One of just five inaugural GIANTS left at the club, Nick Haynes was drafted to the GIANTS with pick seven in the 2011 AFL Draft. Making his name as a forward with the Dandenong Stingrays, Haynes was used in attack and through the middle of the ground early on before a move to defence proved a turning point. Using his elite intercept ability and his strong overhead marking, Haynes’ move to the backline saw him become one of the competition’s best defenders. Haynes was named in the 2019 All-Australian 40-man squad before making the 2020 All-Australian team, as well as taking out the 2020 Kevin Sheedy Medal as club champion alongside Lachie Whitfield. A part of the GIANTS’ leadership group in 2021, Haynes has played a crucial role in many of the GIANTS’ finals campaigns and in 2023 became just the third GIANT drafted by the club to reach the 200-game milestone.
