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Liam Jones
Personal information
Date of birth (1991-02-24) 24 February 1991 (age 33)
Original team(s) North Hobart (Tas)
Draft No. 32, 2008 National Draft
Height 198 cm (6 ft 6 in)
Weight 98 kg (216 lb)
Position(s) Key Defender
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2009–2014 Western Bulldogs 66 (68)
2015–2021 Carlton 79 (16)
Total 145 (84)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 3, 2021.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Liam Jones (born 24 February 1991) is a former Australian rules footballer for the Carlton Football Club who played as a key defender. He was drafted by Australian Football League (AFL) club Western Bulldogs in the second round of the 2008 AFL Draft, and made his senior debut in 2010. After six seasons (2009–2014) on the Bulldogs list, Jones was traded to the Carlton Football Club. Originally a key forward, Jones' switch to Carlton saw a revitalisation for his career when he moved into a key defensive position. Jones retired unexpectedly in November 2021 for refusing to have the COVID-19 vaccine, after it was mandated for AFL players to continue playing.[1]

Early life

Growing up in Tasmania, Liam played his junior football with North Hobart Football Club before being selected to represent Tasmania's U18s. An Indigenous Australian,[2] Jones's father Bob Jones was also a professional footballer, playing with St Kilda.[3] Jones attended Scotch College, Melbourne as part of the school's indigenous program.[4]

AFL career

Western Bulldogs (2008–2014)

At the 2008 National Draft, Liam was drafted with pick #32 by the Western Bulldogs. He spent the 2009 season in the reserves as he was only 17.[5] He made his debut against North Melbourne[6] in round 18 of the 2010 season, and averaged 9.4 disposals from 5 games in his debut season.

In round 24, 2011, he was nominated for the AFL Rising Star award.[7] He was nominated after playing in his team's win against Fremantle where he scored 2 goals. He also got 9 disposals and 4 marks.

Jones showed promise and recorded good stats but remained on the fringes of a falling Western Bulldogs side. His stat averages were increasing but he still found himself being picked in less games.[8]

Carlton (2015–present)

Liam Jones was traded to the Carlton Football Club during the 2014 trade period in exchange for pick 46. That pick ended up being used to draft Caleb Daniel.[9] Signed on a three-year deal as a key forward, the start of Jones' career at Carlton was met with erratic form. He only managed nine games in his first season with the Blues, and eight in his second, for an inaccurate and unremarkable return of 16.16. The highlight of his time in the Carlton forward-line was two crucial goals in the final quarter of the Round 5, 2016 upset 4-point win against Fremantle.[10]

2017 was the final year of Jones' initial three-year contract with the Blues, and few – Jones included – expected him to play much senior football or be in any serious contention for a new contract. Early in the season at Carlton's VFL-affiliate, the Northern Blues, Jones' position was switched from the forward line to defense to full back, largely to clear the way for Carlton's newly drafted key forwards to develop. Within a month he had begun to excel in the role of shutting down the opposition's best key forward,[11] and he was recalled to the senior team in Round 12, immediately making an impact as an AFL defender. His performances in the second half of the year drew a lot attention and praise, as well as a top-ten finish in the club's best and fairest.[12][13] He recorded an elite level of spoils per game (10.7) largely due to his preference to punch the ball away instead of attempt a mark (he only recorded 5.1 marks a game). He continued this form into the next season with 7.6 spoils a game, 5.4 marks (1.5 contested, 3.6 intercept) per game, and helped the team with 8.7 one percenters a game.[14]

Jones signed a two-year contract extension during 2017 that would see him at Carlton until the end of 2019.[15] He missed eight weeks with a nasty concussion after a head clash during the 2019 season, but recovered and soon afterwards signed another three-year extension with Carlton to the end of 2022.[16] He continued to excel in a key defensive stopping role in the Carlton defence, and recorded five consecutive top-ten finishes in the club's best and fairest from 2017 to 2021.

On November 10 2021, during the AFL’s off-season, Jones’ position at the club (and his career) was made vulnerable after it was revealed that he was opposed against the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all AFL players which saw the potential of a player being sacked for not getting vaccinated by mid-February.[17] He ultimately retired days later with a year remaining on his contract at the Blues amid news of his reluctant on getting the vaccine.[18]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of round 1, 2020 [8]
Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2009
 Western Bulldogs 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0
2010
 Western Bulldogs 19 5 6 2 37 10 47 20 11 1.2 0.4 7.4 2.0 9.4 4.0 2.2 0
2011
 Western Bulldogs 19 20 19 10 136 60 196 96 38 1.0 0.5 6.8 3.0 9.8 4.8 1.9 0
2012
 Western Bulldogs 19 12 9 9 75 33 108 41 19 0.8 0.8 6.3 2.8 9.0 3.4 1.6 0
2013
 Western Bulldogs 19 19 22 15 107 54 161 77 28 1.2 0.8 5.6 2.8 8.5 4.1 1.5 0
2014
 Western Bulldogs 19 10 12 4 59 41 100 35 19 1.2 0.4 5.9 4.1 10.0 3.5 1.9 2
2015
 Carlton 14 9 7 9 46 19 65 31 18 0.8 1.0 5.1 2.1 7.2 3.4 2.0 0
2016
 Carlton 14 8 9 7 44 34 78 24 18 1.1 0.9 5.5 4.3 9.8 3.0 2.3 0
2017
 Carlton 14 12 0 0 95 40 135 56 34 0.0 0.0 7.9 3.3 11.3 4.7 2.8 5
2018
 Carlton 14 17 0 1 124 56 180 92 39 0.0 0.1 7.3 3.3 10.6 5.4 2.3 0
2019
 Carlton 14 13 0 0 87 29 116 62 29 0.0 0.0 6.7 2.2 8.9 4.8 2.2
2020
 Carlton 14 1 0 1 5 4 9 4 0 0.0 1.0 5.0 4.0 9.0 4.0 0.0
Career 126 84 58 815 380 1195 538 253 0.7 0.5 6.5 3.0 9.5 4.3 2.0 7

References

  1. ^ "Carlton's Liam Jones announces AFL retirement after reportedly refusing COVID-19 vaccination". ABC News. 14 November 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Indigenous young gun Liam Jones puts his hands up for the Bulldogs". Marn Grook Footy Show. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  3. ^ "Four Tasmanians shine in AFL draft". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 30 November 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  4. ^ Smith, Robert (May 2009). Shearer, Tim (ed.). "Two Scotch AFL draftees". Great Scot. Scotch College: 57.
  5. ^ "Liam Jones (born 1991) - Draftguru". www.draftguru.com.au. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  6. ^ Denham, Greg (3 August 2010). "Dogs' run on flag gathering pace – Stars aligning as key players return". The Australian.
  7. ^ Witham, Jennifer (5 September 2011). "Young Dog nominated". Australian Football League. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  8. ^ a b "Liam Jones". AFL Tables. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  9. ^ Witham, Jennifer (10 October 2014). "Live: Cooney, Ryder among the deals done on Trade Period deadline day". Australian Football League. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  10. ^ Danielle Balales (22 September 2016). "Season review: Liam Jones". Carlton Football Club. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  11. ^ "Liam Jones, Carlton team, AFL 2017, defence, VFL stats, Northern Blues". Fox Sports. 30 May 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  12. ^ "Liam Jones is the best story of the 2017 AFL season". The Roar. 12 July 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  13. ^ "AFL players switching roles, Liam Jones stats in defence, change of position". Fox Sports. 7 July 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  14. ^ "Stats Pro". afl.com.au. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  15. ^ Pierik, Jon (16 July 2017). "Reborn Liam Jones signs two-year contract extension with Carlton". The Age. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  16. ^ Cristian Filippo (8 May 2021). ""It was 'D Day'": When concussion nearly ended Jones' dream". Carlton Football Club. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  17. ^ Ryan, Peter (10 November 2021). "Vax-hesitant defender Liam Jones remains in dialogue with Blues". The Age. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  18. ^ "Blues bombshell: Unvaccinated defender Liam Jones announces retirement". Fox Sports. 14 November 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
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