Zak Jones is just 23 and only 72 games into his career, but the lively Sydney defender is on the verge of playing his seventh final ahead of next Saturday’s clash with GWS.
The Swans will face the Giants in an elimination final at the SCG as they set the wheels in motion for a ninth-straight finals campaign.
The Swans haven’t fallen short of September since 2009 and lay claim to the longest current finals streak competition-wide.
Jones, who signed with the Swans at the 2013 National Draft and made his AFL debut in 2014, says finals football is part of the furniture at the Club.
“It’s instilled in the Swans’ culture that not playing finals is not something we see ourselves doing,” Jones told Macquarie Sports Radio.
“We look forward to finals and no one wants to be missing this part of the year – and if they are they’re not really in the sport for the right reasons.
“Everyone wants to play finals and I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to be able to play finals again. I think about it every day.”
A number of Swans will play their first finals match in the elimination final.
Young forwards Ben Ronke, Tom McCartin and Will Hayward are some of players set to experience September for the first time.
Blossoming midfielder Oliver Florent is set to run out for his first finals game in the Giants clash.
McCartin is the youngest player in the AFL but has played 14 games at centre half-forward in his debut season.
Jones has simple advice for the young crop of talent on the eve of the elimination final.
“You want to come in and play your role and especially in finals it’s crucial that everyone plays their role,” Jones said.
“With more and more people playing their role, the more success you’re going to have.
“If everyone plays their role hopefully we can come out the end of it and win the game against the Giants.”
Zak is the younger brother of Melbourne captain Nathan, a 261-game veteran set to lead the Demons in their first finals appearance since 2006.
The two brothers will face each other in September if results fall the right way – and Zak says preparations have long been in the making.
“I’ve got a middle brother too, so I was kind of the punching bag for the first few years until I learnt I could actually run away from them,” Jones laughed.
“Mum wasn’t really happy because we’d break a lot of things in the house playing football and mucking up.”
