From Bull to Bulldog — Mt Barker’s Arthur Jones living his AFL dream with grand finalists Western Bulldogs

An overwhelmed Arthur Jones still can’t believe he is a Western Bulldogs player. A bolter amongst hundreds of the nation’s best young football prospects, Jones was picked up by the 2021 grand finalists in the third round of Thursday night’s AFL national draft. Jones hails from Mt Barker and was the only Great Southern footballer taken in this year’s national and rookie drafts, selected with pick 43. The 18-year-old has received dozens of messages from his new teammates and coaches, including Bulldogs skipper and star midfielder Marcus Bontempelli, but was still in shock after hearing his name called out while celebrating school leavers in Dunsborough. “It hasn’t sunk in at all yet that I’m an AFL player,” Jones said. “It still feels weird knowing that the Bulldogs club is literally messaging you and then having the AFL players messaging you, it feels unreal that the Bont is messaging you. “It was an unbelievable moment when I heard my name get called out, it took me by surprise. “Words cannot describe how I was feeling at the time, only my actions could describe how I was feeling. “It’s been hectic the last few days, the amount of messages and amount of people that have said they’re proud of me it’s been overwhelming. “Waking up each morning knowing I’m a Bulldogs player now, I’m just gobsmacked.” The former Claremont and Wesley College player enjoyed a stand-out season in the WAFL colts competition and Public Schools Association. He was the Bulldogs’ second selection in the draft after father-son prospect Sam Darcy with pick two and was the 11th WA player picked up out of the 15 that found their way on to an AFL list. Jones played for the Mt Barker Bulls in the Great Southern Football League, winning the Warwick Proudlove Medal as the best and fairest player in the 16s competition in 2019. “I just felt like I had to move from Mt Barker to get my opportunity and then once I moved and started getting opportunities I looked to further my footy and kept taking every opportunity I had,” he said. “About July my dream started becoming a little more of a reality making the State team for a trial match and then getting the call up in the curtain-raiser that made my dream a little bit more of a reality. “Playing at Optus Stadium definitely made it a reality and then it just kept going up as the time got closer and then my dream turned real. “Now I’m living every man’s dream. “My new journey starts now, new lifestyle, new sporting commitment and new goals trying to get myself a game in my first year.” Jones’ speed and flair has seen him likened to three-time AFL premiership player Bradley Hill. The Bulldogs said Jones was a player with tremendous upside, known for his endurance and impressive kicking skills. “I only spoke to the Bulldogs once, and we had a great meeting and it was a good, nice chat and after the meeting me and Mum really liked them and then didn’t know if they were going to pick me up or if anyone was going to pick me up,” he said. “Then when they called my name out with pick 43 it was just unbelievable. “There’s been a lot of players reach out and show their support — Aaron Naughton, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan a couple of them and it’s just a very welcoming club and it’s incredible that the whole club is trying to make my transition a lot easier and I can’t wait to start.” Jones has begun his life as a Bulldog and already has a weekly training program to complete. The club has allowed him to stay in WA to spend Christmas with his family due to current border restrictions. “The family were proud of me since day one and they have always been proud of me,” he said. “I just guess getting drafted is the icing on the cake to cap off a great year.”