Prior to the rookie draft, the GIANTS have pre-listed local ruck Nick Madden.

The key details:

Drafted from: GIANTS Academy/NSW-ACT

Position: Forward/ruck
State: NSW
Height: 204cm
Weight: 112kg
Date of Birth: 17/05/2004

Bio:

A ruckman who is a giant already at 204cm and 112kg. He is an ultra-competitive player who is mobile, kicks the ball well and has impressive ruck craft for a player of his age. Has shown he can be an imposing marking target when he pushes forward and has a neat set shot on goal. He was impressive for the GIANTS Academy in the NAB League, averaging 13.8 disposals, four marks, 24.8 hitouts and 1.2 goals across four games. Was the leading ruckman for the Allies throughout the 2022 NAB AFL National Championships U18 Boys, averaging 14 disposals, three marks and 16 hitouts over the four matches. Also got a taste of senior football late in the year when he made two appearances for the GIANTS in the VFL.

What National Recruiting Manager Adrian Caruso says:

We feel he was one of the better ruckmen available and given he is an Academy product we’ve invested a lot of time into over the past four to five years, he’s a great project for us. Shane Mumford is looking forward to working with him further and helping him to get his body ready for the rigors of AFL football. He’ll undergo foot surgery this week, so he’ll miss the first part of pre-season, but we’ve always looked at him as a long-term prospect for us.