The 2023 season was one of growth for the Adelaide Football Club. 

From a pair of Showdown victories to opening Gather Round in style, the campaign was filled with memorable moments.

Across the next few months we will look back on the 2023 season by hearing from the players who helped define it.

Welcome to AFC Media’s Reflections series. 

If you were to ask Crows utility Chayce Jones the secret behind his improvement in 2023, the answer is quite simple. 

He “backed in his ability.”

Selected with Pick No.9 at the 2018 AFL National Draft, the Tasmanian had shown flashes of great potential across his first four seasons of AFL footy. 

Physically, Jones always had the tools to succeed, consistently featuring near the top when it came to the Crows’ pre-season testing throughout his career.

To take his game to the next level, he needed to improve his belief and mental toughness, and with that in mind, he quickly went to work.

Speaking to AFC Media as part of its Reflections series, the 23-year-old said he learned to play with confidence and that had helped him “take a jump” in 2023.

“It’s been a really positive season, I’ve been able to take a bit of a jump and play some good footy which has been nice,” Jones said.

“The big thing for me this year has just been backing in my ability, playing at the highest level there are times where you can second guess yourself.

“So the biggest thing for me was just trusting the work I’d put in would pay off on the field, and this year I feel that it did, which was pleasing.”

Missing out on Round One selection, Jones used the disappointment as motivation, and quickly knocked down the selection door to be included in the Round Three Showdown victory over Port Adelaide. 

From there, he played the next 18 matches, and put up a career high 17.4 disposals per game, growing in stature each week. 

Jones also revealed the words of a former Crows Captain helped motivate him to continually better his performances.

“Sloaney said it to me early in the year after I’d played a good game, the challenge after one good performance is to back it up again with another and another after that,” Jones said. 

“That’s something that really resonated with me and pushed me to put together the most consistent block of footy of my career so far. 

“You learn something new and something different every week, and now being almost five years into my career I feel a lot more comfortable and assured at the level which has helped with my consistency.” 

Another aspect behind Jones’ improvement in 2023 was a positional shift from half-back to the wing. 

He said the move served as the perfect platform to show off his strengths.

“I had a few conversations with Nicksy and the coaching staff prior to the season about what I could bring to the team, and with not being a spot for me at half back, we decided the wing would be the best option,” Jones said.

“The wing suits me well with my running ability and toughness, and I’ve loved being able to push up the ground, play with a bit more freedom and just be around the footy.

“Every week has been a learning curve in the new role and I felt I adapted really well and can’t wait to keep playing on the wing in the future.”

Unfortunately Jones’ season ended abruptly - a Lisfranc fracture in Round 21 cut his career-best campaign short.

But he is determined not to let this setback get in the way of his positive trajectory, with the rehabilitation set to add more fuel to the fire this pre-season, as he strives for a Round One return. 

“Everything was really positive out of the surgery which was nice, so now I’m just keen to get into the gym and attack my rehab,” Jones said. 

“It’s a bit of a week-by-week proposition for me at the moment, I haven’t thought too much about the pre-season and what it might look like just yet. 

“The most important thing for me is building a solid foundation and then slowly improving as the summer progresses, to get back to a point where I’ll be raring to go come Round One next year.”