The Cats are seeing a new and improved Jamaine Jones in 2018.

Whilst Jones had many admirers in his first season on Geelong’s list, he is playing a more consistent brand of football this year and is edging closer to an AFL debut.

The 19-year-old is happy with his form and credits that improvement to a greater knowledge of the game and of his role within the side.

“I think I’ve learnt all the structures and improved my role in the game and for the team,“ Jones said.

“I have been a lot more consistent so far, so it has been a good start to the year.”

Jones has kicked 10 goals in six VFL games this year and is not one to shy away from a big celebration.

Whilst he can often make the impossible look easy, the small forward’s work rate and effort allows him to be in the right place at the right time to convert those goals.

“It’s always good to find the goals but it starts with hard work,” Jones said.

“It’s about pushing up the ground, putting pressure on and setting blocks for the other guys but it is always good to get that reward in the end.”

The 2016 draftee was listed as an AFL emergency on the weekend and proved why, as he was named as the Cats’ best player in the VFL side’s loss to Essendon.

Jones is pleased to be getting some recognition and believes it will encourage him to work harder for that AFL debut.

“It is a bit of motivation (to be named emergency) and shows how close you are to getting a game.

“It is a big indication that I’m improving,” he said.

Whilst he has been delighted with his personal improvement, Jones believes those good games are soured if he can’t help his team over the line.

The Cats’ loss on Saturday was disappointing for Jones and his teammates as they played strongly for the majority of the match before a 15-minute lapse saw their opponents take control of the game.

The Bombers kicked seven goals in that patch and gave themselves an unassailable lead.

“I thought we played our system all day, there was just lapses in between which we could have fixed up,” Jones said.

“Those lapses where we get things wrong or don’t set up are costly but if we get that right we will be on the right track.”

It was the VFL Cats’ third loss of the season, all of which have been close games with Saturday’s seven-point defeat their biggest of the year.

Jones believes that his side has been in the position to win all of those matches and hopes for more consistency going forward.

“We should have won a few more and sometimes it doesn’t go that way but if we had a little bit more time I reckon we could have nailed them,” he said.

“When there is a game to be won, we have to be fighting hard all game.”

The VFL Cats will look to turn their fortunes around on Saturday when they return to GMHBA Stadium to take on Williamstown.