Former Carlton defender Liam Jones has signed with the Palm Beach Currumbin Lions and will play in the Queensland Australian Football League (QAFL) in the upcoming season.
Jones left the public eye when he announced his retirement despite being just 30 years of age after he couldn’t meet the AFL’s vaccine mandate.
The Currumbin Lions announced the signing via Facebook on Friday afternoon, coach Russell Maloney confirming the signing to News Corp soon after.
“I knew it was happening and the club kept me informed of it all. They’ve suddenly rung me and said the deal was done,” he said.
“His manager contacted us and told us what the situation was.
“We’ve had a few conversations with the manager for a few weeks and he was happy with what we were talking about and how it was situated.
“Our recruitment officer met with Liam last night (Thursday) and got the deal done, signed and sealed.”
Club President Anne Cornish said it wasn’t long after Jones’ retirement that his manager got in contact with the club but couldn’t confirm if the 161-game AFL star had been vaccinated since leaving the league.
“I don’t know about all that. He’s a (Queensland) resident now, so I’m not sure what the rules are around vaccination and I have not had that conversation (with Jones),” she said.
“We’ll follow the rules of the government.”
Jones’ refusal to get vaccinated was a big loss for the Blues due to their already shallow depth in backline stocks.
However, the club recruited Lewis Young from the Bulldogs in a similar replacement and are also expecting numerous personnel to return from injury for the 2022 season.