Carlton coach Michael Voss reveals compensation plan for losing Liam Jones after AFL lifts vaccine mandate

Liam Jones walked away from AFL football after refusing to be vaccinated against Covid-19, and now his old club wants compensation.

Liam Jones is expected to be back playing in the AFL next season after the league lifted its vaccine mandate. Picture: Getty Images

Carlton will seek compensation from the AFL for losing Liam Jones after this week’s government-led change that no longer requires players to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

Jones was one of two AFL footballers, along with ex-Lion and Crow Cam Ellis-Yolmen, who chose not to be vaccinated and effectively forfeited their list spots.

Both players subsequently retired, although Jones has indicated he wanted to return to the competition next year and has already met with Essendon.

The 31-year-old key defender is playing for QAFL side Palm Beach Currumbin this season.

Blues coach Michael Voss has repeatedly stated they won’t take Jones back after this year’s circumstances despite saying he respected his stance.

The AFL informed clubs on Thursday that players would no longer have to be fully vaccinated and it would instead be “strongly encouraging” them to.

Former Blue and Bulldog Liam Jones has spent this season playing for Palm Beach Currumbin in the QAFL. Picture: Glenn Hampson

The change opens the door for players such as Jones and Ellis-Yolmen, as well as a host of AFLW players, to return to the league.

Voss said Carlton officials were already “exploring” the possibility of compensation, whether that’s a draft pick or something else, and would be in touch with the AFL to “see what’s available to us”.

The Blues suffered a spate of injuries to key defenders this season, including vice-captain Jacob Weitering, which exacerbated Jones’ absence.

“We’ll certainly ask that question. We’ll work with them pretty closely over the next little while to see what that looks like for us,” Voss said.

“Obviously, ‘Jonesy’ chose to retire, so that’s added some complexity into it, but we need to know what that looks like. It’s clearly a really complex situation.

Liam Jones looks likely to resume his AFL career in 2023. Picture: Getty Images

“So we’ll explore it and see what our options are, that’s for sure.”

The AFL’s updated policy came as Carlton was implementing stricter access to Ikon Park and its change rooms on game day in reaction to the latest Covid outbreak.

Voss said his players would abide by government advice but largely take a “commonsense approach” to the “heightened” situation that saw the virus ravage several clubs.

“It was more strange on the day it was delivered, to be truthful, as we were making all these adjustments internally, then that changed, but it’s not for me to speak about the direction of where that goes,” Voss said.

“They’ve been pretty clear and they’ve managed it really carefully. So clearly the governments and also the AFL feel that that’s the direction we need to take, so we fall in behind that.”