Liam Jones facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Liam Jones
Personal information
Full name	Liam Jones
Date of birth	(1991-02-24) 24 February 1991 (age 34)
Place of birth	Hobart, Tasmania
Original team	North Hobart(Tas)/Scotch College(APS)
Draft	No. 32, 2008 National Draft
Position(s)	Key Defender
Club information
Current club	Western Bulldogs
Number	19
Career highlights
2011 AFL Rising Star nominee VFL Premiership Player (2014)

Liam Jones is a talented professional Australian rules footballer. He plays for the Western Bulldogs in the Australian Football League (AFL). Liam was first chosen by the Western Bulldogs in the 2008 draft. He made his first senior game in 2010. After playing for the Bulldogs for six seasons, Liam moved to the Carlton Football Club. He started his career as a forward player. However, when he joined Carlton, he became a key defender, which really helped his career.

Early Life and Beginnings

Liam Jones grew up in Tasmania, an island state of Australia. He started playing junior football with the North Hobart Football Club. Later, he was chosen to play for Tasmania's Under 18s team. Liam is an Indigenous Australian. His father, Bob Jones, was also a professional footballer. He played for the St Kilda team. Liam went to Scotch College, Melbourne as part of a special program for Indigenous students. Before that, he attended Dominic College in Hobart from years 7 to 10.

Liam's AFL Journey

Playing for the Western Bulldogs (2008–2014)

In the 2008 AFL Draft, the Western Bulldogs picked Liam Jones as their 32nd choice. He spent 2009 playing in the reserves team because he was only 17. Liam made his official AFL debut in 2010. This was in Round 18 against the North Melbourne team. In his first season, he played 5 games and had good stats.

In 2011, Liam was nominated for the AFL Rising Star award. This award celebrates young players who show great promise. He earned this nomination after a strong game against Fremantle. In that match, he scored 2 goals and helped his team win. Even though his stats improved, Liam sometimes struggled to get picked for games. The Western Bulldogs team was also going through a tough period.

Time with Carlton (2015–2021)

Liam Jones moved to the Carlton Football Club in 2014. The Bulldogs traded him for a draft pick that was used to choose Caleb Daniel. Liam signed a three-year deal with Carlton to play as a key forward. However, his performance was a bit up and down at first. In his first two seasons with Carlton, he played only a few games. He kicked 16 goals and 16 behinds, which wasn't very accurate. A highlight was kicking two important goals in a close win against Fremantle in 2016.

The year 2017 was the last year of Liam's first contract with Carlton. Many people, including Liam himself, didn't expect him to play much. They also thought he might not get a new contract. But something changed early in the season. While playing for Carlton's VFL team, the Northern Blues, Liam's coach moved him to a new position. He switched from playing in the forward line to playing as a full back in defence. This change was made to help new young forwards develop.

Within a month, Liam started to play incredibly well in his new role. He became excellent at stopping the best opposition forwards. Because of his great defensive skills, he was called back to the senior AFL team in Round 12. He made an immediate impact as a defender. His strong performances in the second half of 2017 gained a lot of attention and praise. He even finished in the top ten for the club's best and fairest award. Liam was known for punching the ball away instead of marking it. He continued this strong defensive form into the next season.

Liam signed a new two-year contract with Carlton in 2017. This meant he would stay until the end of 2019. In 2019, he had a bad concussion after hitting heads with another player. He missed eight weeks of games. But he recovered and soon signed another three-year contract, keeping him at Carlton until the end of 2022. He continued to be a top defender for Carlton. He finished in the top ten of the club's best and fairest awards for five years in a row, from 2017 to 2021.

In November 2021, Liam retired from AFL football. This happened because of a new league rule about player health and safety. He chose to retire with one year left on his contract.

Back to the Western Bulldogs (2023–)

During his break from the AFL, Liam played football for the Palm Beach Currumbin Australian Football Club. He played in the QAFL. The AFL later changed its rule about player health and safety. This allowed Liam to return to the league. He rejoined the Western Bulldogs as a free agent in 2022. He signed a new three-year deal, starting in 2023.

Images for kids

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  Liam Jones in 2018