#26 Jake Riccardi (Pick 51, 2019 National Draft)

[Callums_Guns]

The GIANTS have added more firepower to their forward line by selecting Jake Riccardi with pick 51 of the 2019 NAB AFL Draft.

The GIANTS traded up to secure the 195cm 20-year-old, who had a stunning year in the VFL in 2019, kicking 38 goals in 20 games for Werribee.

They traded a future third round (tied to North Melbourne) for pick 51 and Collingwood's future fourth round pick.

Riccardi – who was a member of the Calder Cannons NAB League squad in 2017 and 2018 – won the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal as the best young player in the VFL, showing consistency throughout the season under former GIANTS assistant coach Mark Williams.

A strong mark and a deadly set shot, Riccardi kicked six goals in a game against Coburg and booted three as Werribee were knocked out of the VFL finals by Essendon.

Jake Riccardi
From: Werribee (VFL), Calder Cannons

D.O.B: 7/11/1999
Height: 195cm

Weight: 92kg

Riccardi is the third player to join the GIANTS in the 2019 NAB AFL Draft after Lachlan Ash and Tom Green were selected on Wednesday evening.

Pick 51: Jake Riccardi

The GIANTS have added more firepower to their forward line by selecting Jake Riccardi with pick 51 of the 2019 NAB AFL Draft.

www.gwsgiants.com.au

Pick 51: Jake Riccardi

Watch highlights of 2019 NAB AFL Draft pick number 51, Jake Riccardi

www.gwsgiants.com.au

Media Street: Jake Riccardi

The official website of the Werribee Football Club, the VFL team of the City of Wyndham.

www.werribeefc.com.au

Will VFL history repeat with 14 straight years of draft success?

Jake Riccardi is acutely aware of the significance of winning the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal

www.afl.com.au

 

[captainMyCaptain]

GIANTS National Recruiting Manager Adrian Caruso said: “We were always hoping to try and push into the middle part of the draft if the players we liked were available. “Once we hit around pick 40 onwards we were really trying to get in, in a similar way to last year. “Jake Riccardi was the player we targeted, we thought, ‘Okay he’s available we need to get in and get him’. “We started to hit clubs up to try and get in and eventually we got a bite in Collingwood and they were happy to do that deal.” Riccardi, a powerful forward who won the 2019 Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal as the best young player in the VFL, played 20 games for Werribee this season, kicking 38 goals. “We’ve tracked him for a few years, he was an inexperienced young forward growing into his body at 18 when he played for the Calder Cannons a couple of years ago,” Caruso said. “We knew he was going to take time and what we saw from him in the back half of the year at Werribee was a great indication that he had come on. “His finals performances were really encouraging for us and gave us the confidence to know that he was developing.”

Two More Makes Four at Draft

The GIANTS have strengthened their forwardline and added some midfield depth after a successful second night at the 2019 NAB AFL Draft.

www.gwsgiants.com.au

 

[Giant Strides]

I thought we needed an extra forward- happy enough with Jake and don't think we paid too much to get him. Welcome, look forward to seeing your progress.

 

[grimlock]

Jake RICCARDI (Werribee VFL)

2019 VFL
Totals

• 20 games
• 38 goals
• 27 behinds
• 6 times in best players list

Averages

• 7.8 kicks
• 3.3 handballs
• 11.1 disposals
• 5.0 marks
• 1.9 tackles
• 0.4 frees for
• 0.5 frees against
• 2.4 inside 50s
• 0.0 rebound 50s
• 64.20 DT points

 

[Rustyrich]

Well played GWS credit where it's due. Jake is a great talent and is well built and ready to go if needed in Round 1

 

[combaning]

Good insurance if/when one of Finlayson/Himmelberg/Cameron get offered a deal too good to refuse or get injured during the year.

 

[eth-dog]

Absolute star at VFL level. Will kick bags in the NEAFL

 

[Callums_Guns]

Absolute star at VFL level. Will kick bags in the NEAFL

The pressure he will put on Finlayson and Himmelberg is much needed especially when 1 of them has a form slump

Looking forward to when he gets his debut

 

[eth-dog]

The pressure he will put on Finlayson and Himmelberg is much needed especially when 1 of them has a form slump

Looking forward to when he gets his debut

He plays his best deep so that'll help Cameron out too.

 

[captainMyCaptain]

 

[Determinant]

Another great Emma background piece

Full story in the link above.

When Jake Riccardi joned the Calder Cannons three years ago he wasn’t sure what he was, what he could become, or how good he could be.

Riccardi was a midfielder as a kid, for St Bernards in Essendon. He was small, skinny and had missed out on making all of the Cannons’ junior squads.

By the time they picked him he had grown, to about 192 centimetres. Still, he headed into the 2017 season not really sure where they saw him fitting in.

“It was a different sort of year because everything that happened felt pretty new to me,” said Riccardi, who started in the ruck before moving into the forward line.

“I’d never played in the ruck before so that was something I wasn’t used to, and even as a forward I played as a third tall, a lead-up, and I hadn’t done that before either.

“Coming in, I was sort of the last one into the team. There were other players better than me that they wanted playing those key roles, so I was happy just to fill other spots.

“I had a lot to take in but every week I was learning something new and it was a good year just for starting to get an idea of what I had to do to get better.”

Riccardi did enough that year to make AFL clubs notice him, us included. But by the time the rookie draft came around just one club had spoken to him. He knew he was only a tiny chance of being called out, and wasn’t disappointed when he missed out.

 

[Callums_Guns]

 

[Callums_Guns]

Two games, six goals and now a Rising Star nom for Giant forward

Jake Riccardi is the latest nominee for the NAB AFL Rising Star

www.afl.com.au

 

[Callums_Guns]

 

[InnerSanctumAU]

When Jake Riccardi booted nine goals in his five games for GWS this year, it left many scratching their heads as to why he was overlooked in two AFL Drafts.

The new forward in the west of the town

Jake Riccardi kicked nine goals in his five games in 2020 for the GWS Giants leaving many scratching their heads as to why the then 20-year-old had been looked over in the 2017 and 2018 national drafts.

www.theinnersanctum.com.au

 

[Giant Strides]

 

[Giant Strides]

Re-signed for 3 more years - announced at the members' function after the Essendon game.

 

[Giant Strides]

Riccardi Re-Signs

Emerging key forward Jake Riccardi has re-signed with the GIANTS for a further three years.

www.gwsgiants.com.au

Off the back of securing the key signatures of Harry Himmelberg and Lachie Ash, Jake Riccardi has also put pen to paper to commit his future to the orange and charcoal until at least the end of 2026.

Riccardi made the announcement at the club’s post-match members event, following the GIANTS’ win over the Bombers, recognising the support of the record-breaking Orange Army in season 2023. The 23-year-old, in his fourth season, has had a breakout 2023 campaign, kicking 27 goals across his 17 games.

GIANTS General Manager of Football, Jason McCartney

Jason Mccartney

Age

50

Ht

191cm

Wt

95kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

10.7

3star

K

7.1

3star

HB

3.5

3star

M

3.6

4star

T

0.8

3star

No current season stats available

D

10.0

3star

K

5.8

3star

HB

4.2

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

0.6

3star

, said the club is pleased to secure the signature of another promising young player. “It’s fantastic news to have Jake re-sign with the GIANTS for a further three seasons,” McCartney said. “He’s an impressive young player who is still developing and growing and has had a great 2023 season so far. Jake’s a great person to have around the club and we’re really eager to watch the key forward he’ll continue to develop into.”

 

[Giant Strides]

Congratulations Jake!

 

[Giant Strides]