As Nick Haynes prepares to play his 100th game for the GIANTS, we’ve taken a look back through our archives to find some of the best photos of the dashing defender. 

Draft Day

 

A young and skinny Haynes stands alongside Chad Wingard, Billy Longer and Adam Tomlinson after being drafted by the GIANTS with pick seven of the 2011 NAB AFL Draft. One of ‘The Originals’, Haynes was one of the GIANTS’ eight top 10 picks that would form the nucleus of the GIANTS squad going forward. 

Going Back

Haynes was initially drafted as a forward but soon found himself playing in the GIANTS’ backline. The switch had been alluded to by Kevin Sheedy when he met the 19-year-old Haynes on draft night, but it wouldn’t become a reality until round 22, 2012. With Chad Cornes ruled out for the clash with St Kilda, Haynes was thrown back and as the saying goes: the rest is history. 

Injury

Haynes’ road to 100 games hasn’t come without its bumps. After cementing himself in the GIANTS’ back six in the first two months of the 2014 season, Haynes suffered a setback, breaking an ankle in the GIANTS’ round eight loss to West Coast in Perth. A hamstring injury in early 2017 also saw him out for seven weeks. Haynes has since turned to Pilates to build on his fitness base and has played 32 consecutive games, the best run of his career.

Dashing Defender

 

While the now 25-year-old is known for his brave intercept marking exploits (we’ll get to that shortly), his attacking abilities and run off half back makes him a dangerous player for the GIANTS, as seen in this snap from 2016. Occasionally he sneaks forward to kick a goal but he hasn’t troubled the scorers since kicking a goal against Fremantle in round 19, 2017.

High Flyer

One of Haynes’ best traits is his ability to go back with the flight of the ball and take crucial intercept marks. Haynes told GIANTS TV he added his most valuable asset to his game after being told in an end of season review in 2012 that he wasn’t courageous enough.