Liam Jones facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Liam Jones |
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| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Liam Jones | ||
| Date of birth | 24 February 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Hobart, Tasmania | ||
| Original team | North Hobart (Tas) Scotch College (APS) |
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| Draft | No. 32, 2008 National Draft | ||
| Position(s) | Key Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Western Bulldogs | ||
| Number | 19 | ||
| Career highlights | |||
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Liam Jones is a professional Australian rules football player. He plays for the Western Bulldogs team in the Australian Football League (AFL). Liam was chosen by the Western Bulldogs in the 2008 AFL Draft. He played his first senior game in 2010.
After playing for the Bulldogs for six seasons, Liam moved to the Carlton Football Club. At first, he played as a key forward, which means he tried to score goals. But when he joined Carlton, his career changed a lot. He became a key defender, focusing on stopping the other team from scoring.
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Early Life and Football Beginnings
Liam Jones grew up in Tasmania, an island state in 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 the 2009 season playing in the reserves team because he was only 17 years old.
Liam made his first big AFL game appearance in 2010. This was against the North Melbourne team in Round 18. In his first season, he played 5 games and averaged about 9.4 disposals per game.
In 2011, Liam was nominated for the AFL Rising Star award. This award celebrates young, talented players. He earned this nomination after a great game against Fremantle, where he scored two goals. He also had 9 disposals and took 4 marks in that game.
Even though Liam showed promise and had good stats, he often played on the edge of the main team. The Western Bulldogs team was not doing as well then. His average stats were getting better, but he still played in fewer games.
Time with Carlton (2015–2021)
Liam Jones moved to the Carlton Football Club in 2014. This was part of a player trade, where Carlton gave the Bulldogs pick 46 in return. That pick was later used to draft Caleb Daniel. Liam signed a three-year deal with Carlton to play as a key forward.
His first few years at Carlton were a bit up and down. He played only nine games in his first season and eight in his second. He scored 16 goals from 32 attempts, which was not very accurate. A memorable moment as a forward was scoring two important goals in the last quarter of a game in 2016. This helped Carlton win by 4 points against Fremantle.
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 or get a new contract. Early that season, while playing for Carlton's VFL team, the Northern Blues, Liam's coach tried something new. They moved him from the forward line to play as a full back in defence. This change also helped new young forwards get a chance to play.
Within a month, Liam started to play really well in his new role. He became very good at stopping the best key forwards from the other teams. Because of this, he was called back to the main AFL team in Round 12. He immediately made a big impact as a defender. His strong performances in the second half of 2017 got a lot of attention and praise. He even finished in the top ten for the club's best and fairest award. He was known for punching the ball away a lot (10.7 spoils per game) instead of trying to mark it. He continued this strong defensive play in 2018.
Liam signed a new two-year contract in 2017, keeping him at Carlton until the end of 2019. In 2019, he missed eight weeks after a head clash caused a bad concussion. But he recovered and soon signed another three-year contract, staying with Carlton until the end of 2022. He kept playing excellently as a key defender for Carlton. He finished in the top ten for the club's best and fairest award for five years in a row, from 2017 to 2021.
In November 2021, Liam decided to step away from playing. This happened during the AFL's off-season. He retired with one year left on his contract with Carlton.
Coming Back to the Western Bulldogs (2023–)
While not playing AFL, Liam Jones moved to the Gold Coast. He played for the Palm Beach Currumbin team in the QAFL.
After the AFL changed its rules about player health during the 2022 AFL season, Liam rejoined the Bulldogs. He came back as a free agent during the 2022 trade period. He signed a three-year deal, starting in 2023.
Liam became the Western Bulldogs' main key defender. In the 2024 AFL season, he had one of his best years ever. Because of his great play, Liam was chosen for the Indigenous All-Stars match in 2025. This was his second time being selected for the squad, with the first being in 2013. However, Liam was unable to play in the pre-season match against Fremantle. He had a hamstring strain during training, which also meant he missed the start of the AFL season.
