Western Bulldogs defender Liam Jones has been ruled out of the Indigenous All Stars match, and the beginning of the AFL season, following a preseason injury.
The Bulldogs confirmed on Monday Jones, 33, will not take part in the All Stars fixture after going down with a high-grade hamstring strain during Bulldogs match simulation on the Sunshine Coast at the weekend.
Jones is one of a short list of inclusions in Xavier Clake's 31-man squad for Saturday-week's return of the best Indigenous players collective for the first time in a decade to have previously played in the side.
He and fellow tall defender Steven May played for the All Stars in 2013.
The Bulldogs expect Jones to be fit for return to full training in eight-10 weeks.
Jones has undergone separate surgeries for injuries which have hampered his previous two seasons.
He returned to the kennel, the club to which he was drafted, from Carlton ahead of the 2023 season after choosing to sit out the previous season.
