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Jonas to head defence
Adelaide’s new assistant coach Peter Jonas has been handed the role of building on the Crows’ defensive structure.
Adelaide’s new assistant coach Peter Jonas has been handed the role of building on the Crows’ already impressive defensive structure.The shuffling of assistant coaches has given Jonas a similar position to the one he has held at Sydney for the past three years.Paul Hamilton, who has been Adelaide’s defence coach Crows for the last two years, moves to the midfield coaching role vacated by Don Pyke.According to Jonas, both Adelaide and his former club Sydney were the defensive benchmark for AFL clubs.“I think if you look at Sydney and Adelaide, we’ve been in the top two defensive sides over the last couple of years or so,” Jonas said. “I think what Paul (Hamilton) has done is developed a defence that looks after itself a bit, and it was the same up in Sydney as well so I won’t be too far off it.”Jonas said he felt comfortable with the job.“I think when I went up to Sydney I was given the defensive role, so I’ve just run with that I guess,” Jonas said. “I was fortunate enough to have been working with Roosy (Paul Roos) as well, who had played a lot in defence. He helped me out a lot in defensive structures. It just turned out that way, that was the one that was available when I went to Sydney, and I’ve been doing it the last three years.”Jonas will be looking to meet with Hamilton before making any considerations but at this early stage he doesn’t see the need for any major changes.“I haven’t really sat down with Paul yet, so I’ll go through with him about individual players and areas where he thinks they may need to improve,” Jonas said. “Once I’ve done that, I’ll be able to sit down and make some assessments.“I wouldn’t think there would be too many changes. I’d like to see some of the younger players to get the opportunity down back, but that will unfold as we go on developing a couple of them.”Although yet to formalise any ideas with the coaching staff, Jonas did suggest he thought there were players in the Crows squad who could suit a new, defensive role.“I shouldn’t say (who) now,” he said. “I have got some ideas in my head. There’s probably one or two players that I’ve watched throughout their careers that would suit playing down back.“Perhaps guys that haven’t played back there that I have in the back of my mind; they might be able to become a good half back flanker. But it’s only just ideas at the moment, until we sort of get up and going we won’t make any decisions.”With Jonas involved in a successful four year period with Sydney; including a premiership in 2005, Adelaide officials will be eager to see what Jonas has to offer.“Hopefully there are some things that I can add to the club; I’m sure Neil is keen to find out about how we went about it up in Sydney,” he said. “If there’s some little things that we can add to it (the club) to make it better, then by all means we will look at doing it.“I think over the journey, being under Paul Roos (at Sydney); I’ve learned a lot from Roosy like how to enjoy yourself, how to enjoy your footy and be relaxed about it … I think I’ve developed since coaching Central District.”Jonas, who was involved with the Crows ten years ago as a runner, noted how the club and AFL has changed over the last decade.“There are a lot of familiar faces around here, which is great,” Jonas said. “Obviously the playing staff has completely changed, but where all clubs have probably gone in the last ten years is that they’ve become more professional about what they do. The clubs have also got so much bigger than what they were in those days.”Having now returned to South Australia, his initial impressions of the Adelaide Football Club are positive.“They’re a good club, they’re well run,” Jonas said. “I haven’t been here long enough, I’ve only been here this week, but from what you can see from the outside is that they are very professionally run. I knew right from day one as soon as Craigy was going to be in (as senior coach) that’s how it would be done.”