EMERGING Essendon forward Harry Jones has continued to build his athletic frame this off-season, adding more than 10kg across his two years in the AFL as he looks to cement a key forward role.
Jones is back in full training after being placed on a modified program following foot surgery, returning bigger and stronger after a continued focus on adding size in the off-season.
Listed at 78kg before he was drafted with pick No.30 in the 2019 NAB AFL Draft, the 196cm forward is now pushing 90kg as he enters his third season as a key plank in the Bombers' exciting forward line.
"It's a big area for my body and my development to become a key forward," Jones told SEN.
"I put on a lot in my first year from that foot injury when I wasn't really playing, and I'm slowly just building that up.
"I'm up around 88-90kg at the moment, which is good, but I'm still continuing to get bigger and stronger, which is a big thing for a lot of the young boys at the club."
Jones enjoyed a breakout 2021 season, making his debut in round one and playing the first 16 games of the season.
Scans in July revealed a stress reaction in his right foot, however, which proved season-ending and required surgery to correct an underlying issue.
"That foot injury, we're still trying to load that up and get that right, but we're making some really good inroads and I'm back to pretty much full training," Jones said.
"Now that I'm back training properly and fully, it's just about keep growing my game and adding little parts and pieces to get better.
"I don't want to set any goals or put pressure on myself, but I'm going to continue to try and improve."
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After the Bombers played finals in the first season under the full control of coach Ben Rutten, Jones said the team would not be putting any limits on what they could achieve in 2022.
"We're trying to continually improve and get better each week, which I think we made some really good inroads in that area.
"Continuing to enjoy the time with each other and enjoy our time at the club is a big part of why we're improving and hopefully it takes us to the next level.
"Whether that's making finals, winning, we're not going to put anything on that, but that's the plan."
