Dave Jones

Personal Details Date of Birth: 1 April 1955 Place of Birth: Fremantle, Western Australia Height: Position: Defender Club Summary Club Games Goals Kwinana (1971-1975) ? ? East Fremantle Tricolore (1976) ? ? West Adelaide (1977-1979) ? ? Adelaide City (1980-1981) ? ? South Melbourne (1982) ? ? Preston Makedonia (1982-1983) ? ? Perth Azzurri (1984-1985) ? ? Total International Summary Games Goals Australia 'A' (1977-1980) 5 0 Australia 'B' (1975) 2 0 Australia Under-23 ? ?

Career Brief

Fremantle-born Jones is the perfect example of local talent shining at the highest levels of Australian football. A State junior representative, Jones' senior career started in 1970 as a 16-year old with Kwinana, for who Jones would play six seasons. He was still a teenager when he made the first of twenty-four State team appearances against South Australia in March 1974, with eye-catching displays against Aberdeen and Chelsea following shortly after.

A trip to Indonesia with the State team, who won the 1975 Marah Halim Cup, and solid performances against Middlesbrough and Glasgow Rangers enhanced what was an already glowing reputation. And, despite playing just elven of eighteen games for Kwinana due to State team duty, 20-year old Jones became the first Australian-born player to win the Rothmans Gold Medal at seasons' end.

In November 1975 Jones joined fellow West Australians Gary Marocchi and Steve Iozzelli in a youthful Australian squad which played South Korea and Burma at the 6th Jakarta Anniversary Cup Tournament in Indonesia. The following year he played a key role Western Australia's successful defence of their Marah Halim Cups crown before collecting a D'Orsogna Cup winners medal with East Fremantle Tricolore.

Jones stepped onto the National Soccer League stage in 1977 with West Adelaide, where he'd play three seasons. Missing just one game of his first NSL campaign and possessing a no-nonsense approach to defending, Jones gained his first Australia 'A' cap in the November 1977 friendly with Singapore, and shortly after he featured in a World Cup qualifier against Kuwait.

Across the 1978 NSL season Jones scored some valuable goals for West Adelaide, who took out the championship by a single point over Sydney-based side Eastern Suburbs. Further international honours followed with a couple of appearances in the home series against Greece. Jones was an ever-present in his third and final season with West Adelaide, who ended 1979 in a disappointing sixth place.

During the off-season he joined Adelaide City and over the next two years was rarely out of the starting line-up. It was during his time with the Zebra's that Jones made the last of his five appearance for the Socceroos in a 2-2 draw with Czechoslavakia during February 1980. He commenced 1982 with South Melbourne but after a handful of outings transferred to Preston Makedonia.

Jones was an ever-present in his second season at Preston, who finished third but only three points behind champions St George. After 185 games and 11 goals Jones brought to a close his national league career. He returned home in 1984 and played his final few seasons with Perth Azzurri before announcing his retirement at the age of 31.

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This page was last updated on the 1st June 2010.