Promising young GIANT Jack Buckley has signed a new two-year contract with the club.

After three years as a Category B rookie, Buckley will also be upgraded to the primary list. 

The 22-year-old grew up in Sydney and graduated from the Swans Academy before stepping away from the game. 

He played locally for the UNSW-ES Bulldogs in the AFL Sydney competition and filled in for the GIANTS’ NEAFL team in 2017 before being rookie-listed by the club ahead of the 2018 season. 

After three years on the list, he has developed into a versatile utility and broke through for his AFL debut in the penultimate round of the 2020 season to play the final two games of the year.

Buckley said he’s excited for the next two seasons as a GIANT. 

“Personally 2020 was a huge year for my football development and I was really proud to get the reward at the end and finish the season playing senior football,” Buckley said. 

“I’m looking forward to continuing to work hard and grow as a player ahead of the 2021 season.”

GIANTS General Manager of Football Jason McCartney congratulated Buckley on his upgrade to the senior list.

“Jack’s a great example of someone who came out of the local Sydney competition and might have taken a little longer than some others but really put in the work to develop himself into an AFL-level player,” McCartney said. 

“He’s a great young man who is incredibly diligent and just wants to learn. 

“As shown by his two games at the end of the season, he works incredibly hard, is courageous and we’re really excited by what he can develop into over the coming seasons.”

Buckley’s re-signing comes on the back of fellow promising young stars Isaac Cumming, Harry Perryman and Jeremy Finlayson all committing to the club.