Important defender Liam Jones will play his 200th career game in Western Bulldogs’ elimination final with similarly red-hot Hawthorn after escaping with a fine for his tackle on Giant Aaron Cadman.
However, Carlton small forward Matt Owies was not so fortunate, copping a one-match ban for a dangerous tackle on Saint Jack Higgins, for which the Blue received a free kick for on Sunday.
Match review officer Michael Christian classified Jones’ action as low impact, rather than medium, along with high contact and careless conduct, meaning he was offered a $2500 fine with an early guilty plea, rather than a suspension.
Bulldogs defender Liam Jones has escaped suspension for this tackle against the Giants.Credit: Fox Footy
The 33-year-old dragged Cadman to ground while holding his right arm, but the GWS forward continued playing and kicked a goal from the free kick he received from the tackle.
Jones is one of the most effective intercept markers in the AFL.Credit: AFL Photos
None of Jones’ 199 matches to date have been finals, so the Hawks clash – the only match in Melbourne in the first week of September – will be significant for him, even beyond his milestone game.
Jones, whose 3.5 intercept marks per match are the third-most in the AFL, is in his second season back with the Bulldogs following a year in the wilderness, after refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19 while still on Carlton’s list.
It was at the Blues where he transformed from an erratic forward into one of the competition’s best intercept defenders, and the Dogs brought him back as an unrestricted free agent to shore up their backline.
Jones will likely have the job on Mabior Chol, whose 33 goals lead the Hawks in 2024, playing alongside fellow tall defenders Rory Lobb and James O’Donnell as part of a unit that restricted GWS to only nine goals in Ballarat on Sunday.
