COREY Jones' football journey started in his home town of Wycheproof, followed by a two-year stint at the Bendigo Pioneers and a SANFL season in Adelaide before carving out 157 AFL games with North Melbourne.

A decade on from his AFL career coming to an end, Jones looks back on his North Melbourne days in the next edition of the Time at the Top series.

LUKE WEST: Corey, after your final season with the Bendigo Pioneers in 1999 what level of interest had you attracted from AFL clubs heading into that year's draft?

"I remember I had spoken with North Melbourne and had played a couple of games as a top-up in the reserves for St Kilda during that year.

"I think there was one other club that had shown a bit of interest. I definitely wasn't confident of my chances and thought at best there would only be a slight chance.

"It didn't end up eventuating that year, which was fine, so I then decided to go over and play for Sturt in South Australia in 2000.

"I had family friends who knew Phil Carman who was the coach of Sturt, so I went over there for a year and had an absolute ball. We ended up getting through to a preliminary final and from there I was fortunate to get picked up by North."

How did you find the experience of moving away from Wycheproof and living interstate for a year in Adelaide?

"I was 18 when I moved and didn't know anyone over in Adelaide.

"I packed up the car, headed over and moved in with a host family for the year.

"It was a great footy club that was a bunch of country blokes. It was a great standard of footy over there and I was lucky enough to be able to get a few kicks and come back to Melbourne."

What are your recollections of draft day 2000 and finding out you had become a North Melbourne player?

"I was back at home at Wyche and watching it in the loungeroom with mum and dad.

"I think I was pick 60 and when my name came up it was obviously a very good moment... I think there might have been a couple of tears first and then a couple of beers afterwards."

How were your first interactions with North coach Denis Pagan?

"You could say Denis was a bit intimidating. He was a very intense, successful coach and from where I grew up I had never really experienced that before... everyone tended to be fairly laid back.

"I had a great relationship with Denis and he was always good to me. I think he saw a bit of an upside in me, so he did push my boundaries, which is what he was paid to do. He was my coach for only two years, but I learned a lot off him in those two years."

You arrived at North Melbourne at a time when the club had just played in seven consecutive preliminary finals and won a flag only 12 months earlier.

"I came in at the tail end of what had been a very successful campaign during the '90s and there were still a few players from that era playing as well.

"Wearing No.21 I used to sit next to Wayne Carey in the locker room and I learned a lot off him in a short period of time... he was an unbelievable player who was mid 190 centimetres, could run like a midfielder and his self belief was really strong.

"Not many people have all those attributes.

"That was certainly a great period to tack on to the end of, but unfortunately, we didn't have the same success as what the club had during the '90s."

How did you handle the rigours of your first pre-season?

"I hadn't really done a proper pre-season before that.

"Living in Wycheproof while I was at the Pioneers I did a lot of pre-season on my own and then I'd come down to Bendigo once a week.

"And when I went over to Adelaide I only went over there late, so I did a fair bit of that myself.

"When I first went to North Melbourne I was exhausted... for about three months it was train, eat, sleep and then go back to training the next day.

"They were the days with Denis where the new guys did more than the older guys, whereas these days the new guys get weened into the training program.

"So you got fit very quickly and it was certainly tough going. But looking back, pre-season was a great time of the year. You didn't have the pressure of performing, it was just about getting as fit and strong as you could."

You made your AFL debut in round four of 2001 against Geelong at Kardinia Park. I was living in Geelong that year and vividly remember this Sunday for just how horrendous the weather was. What do you remember of it?

"I think Geelong got five inches of rain the night before and that morning. I remember on the drive down from Melbourne the highway was full of puddles and most people were late getting to the ground.

"It was just a good old fashioned slog in the wet and I think I had about 10 kicks off the ground as most people did that day.

"But it probably wasn't a bad way to play your first game because the conditions certainly slowed things down."

GAME NOTE - North Melbourne won 7.11 (53) to 4.9 (33). Jones had nine disposals, while team-mate Glenn Archer earned the three Brownlow Medal votes.

Where did you line up?

"I'm pretty sure I started on the ground, but to be honest, I'm terrible trying to remember things like that.

"I just remember the day itself more so than too many of the events that went on."

Do you have any memory of the moment during the week leading up that you were told you'd been picked for your first game?

"No I don't... no-one's ever asked me about that before and I've never really thought about it to be honest.

"I do have a memory though of ringing mum and dad and they were very excited and there ended up being a few come down to Geelong from Wyche for the game.

"Being from a small country town, you're fortunate to have the whole town behind you when you're lucky enough to do what I did. I definitely had plenty of support throughout the 10 years I was down there, which was very pleasing, and it was great to be able to go back home later on and finish out my playing years back at Wyche."

So the trip to Geelong was game number one for you. How about game No.10 at the MCG when Essendon came from 69 points down during the second quarter to beat the Roos. What a memorable game to be part of early in your career.

"That is a game that gets replayed a lot. I sat on the bench for nearly the whole first quarter when the going was good for the Kangas... when I came on and got to my position the siren went for quarter-time.

"Then the rest of the game was dominated by Essendon. I don't think I touched the leather a lot that day and with that game continually getting replayed, I tend to get reminded of it a bit. It was a bizarre day, no doubt."

I'm sure one game you're more than happy to get reminded about was the night up at the SCG in round 19 of 2004 when you kicked the match-winning goal from the boundary against the Swans in what was another memorable comeback game you were involved in.

"At three quarter-time (North Melbourne trailed by 40 points) Dean Laidley (coach) changed a few things up and for whatever reason, we were able to get a lot of momentum in the last quarter.

"We kicked a couple of quick goals, and then another one, then another one, and we had Sydney panicking.

"I remember the big Sydney ruckman (Jason Ball) knocking the ball out of bounds and getting paid deliberate. I was third in line, but being a left-footer I was keen to go over and grab the ball to have the shot.

"David Hale (team-mate) couldn't get away from there quick enough and Jess Sinclair wasn't overly keen to take the kick as well.

"So it was on the right side for a left-footer and thankfully, I slotted it though... I would have looked like a bit of a goose had I missed it."

GAME NOTE - Sydney was leading 112-111 when Jones took his shot at goal. Tucked up outside the boundary line deep in the forward pocket, Jones ran out and with his left foot screwed through the goal that gave the Kangaroos victory in Glenn Archer's 250^th game for the club.

"I remember Arch's wife Lisa and their kids had left the ground at three quarter-time because we were going terribly at that stage.

"So we've got up and won and Arch was looking for his wife and kids and they were back at the hotel.

"That was a great comeback game and fantastic for it to be in Arch's 250^th because he was such a champion of the club."

Is that the moment of your AFL career you're most asked about?

"Well, there's the Essendon game in 2001 where I didn't get a kick, but thankfully, they replay that Sydney game a bit as well where I did get a few.

"That was definitely one of the better moments of my career."

GAME NOTE - Jones kicked three goals that night, while another former Bendigo Pioneer, Daniel Harris, earned the three Brownlow votes.

Come your last season at the club in 2010, you played a game against St Kilda in round two, but didn't play again until the final round against Melbourne at the MCG. Was that a farewell game scenario?

"You could say that, but I had been going fairly well in the twos in the VFL.

"They were going to give someone who took my spot every opportunity, which was fair enough and I don't begrudge that.

"I definitely felt I earned my spot for that last game and it was fantastic to be able to get that last chance to run out in front of my family.

"We beat Melbourne at the MCG, I managed to snag three goals and it was just a very enjoyable day.

"It was bizarre being out there and knowing it was my last game, but it was good to be able to get a few kicks and put a full stop on it.

"I'll certainly cherish that day, that's for sure."

TIME AT THE TOP - Colin Tully's Collingwood days and the epic grand finals of 1966 and 1970

TIME AT THE TOP - Nathan Thompson's North Melbourne years

TIME AT THE TOP - Nathan Thompson's Hawthorn years

TIME AT THE TOP - Rick Ladson's journey from Bendigo to AFL premiership pinnacle

TIME AT THE TOP - Rowan Warfe's 110 AFL games with Fitzroy and Sydney

TIME AT THE TOP - Nick Carter's AFL stints with Fitzroy, Brisbane and Melbourne in the '90s

TIME AT THE TOP - Damien Lock's three years with Carlton

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