Western Bulldogs defender Liam Jones has been cleared of serious damage to his neck after his comeback appearance in the AFL was cut short due to injury.
Jones returned for his first AFL game since 2021 and his first as a Bulldog in nine years as he lined up against the Demons at the MCG on Saturday night.
His outing back was curtailed by a neck issue sustained by some friendly fire in a marking contest, with Jones eventually subbed out of the match and replaced by Toby McLean.
Sweating on the extent of the injury in the wake of their 50-point loss, Bulldogs fans can now breathe a sigh of relief, with the club confirming on Sunday afternoon that Jones remains in the mix to play next week after avoiding serious structural damage to his neck.
"Bulldogs key defender Liam Jones has been cleared of structural damage to his neck after being substituted during last night's round one clash against Melbourne," a club statement reads.
"The 32-year-old left the ground after a contest late in the second term, with scans over the past 24 hours clearing any serious structural injury.
"Jones will be re-assessed during training this week before determining his availability."
The Bulldogs will face St Kilda at Marvel Stadium next Saturday as they search for their first win of the season after falling to Melbourne in Round 1.
The Bulldogs could welcome small forward Cody Weightman back from a groin injury for that match, with fellow goalsneak Arthur Jones also in the mix as he looks to recover from a similar issue.
