Best taggers in the AFL

[Cairnsman]

absolute liability on the field????? .... three times he was picked to play in the biggest game of all ... all three times it was not a lineball decision he was a lock to play ... played pretty influencial roles in all of them and imo would hold his head high over his return in two of the three (worth noting imo only BJ deserves to take something away from the third game)...
yeah i know its not 2009 or 2010 but lets show the guy just a tad respect ... he is coming towards the end of his career no shame in slowing down at the end most players do but to me CJ is still one of the most reliable players we got in the team .. he aint flashy he aint gunna get brownlow votes or rack up huge numbers but he will run hard from start to finish he will put his body on the line he will try to play within his limits and above all will push himself to give everything he has on field ... you wanna know what he brings to the team he sets the example of how to make the most out of what you got .. CJ has massive flaws in his game yet he shows that by working your arse off you can still make a good show of it , to me thats exactly what you need the young fellas seeing week in week out not many are going to be blessed with the skills of a Dal Santo or the tank of Roo or the outright courage of a Hayes and while learning off these champs is going to be great its also worth looking at how the less skilled players managed to push themselves to their best

Well said...

[skeptic]

Well in fairness i did say that IMO he has been in decline since mid 2010... Not that he has been a liability the whole time. Early part of 2010 he was fast becoming an elite player but he got rattled in the game Vs Collingwood (Roo hammy) and hasn't looked close to consistently reaching those heights again

As for the rest the posts... He got smashed by his direct opponent at least a dozen times last season... He has been in average form with odd good games for a while.

For mine, ur view is a rose coloured glasses one. I doubt any other team would play him as we have over 2years

[skeptic]

Well thats obviously true but I dont think that means we cant comment. The worst player the saints have ever had play for them is probably better than 99.9% of people who comment on here.

No, I'm not bothered by the fact that people comment - after all, that's what this forum is for. What I find offensive is the "smugness" in the comments (sorry, I can't think of a better word) or lack of respect for the efforts made by a player wearing OUR jumper.[/quote]


Assuming that this post is directed to me.

Fair go here. I think i have been very complimentary RE CJs effort. I've praised his work rate and teamsmenship repeatedly... I really just don't think he is that good anymore. Can't see any benefit of keeping him on since the end of 2011.

I don't mean to sound disrespectful... But i really don't rate him on ability at the elite level. Endeavour and heart he has in abundance but he doesn't makes us a better team going forward

[mad saint guy]

Jones was an effective tagger from 2008 til early 2010. I never liked the fact that he is simply incapable of doing anything of use offensively, but in fairness he was regularly limiting gun midfielders. Since then he has been an ineffective tagger who can't kick. It is incredible that he has been given so many games in the past two years and also an indictment on our recruiting/development of young midfielders.

[stevie]

Well thats obviously true but I dont think that means we cant comment. The worst player the saints have ever had play for them is probably better than 99.9% of people who comment on here.

No, I'm not bothered by the fact that people comment - after all, that's what this forum is for. What I find offensive is the "smugness" in the comments (sorry, I can't think of a better word) or lack of respect for the efforts made by a player wearing OUR jumper.

Assuming that this post is directed to me.

Fair go here. I think i have been very complimentary RE CJs effort. I've praised his work rate and teamsmenship repeatedly... I really just don't think he is that good anymore. Can't see any benefit of keeping him on since the end of 2011.

I don't mean to sound disrespectful... But i really don't rate him on ability at the elite level. Endeavour and heart he has in abundance but he doesn't makes us a better team going forward[/quote]


No, this comment was for me I think. I made a jokey post about helicopters, handball and dwarves.

Nothing against CJ. I'm always looking at the funny side of things, with one liners and punchlines. That is just my nature as a funny bloke, lol.

Loved CJ in our big years when he tagged Ablett out of games.

Apologies if I was too flippant!

[luc1966]

Wowee cj does cop a a heap of s***

[bigcarl]

Second last time out Jones did an absolute number on the best player in the game, Gary Ablett Jr. Smashed him comprehensively. I'm not ready to write Jones off until someone steps up who can do the job consistently better. IMO a little way off yet.

[dragit]

Second last time out Jones did an absolute number on the best player in the game, Gary Ablett Jr. Smashed him comprehensively. I'm not ready to write Jones off until someone steps up who can do the job consistently better. IMO a little way off yet.

Ablett had 28 touches, how many does he need before we say the tag has failed? 45 & 3 goals?

[Con Gorozidis]

Second last time out Jones did an absolute number on the best player in the game, Gary Ablett Jr. Smashed him comprehensively. I'm not ready to write Jones off until someone steps up who can do the job consistently better. IMO a little way off yet.

People keep mentioning this one game.

For all we know GA Jr was injured or sick that day and it was hardly 'an absolute number'.

I don't think you can pluck one single game out of the air and then claim that defines CJ as a player.

For every good game he played - Im sure I can find you 1 average one and 1 bad one.

Has had his ass handed to him quite a few times along the journey.

But granted - CJ does probably play 6-8 good games a year, 6-8 average ones and 6-8 shockers.

This makes him an average AFL player (of course an 'average' AFL player is anything but average). Anyone who plays 100+ AFL games can play the game very very well but I don't think we will miss him if he goes.

[dragit]

Ablett averaged 31 touches last year, so with cj's vice like tag we were able to keep him to 28.

I wish Tom Curren now had 20+ more games experience instead.

[Con Gorozidis]

Personally Id rather see Weller given a go as the number 1 tagger at our club and CJ phased out in 2014.

[bigcarl]

Ablett averaged 31 touches last year, so with cj's vice like tag we were able to keep him to 28.

I wish Tom Curren now had 20+ more games experience instead.

If you cast your mind back to that game, Ablett was ineffectual and well beaten. But like I said, if there is someone better consistently, then by all means. I don't see this person yet though

[bigcarl]

I do feel that CJ gets a bad rap because of his somewhat awkward kicking style. He's not a silky smooth Dal Santo-type by any means, but he has other strengths. It will be interesting to see how he and others respond under the new regime. Some regulars will prosper and others will struggle. We'll find out over the next six months.

[kosifantutti]

I do feel that CJ gets a bad rap because of his somewhat awkward kicking style. He's not a silky smooth Dal Santo-type by any means, but he has other strengths. It will be interesting to see how he and others respond under the new regime. Some regulars will prosper and others will struggle. We'll find out over the next six months.

I don't think he's as bad a kick as people think. He looks awkward but a lot of the time he delivers really well.

[Dr Spaceman]

I do feel that CJ gets a bad rap because of his somewhat awkward kicking style. He's not a silky smooth Dal Santo-type by any means, but he has other strengths. It will be interesting to see how he and others respond under the new regime. Some regulars will prosper and others will struggle. We'll find out over the next six months.

I don't think he's as bad a kick as people think. He looks awkward but a lot of the time he delivers really well.

Agree.

At least with CJ you get 100% effort all the time. And despite the occassional delivery blunder I can truly say that the only time he has disappointed me was the time he set fire to a few people (including one dwarf).

[Con Gorozidis]

I find this pretty objective and fair to say CJ had a good year.

http://www.aflplayerratings.com.au/Rati ... nton-JONES

[dragit]

I do feel that CJ gets a bad rap because of his somewhat awkward kicking style. He's not a silky smooth Dal Santo-type by any means, but he has other strengths. It will be interesting to see how he and others respond under the new regime. Some regulars will prosper and others will struggle. We'll find out over the next six months.

I don't think he's as bad a kick as people think. He looks awkward but a lot of the time he delivers really well.

Awkward or not, he's the worst kicking midfielder in the AFL.
Fortunately he is above average in pace, tackling and endurance...

[skeptic]

CJ Improved his disposal last year no doubt... And he got it to a standard that it shd be at for a player who is more inside then out. No probs there... Though it has been a lot worse then that for the 2years proceeding.

I still think his overall effectiveness is poor to fair at best with the odd good games. Not nearly good enough for a SENIOR player taking games away from the young

[Trev from the Bush]

Don't know why I bother going to matches at all. Too many comments on this topic appear to be from from people who watch on TV / listen on radio / read the papers / listen to what the next door neighbour's great-aunt told them. Objectivity is below par.

At least we know (as early as 14 January) who this year's whipping boy will be.

[skeptic]

Don't know why I bother going to matches at all. Too many comments on this topic appear to be from from people who watch on TV / listen on radio / read the papers / listen to what the next door neighbour's great-aunt told them. Objectivity is below par.

At least we know (as early as 14 January) who this year's whipping boy will be.

again in fairness, he's been my whipping boy since mid 2010

[Bernard Shakey]

Wow, we are really in strife if people think CJ is part of our future.
This year he'll be four years past his best before date.

[SainterK]

Not in the best 22 this year, said respectfully...

[loris]

IMHO............ it's not much use crystal ball gazing who is yet in our best 22............ it's not until the season gets underway..... there are too many unknowns; eg. injuries, form drop offs, potentials not being realised, different game plan, hence different roles for players to know who are going to be in our best 22.

Maybe it's too early to start whipping CJ.....who knows he might be the surprise performer of the season that the team rely on immensely to carry out a very important role for the team throughout the season.

[plugger66]

IMHO............ it's not much use crystal ball gazing who is yet in our best 22............ it's not until the season gets underway..... there are too many unknowns; eg. injuries, form drop offs, potentials not being realised, different game plan, hence different roles for players to know who are going to be in our best 22.

Maybe it's too early to start whipping CJ.....who knows he might be the surprise performer of the season that the team rely on immensely to carry out a very important role for the team throughout the season.

Agree. No one knows our best 22 yet. Everyone thought Siposs would be for sure last year. Who knows how the young kids will come in. Probably good if CJ isnt in our best 22 but impossible to say yet. Im guessing that the club think he is very close to the best 22 otherwise he wouldnt have beeen re signed.

[Cairnsman]

IMHO............ it's not much use crystal ball gazing who is yet in our best 22............ it's not until the season gets underway..... there are too many unknowns; eg. injuries, form drop offs, potentials not being realised, different game plan, hence different roles for players to know who are going to be in our best 22.

Maybe it's too early to start whipping CJ.....who knows he might be the surprise performer of the season that the team rely on immensely to carry out a very important role for the team throughout the season.

Agree. No one knows our best 22 yet. Everyone thought Siposs would be for sure last year. Who knows how the young kids will come in. Probably good if CJ isnt in our best 22 but impossible to say yet. Im guessing that the club think he is very close to the best 22 otherwise he wouldnt have beeen re signed.

I actually think that it is better if CJ is in our best 22 to start the year off because it is then up to the young kids to work hard to grab his spot. If CJ isn't in our best 22 then it is a fail for the club and the list management. CJ has to make it hard for the young kids to grab his spot and hopefully set a level that is hard to attain.