The turnaround of Carlton’s Liam Jones from out of favour forward to stunning defender has been celebrated immensely, but a set of figures from Champion Data reveal just how good he is playing in defence.
Sitting equal-first in SEN’s The Run Home Player of the Year race, Cameron Mooney, who hands out the votes, has brought a slew of numbers to the table that shows why Jones deserves to be mentioned in high regard.
“It’s an incredible turnaround,” he said.
“Since Jones has come back into the senior team this season, he is marked as an elite defender in intercept marks (2.9 per game), intercept possessions (7.7 per game), spoils (9.5 per game) and pressure acts.
“Since he has come back in, he is ranked as the third or fourth best key defender in the game.”
Click HERE to view Liam Jones’ SEN Inside Football Player Ratings.
Jones has played every game since Round 12, when he was matched up against GWS spearhead Jon Patton and did a respectful job. Since then, he has been able to showcase his ability to read the play and intercept attacking forays from the opposition.
Furthermore, Jones has played lockdown roles on the likes of Patton, Gold Coast’s Tom Lynch, Taylor Walker, Jesse Hogan and Jarryd Roughead.