The AFL appears set to stand by its double-jab vaccination mandate throughout the remainder of the 2022 season, despite rules set to soon be relaxed across the country.
It is a move that has frustrated some clubs, with some sitting on either side of the divide according to veteran journalist, Caroline Wilson.
Speaking on Nine's Footy Classified on Wednesday night, Wilson suggested that unvaccinated players would be unable to play for the remainder of the year.
"The AFL have told me tonight they will not be changing their rules that they put in place at the start of the season. If you are not double vaccinated you cannot play AFL football," Wilson said.
"The AFL's rules are separate from the government rules. The AFL have a vaccination mandate rule and they're not going to change that rule this year."
The AFL's refusal to change their stance means there is no way back, at least this year, for unvaccinated ex-players such as Liam Jones and Cam Ellis-Yolman, who both walked away from the AFL after refusing to be double vaccinated ahead of the 2022 season.
It has been expected that Jones, who played 161 games across two clubs, would return to the game if the vaccine mandate was dropped, with the Gold Coast tipped as strong suitors of the key defender.
However, when questioned by former Collingwood President Eddie McGuire as to how the AFL can justify upholding the mandate when it's not needed across the rest of the country, Wilson suggested it was a matter of competition integrity.
"The suggestion is they put these rules in place at the start of the season and it's not fair on Carlton who now might not be able to bring Liam Jones back because of their list situation," Wilson said.
"I think that if Liam Jones puts himself back into the draft at the end of this season, Carlton will be asking for compensation.
"There will be a blue - pardon the pun - because the AFL are sort of suggesting that they probably won't pay it."