Former Brumbies boss Michael Jones sells Canberra house ahead of move to US

Former Brumbies boss Michael Jones is selling his Canberra house as he prepares to move overseas for a new job.

The five-bedroom residence at 16 Hobart Avenue in Forrest is expected to sell for more than $2 million when it’s auctioned next month.

The move comes after the ACT Brumbies board stood Mr Jones down in March after he blew the whistle on financial irregularities with the sale of the club’s former Griffith site and subsequent relocation to Bruce.

The club’s board and the chief executive agreed to part ways in April after announcing they had reached a settlement. 

Mr Jones said he was “reluctantly” leaving the national capital, with a new job lined up in the US.

“We loved it here but the whole Brumbies thing has soured the exercise a little bit,” he said.

“We’re likely moving to the US in the new year.”

Mr Jones and his wife, Michelle, bought their Hobart Avenue home soon after he took up his post with the Brumbies in early 2015.

“We bought the house when we first arrived here in February [2015],” Mr Jones said.

“We moved in virtually seven days after it exchanged and rented the house before settlement.”

Mr Jones has spent most of his life in Sydney, mainly in the lower north shore area.

But Canberra holds special significance as the city where the now married couple first met.

It’s also where Mr Jones studied at Daramalan College in Dickson and the Royal Military College Duntroon.

His contemporary house at 16 Hobart Avenue was designed by Collins Caddaye Architects and built about five years ago. It sits on a 2663-square-metre block and features spacious living areas and a swimming pool.

“We’ve really loved living here because of the proximity to the Manuka and Kingston shops and Deakin, with local cafes and restaurants,” he said.

“There’s a good sense of community. It’s such a leafy suburb.”

Mr Jones said it had been a nice location to walk his two labradors, as well as a convenient commute to work.

“The commute to the Brumbies was 12 minutes long,” he said. “Compared to Sydney it’s a dream.”

Mr Jones is yet to snap up a new property in the US. He did not disclose details about what the new role entailed but said it would allow him to move to one of a number of cities in the country.

The move means the Jones family will be scattered across the globe. Mr Jones has two adult children, one based in Sydney and the other in Denmark.

LJ Hooker Manuka selling agent Stephen Thompson said a range of buyers had shown interest in the Forrest house since it hit the market late last week.

“There’s been a lot of thought go into the design and functionality of the home…particularly the informal and formal living areas combined with the outdoor living area and pool – it flows really well,” he said.

The Canberra property at 16 Hobart Avenue in Forrest will be auctioned on Saturday, December 10 at noon.