28 April 2001
Think of artists that had gigantic success with one hit. The Honeycombs 'Have I the Right?', The Swingin' Blue Jeans 'Hippy Hippy Shake', Richard Harris 'MacArthur Park', Arthur Conley 'Sweet Soul Music', Brenton Wood 'Gimme a Little Sign', Arthur Brown 'Fire', Susan Ray 'LA International Airport', Gerry Rafferty 'Baker Street' and the Knack 'My Sharona'.A player who produced a single monster melody was Saint Sam Jones.
If a present criticism of St Kilda is that its back line is too short, then Mr J was the answer. 192 centimetres tall and 88 kilograms in body weight.Sam the Man grew up in Tasmania. He played with local Hobart team Sandy Bay, the club that gave Michael Seddon to Melbourne and Darrin Pritchard to Hawthorn. The red, white and blacks drafted the big fellow with 1990 national pick number 86. Jonesy was 17 when he arrived at Moorabbin. The Linton Streeters gave Sammy the number 38 jumper previously worn by Luke Donald and later by Tim Elliott and Chris Gowans.St Kilda took a leaf out of the Glenferrie guidebook by allowing Jones time in the reserves. He needed encouragement with acclimatising to AFL football. Yet he had strong hands. Could kick long and short to position. But his second effort required some support. Jones improved this aspect of his game as his fitness developed. Plus he needed time in the gym to put some muscle on the grasshopper frame.
The 1993 Ansett Cup. Jones played a brand of football that could described in terms of that great Australian expression: he was made of the right stuff and he gave it his best shot. Sam stood his ground in marking contests when the herd of wildebeest were running at full speed towards him. The young bloke revealed the courage of a pit bull terrier. However the coaching panel did not believe the defender ready for the seniors. He returned to the Twos for further football education.
Jones pushed up for 1994. He was selected in the St Kilda side to face Geelong at Kardinia Park for round 12. His task was to man up on Bill Brownless and Menschy and John Barnes when the mobile number 6 went forward. SJ would be assisted by a young 'Spider' Everitt and big Lazar Vidovic dropping back. The Stan plan worked beautifully against the Cats that had lost the previous two. With the Saints talls in defence, service to Ablett was minimal. Also St Kilda was winning the ball out of the middle through the agency of Harvey and Burke and Winmar. Twice in the second quarter, Sam Jones took important marks. He was like Thunderclap Newman's 'Something in the Air'. And halfway through the third term he followed Brownless down field. Suddenly the ball wobbled in the air from a Laze kick forward. Jones marked 40 metres out on a 60 degree angle Hickey Stand end. The pressure and noise from Cats fans were incredible. Stomping feet and 200 kids bashing tin signs at the fence. Jones had the channelled concentration to kick truly.
St Kilda went into three quarter time 38 points up. That number 38 again. Malcolm Blight and the Geelong players got booed all the way to the huddle. The last half hour. Ablett booted 5. Hinkley added another. And Couchy another. Cats won by three points. 17.11 to 16.14.Despite St Kilda losing, the Sam Jones game was Fairground Attraction's 'Perfect'.The big fellow played the following week versus Carlton at Optus. In defence he was swamped by the flood of goals. The Blues 22.13 to 10.5. Jones played one more game that season coming off the bench in the round 19 loss to Brisbane at the Park.Sam was delisted at the end of 1994 after three games. It seemed a mystery. Maybe he had set himself too high a standard.Sam Jones had the quality of the Burton Cummings song 'Stand Tall'.