Corey Jones (born 26 February 1981) is a former
Australian rules footballer who played for the
North Melbourne Kangaroos
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos, is a professional Australian rules football club. The men's team competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), and the women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW). The Kangaroos a ...
in the
Australian Football League. Jones grew up in the small
Victorian
Victorian or Victorians may refer to:
19th century
* Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign
** Victorian architecture
** Victorian house
** Victorian decorative arts
** Victorian fashion
** Victorian literature ...
town of
Wycheproof
Wycheproof is a small town in the centre of the Shire of Buloke, in north western Victoria, Australia. As of the , it had a population of 610.
History
The name "Wycheproof" originates from an Aboriginal word meaning 'grass on a hill', refer ...
, near
Bendigo
Bendigo ( ) is a city in Victoria, Australia, located in the Bendigo Valley near the geographical centre of the state and approximately north-west of Melbourne, the state capital.
As of 2019, Bendigo had an urban population of 100,991, mak ...
.
Career
Jones was drafted with the 60th selection in the
2000 AFL Draft from
Sturt in the
South Australian National Football League
The South Australian National Football League, or SANFL ( or ''S-A-N-F-L''), is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the state's governing body for the sport.
Originally formed as th ...
(SANFL). He made his AFL debut in round 4 of 2001 and played a total of 12 games for the season.
Jones had his best year up to date in 2007. The Roos finished 3rd on the ladder at the end of the home and away season and Jones kicked 46 goals for the year, including a bag of seven against Hawthorn in Round 17 at Aurora Stadium, to be the club's leading goal scorer for the year. He has also kicked multiple bags of four goals during the year and bags of three. Jones did not play in the finals series, ruled out with a broken foot that was niggling him all of the second half of the season.
Jones started his 2008 season horribly, receiving a concussion in the first quarter of the season thanks to
Nathan Thompson's knee driving into his forehead. In Round 2 Jones bounced back well against Richmond at the MCG. Jones kicked four first quarter goals on his way to a seven-goal haul for the second time in his career.
By the end of the season, however, Jones was offered up for trade prior to the
2008 AFL Draft; however no suitable trade was able to be made and Jones remained at North Melbourne. However, he only played one game in the first half of the 2009 season, with a rift with coach
Dean Laidley
Danielle May Laidley (born Dean James Laidley; 27 March 1967) is a former Australian rules football coach and player, who played for the West Coast Eagles and North Melbourne in the Australian Football League (AFL) from 1987 to 1997, includin ...
blamed for his demotion to the reserves team,
North Ballarat
North Ballarat Football & Netball Club, nicknamed ''The Roosters'', is an Australian rules football and netball club based at Mars Stadium in Ballarat.
The club currently fields senior, reserve and Under 19 sides in the Ballarat Football Lea ...
. After Laidley resigned and Darren Crocker took over as the caretaker coach, Jones played in nine of the remaining eleven matches.
In August 2010, having played only senior match for the season, Jones announced his retirement. North Melbourne gave Jones a farewell match, though coach
Brad Scott insisted that Jones had earned his spot in the team.
Return to Country Football
Following his retirement from AFL, Corey returned to play with his home club, Wycheproof-Narraport, where they would go on to make finals for both years of his tenure at the club.
It is reported that Corey has signed a 2-year contract with Bendigo Football League side, Golden Square, as a playing Development Coach
References
External links
*
Profile at North Melbourne Football Club
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Corey
Australian rules footballers from Victoria (Australia)
North Melbourne Football Club players
Sturt Football Club players
North Ballarat Football Club players
1981 births
Living people