Swans' Jones ready to attack AFL finals

Sydney's Zak Jones, who has stayed out of the AFL MRP's bad books since a one-game ban, says brotherly advice from Nathan has helped him tweak his approach.

Zak Jones of the Swans

Zak Jones wants to retain his aggressive style but knows he must not overstep the mark. (AAP)

Zak Jones recalls Sydney's epic regular-season win over Essendon as well as any player at the AFL club.

Regrettably for Jones it is for all the wrong reasons.

He watched the after-the-siren victory from the stands, having copped a one-game suspension for clipping Richmond's Dan Butler the previous round.

Jones has played every other match during a breakout season, spending more time in the midfield and burning a lot of sides with his speed.

The ill-discipline didn't sit well with teammates. Vice-captain Dan Hannebery noted publicly at the time that "to miss games is unacceptable and he apologised to the group".

Jones has since been scrutinised by the match review panel twice but cleared on both occasions.

Key figures at the club believe he is being more astute with his aggression.

Coach John Longmire and Jones didn't even discuss his latest matchday report that was thrown out.

The 22-year-old risks an immediate ban for even the most minor offence in finals, having been fined twice prior to lashing out at Butler off the ball.

Jones, who says he won't spend much time sweating on a potential suspension in September, believes striking Butler was a lapse in judgement rather than a systematic problem.

Nonetheless he sought the counsel of big brother Nathan, who hunts the ball with similar intent as skipper of Melbourne.

"He said you have to toe the line. He gave me a few areas to focus on," Zak Jones told AAP.

"When those little scuffles start, I don't always have to associate myself with it.

"You have to stick up to your teammates but there's a line you don't cross.

"I've addressed those parts of my game.

"You can't dwell on it ... every player has stepped over the line at some point."

Jones admitted pinpointing that line can be tricky, especially when one of his teammates has been cleaned up.

"Every player knows where the line is. It's just that sometimes it gets a bit hazy," he said.

"I still want to play aggressively."

Jones' football skills are the reason he has been one of the Swans' best this year -- in good times and bad -- but the speedster's aggression is what has come to define him.

Every Sydney player has taken a more hostile approach since their 0-6 start but Jones is the one who has been described as the side's "firebrand", "street-fighter" and "antagonist".

"That's the perception that people have of me," the 22-year-old said.

"It annoys me a little bit.

"I don't want to be perceived as that angry person but I want to be an aggressive footballer."


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Source: AAP



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