What Will He Bring - Liam Jones

The Western Bulldogs made their first move in what is expected to be a busy off-season for them yesterday, securing the services of Liam Jones, who is set to embark on a second stint at the Bulldogs after a seven-year spell at Carlton.

Jones has never been far away from the headlines in the past 12 months. After refusing to comply with the league’s COVID vaccine mandate, Jones announced his retirement from the game February, but the door opened for him to make a stunning return to the game once the league lifted its mandate during the season. That decision ultimately resulted in months of speculation as to whether Jones would return to the game, with the Bulldogs always among the front runners to sign him.

Despite officially retiring from the game, the AFL acquiesced to categorise Jones as an Unrestricted Free Agent. This listing had consequences for both the Bulldogs and Carlton; according to league regulations, if a player chooses to retire, they must wait 18 months before they can return to the competition and play, meaning that the Bulldogs wouldn’t have been able to play him until August next year. As for Carlton, because he departed the club as a Free Agent rather than as a retired player, they will receive compensation according to the league’s free agency rules.

THE TRADE: Western Bulldogs Receive: Liam Jones (Unrestricted Free Agent) Carlton Receive: Third Round Selection (currently Pick 49)

WHAT WE SAID:

“We’re thrilled to officially welcome Liam back into our colours,” Power said.

“Liam has some great relationships from his previous time at the Bulldogs, coupled with strong defensive attributes, we believe he will be a great fit for our football club.

“Having 161 games behind him, Liam brings a sense of leadership and stability to our back line, adding more depth in that area of the ground.” – Sam Power, Head of List and Recruiting

2022 SEASON:

Jones spent half of the season retired, so there’s not much to report on that front. He did spend time playing for Palm Beach Currumbin in the QAFL during the year, although pulled out once the prospect of him making a return to the AFL became a possibility.

His last season at AFL level – 2021 – saw him rank among some of the best key defenders in the competition, showing his worth as both a 1v1 defender and as an interceptor. Across the year, he was involved in 110 defensive 1v1 situations (ranked 4th among key defenders in the competition) but lost just 11.8% of them - the lowest percentage out of any key defender to face 20+ 1v1s that season. Jones also took 79 intercept marks in 19 games - ranked 4th in the league.

WHAT WILL HE BRING?

The Liam Jones that plays in 2023 will be a very different prospect to the one that left the club at the end of 2014. One of the most versatile key defenders in the competition, Jones has demonstrated over time that he is among the very best at playing as both a lockdown defender, and as a free-wheeling interceptor. The Bulldogs struggled greatly in both departments last year, so Jones will be a huge boost whichever role they use him in, but it’s hard to be sure exactly what role they’ll want to use him in. It will pretty much depend on what their defensive stocks look like heading into 2023, including whether they manage to secure another key defender either in the Trade Period or the upcoming Draft, if they lose any of their current key backs (Zaine Cordy is set to move to St Kilda as a Free Agent), or indeed whether the Bulldogs decide to shift the likes of Aaron Naughton or Sam Darcy into defence on a more permanent basis. There is a lot to play out, but there’s no doubt that Jones will be a huge hit for Bulldogs fans next year.

DID YOU KNOW? Liam Jones is not the first player to have two separate stints at the Bulldogs.

Like Jones, Brett Montgomery started his career at the Bulldogs, before moving to Port Adelaide at the end of the 1999 season. From there, he won the club’s best-and-fairest in his first season, won All-Australian honours in 2002, and a Premiership in 2004, before returning to the Bulldogs at the end of 2005. Famously, Montgomery would kick a career-high four goals in his third-last game for the club, in a memorable Elimination Final win over Collingwood.

The last time Liam Jones played in Bulldogs colours. Source: Getty Images