Duncan Jones Interview

Duncan Jones has risen through the ranks of the colts under Gareth Woodcock's coaching in past years and his this year taken the reins as colts coach himself. This interview from May 29th details the up and coming players in the colts now, Duncan's thoughts on coaching and of his more recent opportunity to play in the ruck in the seniors. I hope you enjoy it.

Chris Mirtschin: Can you tell us a bit about your football history, which teams you’ve played with from your junior years onwards, what are the highlights so far etc?

Duncan Jones: My football journey started with South Croydon in under 9s, then I moved to play footy with my brother at East Ringwood in under 13s and in under 15s I decided to make the move to Heathmont simply because of friends that were playing there. I have to say it was a master stroke.

CM: How have you found the colts coaching role so far?

DJ: Definitely challenging, but I have enjoyed every minute of it, the boys are great. I couldn’t have asked for a better bunch of blokes to coach, they certainly make it a lot easier.

CM: What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had in the role so far?

DJ: I suppose the biggest challenge would be to continually keep the boys interested with what we’re doing. Being young is hard for the boys because if we keep doing the same stuff, their minds wander and they get bored. So I suppose keeping it all fresh is definitely challenging.

CM: I hear you have the guys training on Monday nights as well now – how has that been received, and is it proving beneficial?

DJ: I think that the boys really enjoy Monday night sessions, we break down what happened on the weekend and what we want to work on at training, and then we go out to train. After training, we bring it in and assess what we want to set ourselves and achieve for the up-coming game. It also gives us a chance to bond as a team and do full ground drills which is defiantly beneficial for the boys.

CM: What’s been the most rewarding part of your coaching experience so far?

DJ: The most rewarding part so far is seeing the boys improve, each week they come out and impress me. Especially their enthusiasm on the track, they actually want to improve and become better footballers.

CM: You have Glen Wilson as an assistant this year to provide advice. How’s that going?

DJ: Glen has been a massive help, me being a first time coach certainly needed a person like Glen to help me out, without him I’m sure I’d be suspended for abusing the umpire. I’d like to think of him of more as a co-coach than an assistant.

CM: Which players are showing leadership potential at the moment?

DJ: Well the four I picked for leadership Jake Sherriff, Chris Wilson, Dyson Baker and Jack Batchelor are certainly standing up at the moment, but people like Nick Anderson and Jayden Himmerman are also beginning to stand up and become leaders of the team. The boys look up to all these players and to their credit, they’re doing a fantastic job.

CM: Who has stood out improvement wise amongst the playing group so far this season?

DJ: The person that has stood out the most would be Blake Leipper, his form the last 3 or 4 weeks has been amazing. His ability to find space and get the footy is great and I couldn’t be happier with the way he is going. Lachlan Goodey, being a under 16 has been one of our best players so far this year, the way he goes about his footy is fantastic he always gives everything for the team and it’s a pleasure having him play in the side.

CM: Can you give us a rundown on some of the newer players at the club who people may be unfamiliar with?

DJ: Yeah, new players like Joe Morrison and Tom Peddie. I saw their best form at the 80s night. A solid effort put in by these two and they’re great lads, they’re worth getting to know because they’re good blokes and amazing party animals.

CM: Are there any colts players pushing for senior selection at the moment?

DJ: At the moment I would say no, although players I could see playing ones this year would be Jack Batchelor, Jayden Himmerman, Jake Sherriff and Chris Wilson. When our bye comes around, I will be encouraging players who I think are ready to play seniors or reserves to train when we have the week off and to give themselves a red hot crack at being picked.

CM: Are there any long term injuries to colts players at the moment?

DJ: At the moment both our main rucks are out. Although Nick Jeffs and Nathan Grayson are expected to return in about 3 weeks. Simon Minson has an ongoing Achilles problem and he is getting that assessed this week but I expect he will be out for a least 2 – 3 more weeks.

CM: How’s the morale amongst the colts players at the moment?

DJ: I think the morale is pretty good at the moment, even though we're not winning as many games as we would like to, the guys know that we are improving and if we continue to improve we all know that the wins will come.

CM: Who do you rate as the main contenders for 3rd division colts this year, and specifically, how do you think Heathmont will go?

DJ: The top two sides in 3rd division colts will be North Ringwood and UFTG. They’re the benchmark and it will be very tough for anyone to beat these teams. Heathmont do have the potential to be a very good side and I think the second half of the season will begin to show that. The boys are getting use to the speed and physicality of colts footy compared to under 16s and I think by the end of the year we can have more wins than losses.

CM: You’re starting to hold a regular spot in the seniors now, and improving with your ruck work from week to week. Are you enjoying your playing at the moment?

DJ: Yeah, definitely. This year I am really enjoying my footy and being given a chance in the seniors is fantastic, so hopefully I can keep playing well and cement a permanent spot.

CM: Do you enjoy playing in the ruck, or would you prefer to play a different role in the side?

DJ: Yeah I love playing in the ruck, I use to play it a lot when I was in juniors at East Ringwood and when I first came to Heathmont, but I stopped because of a few knee injuries. Rucking at a senior level is a great learning experience. As for playing a different role, I do enjoy playing down back but at the moment ruck seems to be working for me so I’m happy to stay there. Wherever the team needs me to play, I’ll play.

CM: Finally, do you have any funny football incidents to share?

DJ: HA! Yeah there is one that stands out. Playing my first year of under 18s footy and Jason Newbury got the ball out of the middle ran the wrong way, had a bounce and bombed it long into our back line. Probably the funniest thing I have ever seen in footy.