AFTER a prodigious WAFL career, former Peel Thunder captain Brendon Jones is enjoying his return to country level football through the South Mandurah Football Club.
The Thunder legend spent 12 years in WAFL playing with Perth and Peel and decided to retire to the country at the end of last season.
He sited South Mandurah as his club of choice because of the club’s rich history and a long-term friendship with league coach Daniel Haines.
“The club has been great, they’ve welcomed me and my family with open arms,” he said.
Jones praised the quality of the Peel Football League when comparing it to the state-level standard he had been playing in over the past decade.
“As far as country league’s go, the standard here is pretty high,” he said.
“It’s not really as fast as WAFL football and the preparation is a bit different, but it’s a good contest on the field.”
Jones played 219 league games, booting 101 goals and averaging 20 disposals.
His first four appearances for the Falcons have been promising, but Jones said his performances had been uneven, and he was looking for more consistency.
“I’ve been a bit up and down so far, so I’m hoping to get into a rhythm and put forth more solid matches,” he said.
“The side as a whole started a bit off with two consecutive losses, but the past fortnight has been a strong one.”
Sharing WAFL experiences with South Mandurah’s young talent is also in Jones’ sights.
“I’m still finding my feet in the club at the moment so I haven’t been able to help the young blokes out as much as I’d like,” he said.
“In the near future I feel like I could share some of my experiences with the kids and help them with their footy.”
Jones said the atmosphere around South Mandurah following their 2015 premiership was another enjoyable factor in his return from WAFL.
“The boys are really hungry to go back-to-back and the club has a great feel to it,” he said.
“It’s family friendly, which is perfect for my growing family.”
Coach Haines praised Jones for his professionalism and ability gel with the playing group.
“He’s slotted in straight away and we were very happy to have him sign with us in the off season,” he said.
“Brendon’s a great player but he’s also a very good person to have around the football club.
“We have a great bunch of young kids coming through and it will be great to have him parting some knowledge for the future of our club.”
