Ryder was noted for his speed, agility and leap for someone of his size and it was these attributes that had his first AFL coach in Kevin Sheedy comparing him to Indigenous Australian rules football star Graham "Polly" Farmer. Ryder's father, Revis Ryder, played football for East Fremantle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lance Franklin</span> Australian rules footballer (born 1987)

Lance Franklin, also known as Buddy Franklin, is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League (AFL). He played for the Hawthorn Football Club from 2005 to 2013 and the Sydney Swans from 2014 to 2023. Regarded as the greatest forward of his generation and among the greatest players of all time, Franklin kicked 1,066 goals, the fourth-most in VFL/AFL history; he was his club's leading goalkicker on 13 occasions and kicked at least 50 goals in a season 13 times. Franklin was selected in the All-Australian team on eight occasions, including as captain in the 2018 team, and won four Coleman Medals throughout his career, with his biggest haul coming in 2008 with Hawthorn, when he kicked 113 goals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathan Jones (Australian footballer)</span> Australian rules footballer

Nathan Jones is a former Australian rules footballer known for playing for the Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League. He is the older brother of St Kilda player Zak Jones. He served as the captain of Melbourne from 2014 until he stepped down at the end of the 2019 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Callan Ward</span> Australian rules footballer

Callan Ward is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played for the Western Bulldogs from 2008 to 2011. Ward received a nomination for the 2009 AFL Rising Star award in round 18 of the 2009 season. He was one of three inaugural Giants co-captains, leading the club for eight seasons, and is also the club's games record holder with 236 games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarryn Geary</span> Australian rules footballer

Jarryn Geary is a retired Australian rules footballer who played for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Geary was St Kilda captain from 2017 to 2020 and co-captain in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Hannebery</span> Australian rules footballer

Daniel Hannebery is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played for the Sydney Swans from 2009 to 2018 and for the St Kilda Football Club from 2019 to 2022. Hannebery won the AFL Rising Star award in his second season in 2010, and is a three-time All-Australian. He also won a premiership with Sydney in 2012 and the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year Award in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Hickey (footballer, born 1991)</span> Australian rules footballer

Tom Hickey is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played for the Gold Coast Suns, the St Kilda Football Club, and the West Coast Eagles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brad Crouch</span> Australian rules footballer

Bradley Crouch is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited by the Adelaide Football Club with the second selection in the 2011 mini-draft. He is the older brother and former teammate of Matt Crouch. Crouch and his family are from Beaufort, near Ballarat in Victoria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Membrey</span> Australian rules footballer

Tim Membrey is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paddy McCartin</span> Australian rules footballer

Patrick McCartin is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL), having previously played for the St Kilda Football Club from 2015 to 2019. He was drafted as the number one pick in the 2014 AFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Steele</span> Australian rules footballer

Jack Steele is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played for the Greater Western Sydney Giants from 2015 to 2016. Steele has won two Trevor Barker Awards and is a dual All-Australian. He served as St Kilda co-captain in 2021, and has served as the sole captain since the 2022 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rowan Marshall</span> Australian rules footballer

Rowan Marshall is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted by St Kilda with their first selection and tenth overall in the 2017 rookie draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hunter Clark</span> Australian rules footballer

Hunter Clark is a professional Australian rules footballer with the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted by St Kilda with their first selection and seventh overall in the 2017 national draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Coffield</span> Australian rules footballer

Nicholas John Coffield is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted by St Kilda with their second selection and eighth overall in the 2017 national draft.

Lachlan Schultz is a professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played for the Fremantle Football Club from 2019–2023.

Max King is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hayden McLean</span> Australian rules footballer

Hayden McLean is an Australian rules footballer playing for Sydney in the Australian Football League (AFL). A 1.98-metre tall who can play as a ruckman or key forward, McLean began his career in the TAC Cup before a season in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He was recruited by Sydney on the eve of the 2019 season as a pre-season supplemental selection, and made his AFL debut later that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Byrnes</span> Australian rules footballer

Ryan Byrnes is an Australian rules footballer playing for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited by St Kilda with the 52nd pick in the 2019 AFL draft.

Jack Bytel is an Australian rules footballer who plays for Collingwood in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was recruited by St Kilda with the 41st pick in the 2018 AFL draft and played for them from 2019 until 2023.

Renee Saulitis is an Australian rules footballer playing for St Kilda in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She was recruited by St Kilda with the 34th pick of the 2020 AFL Women's draft.

References

  1. "2013 draft prospect: Zak Jones". Australian Football League. 20 October 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  2. Twomey, Callum (5 July 2013). "SA, Vic Metro reps head U18s All Australian team". Australian Football League. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  3. Lalor, Peter (19 June 2014). "Sydney Swans give Zak Jones his debut". The Australian . Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  4. "AFL 2019: Zak Jones, Sydney, St Kilda, trade rumours, trade whispers". Fox Sports. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  5. "Jones joins St Kilda".
  6. Nice, Chris (20 March 2020). "Deliveroo Team Selection: Six new Saints set for Round 1 rise". saints.com.au. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  7. "Dunstan sidelined with pectoral injury". saints.com.au. 29 June 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  8. Nice, Chris (1 July 2020). "Deliveroo Team Selection: Skipper returns for Thursday night showdown". saints.com.au. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  9. "Quad rupture benches Jones". saints.com.au. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  10. 1 2 "Beware the wounded bull: Jones' bounce back despite serious injury". saints.com.au. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  11. "Zak Jones stats". AFL Tables. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  12. 2019 injury
  13. 2016