The GIANTS are delighted to announce that star defender Jack Buckley has committed to the club long-term with a new four-year contract extension.

Already signed for next year, Buckley has put pen to paper on a new deal which will see the 27-year-old remain a GIANT through until the end of the 2030 AFL season.

One of the competition’s most reliable and resilient defenders, Buckley has become a cornerstone of the club’s backline and one half of the league’s most formidable key defensive duo alongside All-Australian defender Sam Taylor.

Originally recruited to the club as a forward as a Category B Rookie ahead of the 2018 season after being overlooked in his draft year in 2015, Buckley’s journey to becoming a standout key defender in the competition has been anything but conventional.

Picked up by the club after starring at local level as a young key forward, Buckley spent his early seasons battling to break into the GIANTS’ senior side before finally earning his AFL debut in round 17, 2020, albeit as a wingman.

The following season, injury opened up a spot in the GIANTS’ backline that Buckley would quickly make his own despite an unfortunate ACL injury which would sideline the emerging youngster for almost two years.

Built with determination and perseverance, Buckley returned to the GIANTS’ lineup in 2023 after more than 600 days on the sidelines, with the defender enduring a breakout season to establish himself as one of the league’s elite one-on-one key defenders and a crucial piece of Adam Kingsley’s backline.

Buckley continued his emergence throughout 2024 where he played 23 out of a possible 25 games in a brilliant campaign. In a moment to celebrate his perseverance, Buckley celebrated his 50th AFL game last year in the club’s ANZAC Day clash with the Lions in Canberra in round seven.

Buckley - who this year became a member of the club’s leadership group for the first time - endured another fantastic season in 2025 to play a crucial part in the GIANTS’ record-tying 16-win home and away season en route to a remarkable eighth finals campaign in the last 10 years.  

Buckley’s new long-term deal locks away yet another of the club’s key pieces well into the future, with the likes of Finn Callaghan (2029), Aaron Cadman (2030), Sam Taylor (2032), Darcy Jones (2028), Conor Idun (2032), and Brent Daniels (2031) all having already committed to the club long-term.

GIANTS Executive General Manager of Football, Jason McCartney, said Buckley’s re-signing was a significant moment for the club.

“Jack is the type of player every club wants - tough, reliable, and incredibly selfless,” McCartney said.

“His journey hasn’t been easy. To being overlooked early on, to then being picked up as a Category B Rookie and then overcoming a serious ACL injury to return and not only hold his spot, but become one of the premier key defenders in the competition, is a testament to his resilience and professionalism.

“Jack’s one-on-one ability, calmness under pressure, and leadership in the backline has made him a key pillar of our team and we’re thrilled to have him committed to the GIANTS for another four years to take him through until the end of 2030.

“We continue to re-sign key players well into the future which is a testament to not only the culture we’ve built but the exciting future we all see for the club.”