Carlton defender Liam Jones has announced his retirement from AFL football after 161 games.
The Tasmanian was originally drafted by the Bulldogs where he’d play 66 times primarily as a forward before crossing over to the Blues and shifting into defence.
The 30-year-old recently made headlines after being named as the Blues player that was refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Jones cited personal decisions for his reason to step away from the game.
“I wish to announce my retirement from AFL football effective immediately,” Jones said via a statement.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank all who have supported me throughout my journey, both personally and professionally. I love the game and I’ll miss my teammates.
“I hope that people respect my decision and privacy – neither myself or my management team will be making any further comment on the matter.”
Carlton head of football Brad Lloyd said the club had been told by Jones why he chose to retire but that he hopes to keep those specific reasons “private”.
“We have been in constant dialogue with Liam in recent months and allowing him the time he needed to make an informed decision regarding his playing career,” Lloyd said.
“Liam confirmed with us today that he has made the decision to retire, and his wish for the specific reasons of that decision to be kept private – as a club, we will be respecting that.
“We thank Liam for his seven years of service to the Carlton Football Club, he earned every part of the 161 games he played, which included a complete positional transformation in the middle of his career, that could have only been possible with supreme dedication and hard work.
“We wish Liam all the best for the next phase of his life.”
Jones had one year remaining on his contract and he was a mainstay in defence for Carlton across the last few seasons.
He most recently played 19 games in 2021.