Promising GIANTS youngster Jack Ough says he is hellbent on a big summer on the track as he strives to fulfil his lifelong dream of an AFL debut in 2026.
A country boy from Mildura taken with pick 36 in the 2024 Draft, Ough put in several starring performances for the club’s VFL side in 2025 before requiring season-ending shoulder surgery in July.
Standing at 194cm and possessing clean hands and silky skills, the big-bodied midfielder showcased his talent throughout the front half of 2025, with the 18-year-old averaging 24 disposals and six tackles per game in the VFL to consistently be amongst the GIANTS’ best.
With a full 12 months under his belt and growing in confidence following his stellar VFL form, Ough doesn’t shy away from his goal of breaking into the GIANTS’ star-studded midfield in 2026.
“This pre-season I just want to get my body in a position to put myself up for AFL selection,” Ough said.
“So that’s putting on strength, continuing to work on my speed and endurance, and continue to develop under some really good midfielders like Finn Callaghan, Tom Green, Stephen Coniglio, as well as ‘Clarry’ [Clayton Oliver] coming to the club - it’s really exciting learning off those guys.
“100 per cent that’s my goal - to debut next year. That’s why I’m here. So that’s my goal.
“I’ll be really focusing on my craft once I get my body right and I’m super excited to see what happens.”
Despite his year being cut short by shoulder surgery, Ough says the form he showed before the injury - and the lessons he took from the setback - have only strengthened his resolve ahead of the 2026 season.
“It was really pleasing to get some nice form together in the VFL. It gives you confidence playing at that standard of footy.
“It’s obviously a lot different from playing under 18s to playing against men and its different footy and I feel I found some confidence in it. I also discovered there’s a lot of things I need to work on in my game which I feel I can really get to work on in this off-season.
“I’m a bigger bodied midfielder naturally and I think I’ve got really clean hands and I’m a quick decision maker, composed with ball in hand, and I bring my teammates into the game.
“The things I want to work on, firstly being a big-bodied mid, is my stoppage craft. Then I put a really big emphasis on my running in the off-season, and I feel that’s come a really long way in terms of my speed and endurance.
“I obviously had a bit of a shoulder set back but I feel I’ve come back from that stronger. The first year didn’t go exactly to plan but I took a lot of learnings that I think are really going to help me in this pre-season.
“I’m excited to get back into the contact [after Christmas] and then I can immerse myself more and really show my contest side of things. That fitness base has set me up really well to show my strengths I think.”
The level-headed teenager said he already feels much better positioned entering his second pre-season as he looks to showcase his talent and break into the club’s AFL side next year.
“I’ve noticed a massive difference physically in myself from my first pre-season to my second pre-season with my running ability and ability to keep up in drills and recover between sessions,” he said.
“I’ve also found a massive difference in the difficulty of it too which is exciting as I think having that [fitness] base allows me to focus on footy more.”
An avid reader in his spare time who is preparing to start a law degree in the coming months, Ough says he’s grown in both his professionalism and his maturity since moving away from home and into his new life in Sydney.
“I’ve absolutely loved every bit of it. Obviously the first year there are some adjustments early with moving away from home but I’ve felt super welcomed from the club and I’ve loved training and being with all of the boys and feel like I’m building some really good connections at the club. I’m enjoying all aspects of the whole process.
“I think coming into a professional environment there is a lot of growth with professionalism. Personally I think it’s a bit of maturity as well, moving away from home and fitting into a new team and playing with all of these players I’ve looked up to, I feel I’ve really grown in that space as well.”
With his confidence rising and his game trending in the right direction, Ough says his AFL dream is something that he’s carried with him since childhood.
“As long as I can remember it’s all I’ve wanted to do. The whole family loves footy. My dad played local footy and our life centred around footy so there’s nothing else I ever wanted to do to be honest.”
The ambitious Ough and his teammates will complete their first pre-season training block next week before returning to the club in January to ramp up preparations for season 2026.
