Fiery Jones knows where AFL line is: Swans

Sydney's Zak Jones is one misdeed away from copping a suspension but his AFL club are content he is playing smarter football compared to earlier this year.

Zak Jones continues to be scrutinised by the AFL's match review panel but Sydney are satisfied the firebrand is being more astute with his aggression.

Jones was reported for charging Adelaide's Brad Crouch during the Swans' epic win at Adelaide Oval last Friday night.

The panel felt the late hit warranted a free kick but there was insufficient impact for Jones to be punished further.

Jones copped a one-game ban for striking Richmond's Dan Butler off the ball earlier this year and he was also fined for hits on Travis Cloke and Luke Breust.

The 22-year-old's bad record means even a minor offence will result in a one-match suspension, a potential blow the Swans don't want to cop in finals.

Jones will continue to walk the match-review-panel tightrope, starting with Saturday's SCG clash with Carlton.

But the club is satisfied the zippy midfielder, who has been one of their best players in good times and bad this year, is already playing smarter football.

"Zak's really clear on what he can and can't do," Swans football manager Tom Harley told AAP.

"He's put himself into a position with the number of fines he's had this year, so he knows where the line is and he's managing it pretty well.

"It's the intentional ones that Zak clearly needs to wipe out of his game and to his credit he has.

"The reality is with football there's going to be instances like that (contest involving Jones and Crouch) on the weekend. We expect our players to go."

Superstar Lance Franklin has been fined twice this season, meaning he will also be slapped with a one-game ban for the most minor of offences in September.

Meanwhile, Harley rubbished a recent report that suggested former skipper Jarrad McVeigh was "almost certain" to leave the club after this season.

"We're having constant conversations with Jarrad and his manager," he said.

The sixth-placed Swans can finish in the top four but they'll need to defeat Carlton then rely on both Richmond and Port Adelaide folding, against St Kilda and Gold Coast respectively.


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Source: AAP



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