Carlton coach Michael Voss has confirmed that the club will seek a compensation pick should former Blue Liam Jones sign with a new club.
Jones retired in November last year after refusing to comply with the AFL's vaccine mandate, requiring all players and staff to have received two doses of the COVID vaccine. Jones was not placed on Carlton's inactive list.
With the AFL's decision this week to shift their vaccine stance from mandatory to encouraged, the door has been opened for a return to senior footy for the 31-year-old defender.
Under AFL rules, players who retire from a club are unable to join another one for 18 months, meaning Jones technically would be unable to seek out a comeback until the 2023 mid-season draft.
Despite this, Jones has been spotted meeting with Essendon officials recently, with the league able to offer the 161-gamer an exception to re-join the top flight.
Voss, speaking to media on Friday, confirmed that the club wasn't interested in bringing Jones back to Ikon Park, but would seek some form of compensation should he pull on a rival jumper.
"There's probably a lot you could speculate on," Voss said.
"The conversations we'll just continually have and see what's there for us.
"It's been quite unique and complex, I think everyone appreciates that.
"We respect Liam's position but we've also got a position as a club we need to take and we'll follow through as strongly as we possibly can to see what's available to us."
Jones has been playing for Palm Beach Currumbin in the QAFL throughout 2022. So far both Carlton and the Lions have dismissed interest in recruiting the defender.
