Rowan Jones

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**Rowan Jones**
Personal Info
Birth	November 19, 1979,
Recruited from	Claremont (WAFL)
Height/Weight	187cm / 80kg
Playing Career¹
Debut	Round 19, August 9, 1998, West Coast Eagles vs. Sydney Swans, at S.C.G.
Team(s)	West Coast (1998-) 137 games, 58 goals
¹ Statistics to end of R2, 2007 season
Career Highlights
West Coast Eagles AFL Rising Star nominee 1999 West Coast Eagles 3rd in Best and Fairest 2001 West Coast Eagles Vice-Captain 2004 Premiership Player 2006

Rowan Jones (born November 19, 1979) is an Australian rules footballer playing for the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League.

Recruited at pick 28 in the 1997 AFL Draft by the Eagles from local WAFL club Claremont, Jones debuted in his first season at the Eagles, the round 19, 1998 match against the Sydney Swans at the SCG. From the 1999 season, Jones became a regular selection in the West Coast team, and indeed finished third in the Eagles Best and Fairest in 2001.

Jones's form tailed off quite a bit in 2004, unfortunately coinciding with an appointment as a vice-captain, and when the 2005 season came around, spots in the side were scarce, and Jones was relegated to playing in the WAFL for much of the season. A weight of impressive performances at WAFL level enabled Jones to force his way into the Eagles senior side for four matches, including the Preliminary Final, but he was injured at training and was unable to play in the Grand Final loss.

Jones's improved form late in 2005 carried through into the 2006 season, where he once again became a regular in the team, playing 23 of a possible 26 games, including being a member of the Eagles Grand Final team that won by a point over the Swans.

Jones has had his detractors over the years while playing for West Coast mainly due to his poor kicking, however he can be a prolific possession winner for his side as an in and under midfielder. He is part of the Eagles' leadership group. Jones's poor kicking was most exemplified by a shot at goal from short range in the 2006 preliminary final against Adelaide, which was indeed a remarkable miss from that range. Jones is a very contentious figure among Eagles supporters, as is best shown by this thread on a West Coast Eagles fan forum which appeared after the aforementioned missed shot on goal.