As published in the 5 August 2014 edition of the Star Weekly, below is an installment of a regular player guest column, this week penned by Liam Jones.

One of the hardest things about AFL football is the end-of-season restructure of the playing list, and how some of your closest friends may not be there the following year.

I remember, after my first year, five of my close friends and I headed into the club for our exit interviews.

Just hours later, three of those guys were no longer AFL players. It was really confronting, but I guess that’s the nature of the beast.

I do my best to stay in contact with my close friends who are no longer at the club, and it’s really good to see a lot of them doing well for themselves.

Most recently, James Mulligan, who has always had a passion for fitness, completed his personal training qualification. He’s opened up his own gym and it’s going really well.

Jamieson Daniels has done the same thing and has a lot of clients at his Shepparton gym – another one of my mates building a life after football.

Matthew Panos, who I lived with for two years, is back in Adelaide with his family. He’s been playing some really good football with Norwood in the SANFL.

And Malcolm Lynch, who I see a fair bit through his travels, left at the end of my second year and is doing some really good things with the Australian Indigenous Mentoring program.

The biggest thing for guys that leave the footy club – if they are not lucky enough to get another chance elsewhere – is that they’re going on and having good careers outside of football.

I’ve heard of a lot of people who go through a massive transition period. But I’m glad to know that the guys I’m close to have done well in their footy afterlife.