Essendon Football Club hero and legend, John Raymond Jones, best known as Jack, died on 24 March 2020 after a battle with cancer. Jack was aged 95 and the “Essendon family” was greatly saddened, such was his standing and significance to the club over almost his entire adult life. He was, as Matthew Lloyd wrote in a tribute, an absolute gentleman who had a real aura about him yet made everyone around him feel so comfortable in his presence.
It is impossible to speak about Jack and the particular era in which he played, from 1946 to 1954, without mention of some of the important personalities surrounding him at Essendon. Indeed, Jack never stopped talking about his legendary teammates!
But first, a little background. Jack was born on 7 November 1924 in Melbourne. He grew up as a keen Bomber fan in Ascot Vale, the heart of the Essendon district, the second youngest of six children. As a young boy, he often went to Windy Hill with his father, Percival. In 1933, the then 8-year-old Jack saw Essendon’s new recruit, Dick Reynolds, play his first game against Footscray at the Western Oval.
On the eve of his retirement game in the 1950 grand final, Reynolds told Argus readers, I still remember my first game with Essendon. I was only 17 then, and I got a shock when the selectors picked me to play against Footscray. I was put on a wing. I was tense and nervous. With about five minutes to play I kicked my first goal. I thought I’d get into trouble, but it put us ahead by a couple of points. Then after all we lost the match… Reynolds was no doubt referring to the practice in those days of players remaining in their positions and not drifting down to the forward line. Cited in Dick Reynolds’ Own Story, reprinted in The Great Australian Book of Football Stories, compiled by Garrie Hutchison, Currey O’Neil (1983), p.221. At 17, Reynolds was not much older than Jack, but little did Jack then know that he would ultimately play his first game for the Dons, led by skipper Dick Reynolds, against the same opponent at the same venue in 1946.
Jack was part of a big family. He once described himself as an average student who left school at 13. A couple of years later he started an apprenticeship as a butcher. The family needed whatever financial support he could provide. Sadly, when Jack was in his late teens, he lost his father to cancer.
In 1942, having never seen a weapon in his life, 18-year-old Jack enlisted to fight in the Second World War, joining the 24th Infantry Battalion, then known as the Kooyong Regiment, as it was headquartered in Surrey Hills, Melbourne. Most of the members of the 24th were young men aged between 19 and 24, none of whom had ever experienced warfare. The Battalion experienced fierce, bloody conflict against the Japanese in New Guinea and later, Bougainville. It suffered high casualties; of a total of 803 men, 85 were killed in action and 184 wounded.
Many individual decorations and battalion honours were awarded to members of the 24th. It was acknowledged as one of the most competent jungle fighting units in the Australian Army during WW2. The horror of warfare never left Jack, nor its capricious nature. In 2011, he told football journalist Rohan Connolly, It was outrageous, the war. No one wins a bloody war. I was just lucky. The bullet or shrapnel didn't have my name on it, yet the bloke standing next to you is gone, just like that. It's just the luck of the draw.
In a very recent interview on 29 February this year with Herald Sun football writer, Mark Robinson, Jack revealed just how lucky he was - in one battle, his canteen was hit as it was slung across his hip, but he miraculously escaped injury. While in New Guinea, Jack learnt of the tragic death of his 27-year-old brother at home. He couldn’t get compassionate leave, and, as he told Robinson, I missed his funeral, and he never saw me play league football either.
The war finished in August 1945, but the 24th remained on Bougainville Island. Jack was encouraged to drink beer for the first time in his life to celebrate the end of hostilities, but it was a very bad experience, and he remained a lifelong teetotaller and non-smoker. While waiting for their chance to return home, Jack and his mates played a fair bit of football and took on other sports to stay fit. News of his football skill apparently found its way back to Essendon. He finally returned to Melbourne in December 1945. And he was surprised, and delighted, to find a letter from the club inviting him to come to training, so he could try out for the 1946 season. He was excited, just at the prospect of meeting and training with his idol, Dick Reynolds. Jack had also received similar invitations from the Association.
football clubs, Williamstown and Brunswick, and, as he modestly told the EFC website in April 2017, he went to those clubs first, thinking he would never have been good enough for the Bombers. But, as he put it, they didn’t want to talk to me. It was the end of the war, Jack was 21, he didn’t have a job and he couldn’t wait to get to Windy Hill. He only discovered many years later, at a past-players’ function, that it was a former Essendon player and ex-serviceman, Les Begley, who had suggested to the club that they seek Jack’s services.
In 1946, there were 6 practice matches before the season started in earnest. Jack was advised by an Essendon player, whom he knew from his old school, not to turn up for the early pre-season games because A lot of rats and mice will be there and they’ve got no hope of getting a game.
Jack was a tall utility for the era, measuring 6’2” (188cms) and weighing 84kg. He impressed the selectors and was one of only 2 players selected from 100 to join the list. He was picked to play in the 1st match of the season. At his request, Jack was given number 24 to remember his mates from the 24th Battalion. As fate would have it, his benefactor Les Begley wore the same number. The number 24 always reminded him of those who suffered injury or lost their lives in the service of their country. It was to remain a significant number for the remainder of his life. His first grand daughter, Sarah Jones, from Fox Footy, said he loved that she was born on the 24th and she married on the 24th. Perhaps it was no mere coincidence that he ultimately died on the 24th of the month.
When he arrived at Essendon, Jack’s captain was the great Dick Reynolds, the mighty King Richard. By 1946, Reynolds was a superstar of the VFL and a living legend. Among his many accolades, he won the club’s best & fairest 3 times, captained the Bombers to 4 premierships, and was a triple Brownlow medallist, the first awarded in 1934, when he was just 19, the youngest ever in the history of the VFL/AFL. He played 320 games and went on to coach the Bombers in 415 games from 1951 to 1960. As Simon Matthews notes in his seminal work on the Champions of Essendon, Dick Reynolds is to Essendon Football Club what Don Bradman was to cricket and Phar Lap was to horse racing. He was a footballer without peer who captured the imagination of a generation and became an icon at Windy Hill.
In his inaugural year, Jack joined some other famous names at the club, including established players Bill Hutchison, fierce defender Wally Buttsworth and full-forward Bill Brittingham. There were other “newcomers” that season who had, like Jack, served in the armed forces and were to become household names at Essendon – half back-flanker Harold Lambert, forward Ted Leehane, and ruckman Bob ‘Bluey’ McClure. It was a competitive environment as players who had returned from the war fought for selection. The match payment was a mere ₤4. Jack played all but two matches in 1946, having been laid low mid-season with malaria from the war and after losing a stone in weight. However, he came back strongly and was a premiership player in his debut year, when the team easily beat Melbourne in the grand final. Jack started as a reserve and got a run in the last quarter.
During the war, the MCG had been turned over to military use and finals were played at other venues with reduced crowds. But once again, the G hosted the finals as Melburnians thrived again in a new post-war society stimulated by increasing prosperity, expanded government spending on transport and education and renewed immigration.
Jack played from 1946 until 1954 for a total of 175 games, kicking 156 goals, often with a drop kick. He proudly boasted he never played in the Reserves. He played in 7 grand finals over a remarkable 6 consecutive years, from 1946 to 1951 inclusive, including twice in 1948 when the team drew with, then lost the grand final replay to, Melbourne. He was a 3-time premiership player in 1946, 1949 and 1950. It was a golden era for the Bombers. And a period of personal triumph for Jack. Between 1946 and 1952, he demonstrated his resilience by playing 133 consecutive games - still a club record today. He won the award for best utility player 4 times, was best clubman in 1953 and vice-captain of the State side against a country team in 1951.
Jack received many accolades for his football skills and style of play. He thrilled the fans with his high-marking, long kicking and ability to break into the open. In summing up his career, Mapplestone notes, Jones had thrilled supporters with his marking, and fast, open play on the half forward line during his career with the Bombers. He was one of the fastest big men in the game, who could be dangerous on a half forward flank as well as taking a fair share of the ruck work.
The three best-known of those champions were, Reynolds, John Coleman and Bill Hutchison, ranking respectively, 1st, 2nd and 4th of the Essendon Champions. They featured prominently during the golden era from 1946 to 1951, and Jack knew each of them well. With Jack’s passing, there are now only two remaining Essendon players who were premiership teammates of those champions - Harold Lambert, 97, and Noel Allanson, 94.
Bill Hutchison played a total of 290 games, kicking 490 goals. He captained the team from 1951 to 1957 and was a brilliant and courageous rover who developed a formidable partnership with ruck-rover Reynolds. He was a fitness fanatic and his training regime was deliberately designed to ensure he did his skill work when fatigued. 16 Among his many awards, Hutchison was a four-time premiership player, a dual Brownlow medallist and 7-time winner of the B&F. He was always a gentleman, greatly admired for his sportsmanship and considered an ornament to the game. Like Jack and many others at Essendon, “Hutchy” neither smoked nor drank. Alf Brown once wrote that long-time club Secretary, Bill Cookson, told him Essendon’s bill for soft drinks during this period was much higher than the club’s account for beer!
In 1947, Jack consolidated his position in the team. He played every match that season, kicked 25 goals and was noted as one of a group of improving players. He performed very well in the finals, being named best on ground against Fitzroy in the preliminary final. However, the following week in the grand final against Carlton, the Bombers kicked poorly. Nevertheless, they were 5 points up with 44 seconds to play in the last quarter. But an opponent got the ball and goaled. The Bombers lost the grand final in the last minute by an agonizing single point, having had 9 more scoring shots than Carlton. Jack was named one of the best players, but, no doubt, it was cold comfort for him as a member of a losing grand final team. Close matches against Carlton are well known. No Essendon fan will ever forget the 1999 preliminary final 1-point loss to Carlton. However, the VFL/AFL records confirm the stats actually favour the club. From 1897 to the present, the Dons have lost to Carlton by 1 point in a total of 5 matches. But they have drawn with them on 5 occasions and beaten them by 1 point on 6 occasions – hence, after 123 years the Bombers are ahead on that score!
In the following year, 1948, Jack again played every game and kicked a bag of 5 in the third round against Collingwood. The Bombers ended on top of the ladder and were red-hot favourites for the flag. The team easily disposed of Melbourne in the 2nd semi-final, but the Dees fought their way back into the grand final and, in a hard-fought match, the Dons just held on for a draw, the first grand final draw in VFL history. Again, the forwards had kicked poorly in a grand final. The Bombers posted a miserable 7.27 for the day; 34 scoring shots to Melbourne’s 19. Those with a dark sense of humour may appreciate the story about the team trudging off the field, when full-back Cec Ruddell was overheard to say, Is this any good? We’ll get another ₤10 next week for the replay!
However, the team was well- beaten in the replay by 39 points. It was clear from the last two grand finals that the Bombers sorely needed an accurate spearhead - and one was just around the corner!
John Coleman came to Essendon in 1949 from the Hastings FC, where he was already renowned as a goal-kicking machine. The intrigue and machinations behind his transfer to the Bombers, and the interest of other clubs, must remain for another time. But it is worth noting that Coleman tried out at Essendon in 1947 and 1948 practice matches but didn’t star because, the club’s historian, Michael Mapplestone, claims, the senior players wouldn’t kick to him and this only changed when the Bombers were roundly criticised in 1948 by Alf Brown in The Herald.
But Coleman’s biographer, Doug Ackerly describes the suggestion as a myth and cites Jack Jones stoutly refuting the allegation when interviewed by journalist Michael Stevens from the Herald Sun in June 2002 - That’s bull**** [said Jack]. I’ll never wear that. I think it was something Alf Brown wrote, and it was to the detriment of all the senior players at the club. A few of us weren’t very happy with it.
However, there was support for this assertion from none other than Coleman, himself, when he told The Herald in September 1949, that the senior players would not kick to him, at least in the three 1947 matches he played in.
Coleman played the first match of the 1949 season against Hawthorn, on Easter Saturday 16 April. It was a stunning and historic debut. The crowd numbers were considerably up as fans waited in anticipation for the match to start. Harry Beitzel bounced the ball and within 10 seconds, Coleman had his 1st goal from a high chest mark. Using the flat punt, he kicked 12 for the match, equalling the club record. By comparison, the only others to score goals for the Dons - Jones, Hutchison and Leehane - kicked half of that tally between them. The Bombers knew they had found their answer to the team’s inaccuracy in front of goal. Many fans speak with pride at being able to say they saw Coleman play his 1st match. Fifteen-year-old Jack Clarke was one of those, after he had played in the curtain-raiser. Years later, Clarke told The Sun that Coleman was.… electrifying. He flew over his Hawthorn opponents like a long, sleek predatory bird.
Coleman had a magnificent debut season. He took towering marks, often without relying on his opponents for support and scored with unerring accuracy or skilful snaps. His play was inspiring and atmospheric. He was a superstar who commanded respect from all fans, not just those who followed the Dons. Indeed, as the teams changed ends with each quarter, it was common for fans from both sides to move with Coleman, so they could see him playing up close. Coleman was missing for the round 14 clash against St Kilda, as he and Hutchison were representing Victoria. Jack was the spearhead’s substitute and booted 5 goals in a best on ground performance.
Coleman continued to pile on the scores as the season went on. By the time the team finished the home and away season, he had kicked 85 goals. By the time the Bombers won the 1949 grand final, he had kicked 100, the last in the final minutes of the match as players almost fell over themselves to pass him the ball so he could get his century. Jack was named as one of the top players in attack and kicked 2 goals. The Bombers crushed the Blues by 73 points, a record winning margin which provided sweet revenge for the 1-point loss to Carlton in the grand final two years earlier.
The 1949 grand final was notable for the crowds, when more than 90,000 crammed into the G, filling it to its then capacity, which led to a lock-out. Many fans angrily vented their frustration outside the ground and eventually forced the gates open and flooded in. To relieve the pressure, police allowed hundreds to sit on the oval, inside the boundary line. This happened for a number of big matches and Jack loved to tell the story of how he tumbled over the boundary line at the G one day and fell into the arms of his own brother who was sitting there watching the game!
1950 was a special championship year. The Bombers only lost 1 game for the season (which was, of course, replicated by the great 2000 team). They finished as minor premiers with a record 162%. Coleman kicked 120 goals. Reynolds broke the League record for the greatest number of games played. The Reserves and Thirds won their respective flags. The team won the grand final, easily defeating North Melbourne. And for all that good work, they only received ₤4 per match and ₤10 a final! Jack was described by Mapplestone as one of a group of stars who would command places in any other team in the League – filling in the odd spots and making big contributions to the team’s life and drive.
One of those odd spots which Jack filled for that season occurred when he stood in as full forward for Coleman who, with Hutchison, was again absent for an interstate match. It was round 14 against Geelong. Before the match, Coleman and “Hutchy” sent Jack a telegram congratulating him on his 100th game. As Ackerly notes, Jack reciprocated by kicking 3 goals, bringing up his 105th goal for the Dons in his century game. The following year, 1951, was one of transition. Dick Reynolds retired and became non-playing coach. Hutchison was appointed captain. The 1950 premiership flag was unfurled before the 1st game of the season at Essendon by the Governor, Sir Dallas Brooks. Players received a pay rise, from ₤4 to ₤5 per game – hardly the stuff of the million-dollar earners today! Eighteen-year-old Jack Clarke played his first 6 games with the Seniors, the last in the Grand Final as 19th man, sitting on the bench next to Reynolds, who had come out of retirement to be 20th man. The old and the new. Coleman was sensationally suspended by the Tribunal for 4 weeks for striking Harry Caspar of Carlton in the last round of the season. He missed the finals. The story behind that incident and the outrage felt by the fans must also await another time. Jones played well in the 2 finals leading up to the grand final, particularly against Collingwood in the preliminary final. In the last quarter, the Bombers were 5 points down when Jack swooped on the ball in time on and kicked the winning goal, thus ensuring safe passage to the grand final. But without Coleman, it was not enough, and the Dons went down to Geelong by 11 points. The golden era was over.
1952 and 1953 were unremarkable years, as far as team performance was concerned, especially as the departure of some experienced players saw the arrival of a number of new young faces. After 6 consecutive years of playing in the grand final, the Dons ranked, respectively, eighth and fourth in the competition. “Hutchy” was joint winner of the Brownlow in 1953 (initially he was beaten on a count back, but the League agreed to a rule change in 1989), and he won it outright the following year. Coleman won the League goal kicking both years, with 103 goals in 1952 (31 kicked in last the 3 games of the year) and 97 the next. These were amazing achievements when players were working in extremely wet conditions and grounds were often quagmires. Jack spent more time in the ruck or defence in 1953, scoring only 2 goals for that year.
The start to the 1954 year was a challenging one for Jack. In the season opener, a spiteful match, he tangled with Hawthorn’s Ted Fletcher, which led to a 4-week suspension. He had barely returned to the team when, sensationally, in the round 8 match against North Melbourne at Windy Hill on 5 June, Coleman badly dislocated his knee after marking a simple pass from Jack Clarke. The arena was hushed. He was carried off and taken to hospital. It was the end of his career as a footballer. Jack was near to Coleman at the time and often told the story of that incident. In 2011, journalist Rohan Connelly spoke to Jack, and wrote about it thus, It was Jones who might have taken the mark for which Coleman, a week after kicking a club record 14 goals, flew and fell awkwardly, damaging his knee, never to play again. "Jack Clarke was coming out of the centre, I was centre half-forward, and started to lead," Jones recalls. "I heard the voice behind me saying: 'Mine, Jona'. He was the field marshal of the forward line, and I wanted a game the next week. Anyway, he went up, came down, and never played again. He was unbelievable. I honestly don't think we saw the best of him. He wasn't a brilliant trainer, but, boy, could he play."
It is clear that Jack had tremendous respect for Coleman. Like many of his teammates, he referred to him as Coley, the name always spoken in a reverential tone. It wasn’t just that Coleman was such a champion; not just that he kicked 537 goals in only 98 games, for an average of 5.47 goals per match.26
By comparison, Tony Lockett, the highest goalkicker in the history of the VFL/AFL, kicked 1360 goals in 281 games, for an average of 4.83. However, Coleman was outshone by Peter Hudson who has the league record for the highest average number of goals per match, having kicked 727 goals in 129 games, for a most impressive average of 5.63. It was, as Ken Fraser told journalist, Peter Hanlon, a case where the pulse would quicken when the mid-fielders got the ball to Coleman, and all in the Reynolds stand would stamp their feet on the floorboards in anticipation. It was just so exciting. And, more so, for a teammate like Jack, who so often gave the ball to his spearhead. In 2014, Jack told Hanlon his teammates thought Coleman was the best thing since sliced bread, but, as Jack put it, sliced bread wasn't around in those days.
Jack retired at the end of the 1954 season. He was offered the chance to coach the Essendon Reserves in 1955, but chose instead to head north to Albury, where he lived with his wife Mary and growing family. He starred as playing coach of the Albury Tigers FC for 3 years, continuing to wear jumper number 24, and winning the premiership in 1956. Ultimately, he was named captain of its Team of the Century and, in 2018, admitted to the Ovens and Murray league Hall of Fame.
Jack ultimately returned to Essendon in the late 1950s and essentially, never left again. He continued to give the club wonderful service, into his early 90s, as a match day ambassador for sponsors and guests, mentoring young players and touring groups through the Hall of Fame. He was the repository and storyteller of so much history at the Essendon Football Club. Gentleman Jack - always impeccably dressed, affable, with a straight bearing and a beaming smile. He always made you feel welcome and special.
In 2007, at the invitation of the AFL, Jack was inducted into the AFL 200 Club, usually reserved for 200 game players. But, because Jack and a couple of other ex-servicemen had suffered significant interruptions to their careers due to war and active service, exceptions were made, and they were admitted to membership.
In 2010, Jack was inducted into the Essendon Hall of Fame and the club established the Jack Jones Academy, a development program for all 1st to 3rd year players. Michael Hurley and Cale Hooker are notable graduates. The aim is to fast-track players and help them in an understanding of club culture and in their development off the field. Jack played an instrumental role in supporting the establishment of the academy and instilled into its participants, his passion for Essendon and the game more generally.
In April 2017, Jack was named as the Comeback Hero for the Anzac Day match. Over a number of years, he toured the Shrine of Remembrance with new recruits and established members and coaches of the team. He spoke about the ANZAC lessons of self-sacrifice, mateship and work ethic – all essential qualities for football success. But it was, of course, a lot more than just about football. As one young player said, it was a humbling moment that put life into perspective. On a personal note, I will conclude by mentioning three particular stories about Jack, each of which reflects on his outstanding character. On 8 April 2017, Jack and Mary came to morning tea at Government House with my wife, the Honourable Linda Dessau AC, Governor of Victoria, and me. I told Jack it was to be a relaxed morning, just between the four of us and not to worry about wearing a tie. True to form, Gentleman Jack turned up looking handsome and resplendent in a beautiful suit and tie (not to be outdone, Mary also looked very sharp). After tea & cakes and much happy talk, we toured the
State Apartments together. Jack and Mary were fascinated with all the stories about the history of Government House and its previous occupants. They loved having their photo taken in front of Brian Dunlop’s 1984 portrait of the Queen, painted to celebrate Victoria’s 150th anniversary, and with the Governor in the famous Ballroom. On saying farewell, Jack told me he felt very proud to be a Victorian.
On 13 September 2018, I had the honour of speaking about Jack and Ken Fraser, who were the honoured guests at The Dons lunch, an annual pre-finals event, hosted by Russ Fynmore and convened by Michael Richards, in the Cellar Room at the Australian Club. Jack and Ken enthusiastically contributed to the lively discussion around the table about their Essendon days. Everyone loved it when Jack (modestly) told the story of nearly intervening and taking the mark, which ultimately led to Coleman’s terminal injury. Especially when, with his characteristic beaming smile, he reprised Coleman’s directive to him, Mine Jona!
In late October the same year, Jack had a fall and broke his hip. I visited him in hospital. Although I thought he was in a fair bit of discomfort, his positivity shone through, No worries Tony, I’ll be up and about in no time! Typically, no matter the adversity, Jack always looked on the bright side of life.
As already mentioned, Mark Robinson interviewed Jack about 4 weeks before he died. The journalist concluded his interview by asking Jack to say what he thought was the greatest thing he had learnt in life. Jack replied: I tried to be a good person. I tried to do the right thing. My father taught me to treat others how you’d like to be treated yourself. I think that’s a good motto.
In his book about his own life journey, Ken Fraser cites Bomber fan Tim Costello, who says, Stories should be treasured, because in the telling of them and in the listening to them we open our souls to wisdom which may help us discern where we are in the world, and how to take the next step. Here, Jack’s is the story of a true Essendon hero, and those around him at the club. The picture emerges of a humble and modest man who has inspired others to great things and great achievements in life, both on and off the field. Men like Jack, and the inspiration of their stories, are the glue that keeps clubs together, especially when the going gets tough. As Sheeds often says, premierships are very hard to win. Jack was fortunate to have been part of 3 premiership teams. Not many players can say that.
I think Jack’s story helps us to discern where we are in the world, and how to take the next step. Farewell Jack, a favourite son. Great sympathy goes to Mary, his children and to the many other extended family members on their loss. Next time you’re watching Sarah Jones on Fox Footy, think of Jack. She said in her tribute, Pop was born in the Bomber’s heartland and he leaves us in Bombers’ hearts.
I will leave the last word, and such high praise, to Dick Reynolds, who said (in 2002), Jack Jones was a wonderful footballer, but he was an even better human being.
