After 83 games over seven seasons and with his contract set to expire at the end of 2017, Jones was down and out.

He was probably entering the last year or his football career at just 26 years old.

Standing at 197cm, or 6’5ish, Jones was chosen by the Western Bulldogs as the 32nd pick in the 2008 AFL draft. 

Despite showing some promise as a full forward over 66 games, he never lived up to the hype placed on him by the Dogs’ faithful. 

He only managed a further 17 games and 16 goals in two seasons after being traded to the Blues for a bargain bottom price at the end of 2014. 

The full forward became the butt of many jokes from Carlton and opposition supporters alike for his less-than-impressive performances in the forward 50.

For a club that has been bereft of a superstar key forward since Brendan Fevola’s ignominious departure, Jones’ lacklustre performances were a source of much frustration.  

One catchcry, often heard by armchair pundits around the MCG, mocked his ostensibly perfect physique for the position - “He looks like Tarzan and plays like Jane”.  

“I was quite a good VFL forward, but I relied on being a contested marking player,” Jones explained.

“I could win my own ball, but if I wasn't marking my own ball in a pack, there wasn't much else to my game.

“Trying to take packs in marks in the AFL against some of the best defenders is a lot harder.

“I think at AFL level, with the leading patterns and the space, you need to be really good at getting balls other ways.”

It was certainly a far cry from his glory days playing junior football in Tassie.

Running around for the North Hobart Football Club from the age of eight, Jones was touted as a star in the making with prodigious talent. 

“I was 16 when I was playing under-17’s, but I was averaging 7 goals a game, so they bumped me up to under-19’s for the last half of the year,” he reminisced. 

“We ended up winning the premiership for the under-19’s, and from there I got a scholarship [at Scotch College] and moved to Melbourne to year 11 and 12.”

Much press has been given lately to the current state of football in Tasmania, with North Launceston Bombers president Thane Brady on Friday calling the state “the Bangladesh of the AFL”.

However, Jones said football in his home state was very different when he was growing up. He credits a strong club culture, local club support and genuine senior talent as holding the game in good stead throughout his youth.

“There were some really strong players in the under-19’s team and because the seniors were so strong, with really quality players, it meant you had to work really hard to get a game,” he said.

“We had some really quality players back then - [current Carlton coach Brendon Bolton] was playing, there was [ex-Essendon player] Kenny Hall and you saw good players playing good players, which held the competition in really good stead.

“But as the years went on after I left Tassie you heard about 15 year-olds and 16 year-olds playing seniors.” 

Jones will return to his home state to play Hawthorn on Saturday as one of the premier players in the competition. 

Early in the 2017 VFL season Jones, out of desperation, was thrown into the backline for the Northern Blues at the suggestion of Carlton recruiter Paul Brodie. 

Despite having no positional experience down back since entering the AFL system, Jones started to show some promise. 

He strung together several strong performances, including a couple of best on ground performances for the reserves side. 

After defender Sam Rowe went down with an ACL injury in round 9 for Carlton, one last chance to salvage his career beckoned for the converted forward. 

Jones played for the seniors against the GWS Giants in round 12, helping lead them to an upset one-point victory. 

Playing against former number-one draft pick Jonathon Patton, he more than held his own – he comfortably won the one-on-one battle. 

He would go on to play the remaining 11 games of the season, drawing comparisons to some of the best defenders the game has seen.  Many pundits said his second-half stretch of the season was better than any other key defender’s in the league.

The jeers of the crowd had turned into universal praise and adoration. 

“I've definitely had a lot of people voice quite negative views about the way I played as a forward and said I couldn't make it in the AFL,” he recalled. 

“What I hear from a lot from people now is how much of a surprise [the turnaround] is and how happy they are with what I've done.

“They enjoy the story of me pulling myself out of the gutter.”

Even at his lowest ebb, Jones said he always remained positive.

With his partially completed Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science, he also knew that he had options outside of football.

“If it was to be my last year of football in my last year of the contract, then I was going to do my best to lead the Northern Blues to a premiership and have no regrets about working really hard,” he said.

“I was very grateful to be given an opportunity to play VFL football, while some guys out there never get the opportunity.

“Sometimes you have to pinch yourself at training when you get lace out kicks from Kade Simpson - it's such privilege to be given the opportunity to do something you love as a job.”

He also attributed his positive outlook and stable mental health to a strong base of family and friends outside the AFL diaspora. 

“I’m lucky, because I’ve got a lot of close mates outside of football, so that's good to be able to spend time with them and talk about their jobs or what they're up to,” he said.

“One of my little brothers is in Melbourne at uni and my family is really supportive - I talk to them on the phone a lot.”

Jones has everything in front of him coming into Saturday’s pre-season clash against the home town Hawks in Launceston.

With a team brimming with young talent and a highly-rated Brendon Bolton at the helm, there is a palpable sense of enjoyment at Princes Park these days. 

“Everyone's enjoying everyone else’s success – it’s a great place to be,” Jones said.