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While hit-outs, marks and goals \u2013 she’s kicked 26 of them in her career \u2013 take over on weekends, Jones is still dancing with a number of companies, including the Australian Irish Dance Company, Curtain Call Performing Arts Studios and Ballarat Scottish Country Dancing.<\/p>\n
“When we are waiting for someone to get off the field, I just show the umpires a bit of a jig and it keeps them entertained,” she laughed.<\/p>\n
“It’s helped me evade a few opponents \u2026 I’m very bendy.<\/p>\n
“Touch wood, I’ve never injured myself in footy, so it’s helpful that I am very flexible.<\/p>\n
“I’m not one to sit still too long. As a ruck you are always on the ball, always involved and doing a lot of running around, which I love.”<\/p>\n
In recent weeks, she has been training with the BFLW interleague team and is hopeful of selection for the clash against the Bendigo-based Central Victorian Football League (CVFL) on 4 July in Ballarat.<\/p>\n
Her representative experience has been enhanced by spending time under Darley coach Danyel Waters, who will coach the team and whose background includes stints as Essendon’s AFLW Pathway Program head coach and Calder Cannons under-18 girls assistant coach.<\/p>\n
“Danyel has been fantastic; I have learnt so much in the little time,” she said.<\/p>\n
“Things that I would never have even thought of that needed correcting, she has corrected and it’s made me a better footballer.”<\/p>\n
Waters, a non-playing coach, will be in the opposite camp when Jones runs out for her 100th game, with the clash against Darley coming off the back of a 57-point loss to Bacchus Marsh last week.<\/p>\n
A win would all but seal the Dragons’ finals berth with five rounds remaining.<\/p>\n
The Dragons have been bolstered by the return of their best player Katie McAloon, who made her return from a knee injury in the Bacchus Marsh game.<\/p>\n
“We are in a good position at the moment to be playing finals,” Jones said.<\/p>\n
“It’s a tough run in the next few weeks with Darley and Ballarat (and Darley again straight after the interleague bye).<\/p>\n
“Ballarat is a bit of rivalry. We didn’t lose by a lot last time \u2013 we just fell short and didn’t do as well as we should have.<\/p>\n
“But it’s good to see another team in the competition and one on our level.”<\/p>\n
More sport from page 31.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE road to game number 100 has been a long and sometimes bumpy one for East Point’s Vanessa Jones. But she insists the rollercoaster journey has all been worth it. Jones will notch up the milestone in the Dragons’ BFLW clash against reigning premier Darley this Sunday. Each of her 100 games have been at […]<\/p>\n