Jack Buckley (footballer, born 1997)
Australian rules footballer
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Jack Buckley (born 17 December 1997) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Greater Western Sydney Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was selected by the Greater Western Sydney Football Club as a Category B rookie from the NSW zone in 2017.[1][2] He is the son of former Australian rules footballer and former chairman of the North Melbourne Football Club, Ben Buckley.[3]
Sydney, New South Wales
| Jack Buckley | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Jack Buckley | ||
| Born |
17 December 1997 Sydney, New South Wales | ||
| Original team | UNSW-Easts (Sydney AFL) | ||
| Draft | 2017 Category B Rookie Selection | ||
| Debut | 12 September 2020, Greater Western Sydney vs. Melbourne, at The Gabba | ||
| Height | 193 cm (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Weight | 87 kg (192 lb) | ||
| Position | Key defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Greater Western Sydney | ||
| Number | 44 | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2018– | Greater Western Sydney | 92 (1) | |
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 8, 2026. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Early football
Buckley played junior football for the Maroubra Saints, where he played in their Under 16 division's premiership.[4] Buckley played for the UNSW-Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs in the Sydney AFL league.[5][6] He was recruited as a part of the Sydney's academy team at the age of 12, but quit 3 years later at the age of 15 after he found the academy 'too intense'.[6] In the 8th round of his 2017 season with the Bulldogs, he won the league's rising star nomination after kicking four goals in his team's win.[7]
AFL career
Despite being signed as a Category B rookie in late 2017, Buckley did not debut for the Giants until late into the 2020 AFL season. After a strong 2020 pre-season, in one game kicking 7 goals in a 93-point win over the Canberra Football Club alongside teammate Jake Riccardi,[8] Buckley debuted in Greater Western Sydney's 5-point loss to Melbourne in the 17th round of the 2020 AFL season.[9] Upon debut, Buckley collected 12 disposals, 3 marks, 3 tackles and a clearance.[10] Buckley was upgraded from the rookie list at the conclusion of the season.[11]
Isaac Heeney mark
In GWS's 2024 qualifying final against Sydney, Sydney player Isaac Heeney took what many to be considered Mark of the Year with a high-flying specky over Buckley, although Heeney was ineligible for the award due to it being in a finals match, something that attracted criticism in the press.[12] In any case, Buckley received widespread respect and acclaim for his act of sportsmanship for holding Heeney's hand to ensure his fall was safe, as Heeney was otherwise falling head-first and could have suffered a severe injury had Buckley not intervened. Among the many that praised Buckley's quick thinking, Heeney's own mother public thanked Buckley on Facebook.[13]
Statistics
Updated to the end of round 8, 2026.[14]
G |
Goals | K |
Kicks | D |
Disposals | T |
Tackles |
B |
Behinds | H |
Handballs | M |
Marks |
| Season | Team | No. | Games | Totals | Averages (per game) | Votes | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | B | K | H | D | M | T | G | B | K | H | D | M | T | |||||
| 2018 | Greater Western Sydney | 41[citation needed] | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| 2019 | Greater Western Sydney | 44[citation needed] | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| 2020[a] | Greater Western Sydney | 44 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 7 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5.5 | 4.0 | 9.5 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 0 |
| 2021 | Greater Western Sydney | 44 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 112 | 57 | 169 | 68 | 34 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 7.5 | 3.8 | 11.3 | 4.5 | 2.3 | 0 |
| 2022 | Greater Western Sydney | 44[citation needed] | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| 2023 | Greater Western Sydney | 44 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 198 | 143 | 341 | 114 | 79 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7.6 | 5.5 | 13.1 | 4.4 | 3.0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Greater Western Sydney | 44 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 202 | 117 | 319 | 133 | 46 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8.8 | 5.1 | 13.9 | 5.8 | 2.0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Greater Western Sydney | 44 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 144 | 89 | 233 | 111 | 29 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7.6 | 4.7 | 12.3 | 5.8 | 1.5 | 0 |
| 2026 | Greater Western Sydney | 44 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 31 | 87 | 30 | 10 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 8.0 | 4.4 | 12.4 | 4.3 | 1.4 | |
| Career | 92 | 1 | 2 | 723 | 445 | 1168 | 463 | 203 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7.9 | 4.8 | 12.7 | 5.0 | 2.2 | 0 | ||
Notes
- The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
