Jacob Edwards (footballer)

Last updated

Jacob Edwards
Personal information
Full name Jacob Edwards
Date of birth (2002-11-22) 22 November 2002 (age 22)
Place of birth Victoria, Australia
Original team(s) Sandringham Dragons (NAB League)
Draft No. 1, 2021 AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft
Height 202 cm (6 ft 8 in)
Weight 85 kg (187 lb)
Position(s) Ruck / Forward
Playing career1
YearsClubGames (Goals)
2021–2023 North Melbourne 0 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2023.

Jacob Edwards (born 22 November 2002) is a former Australian rules footballer who was listed with the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). A tall and mobile ruck/forward, Edwards was selected with the first pick in the 2021 AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft but did not make a senior appearance before being delisted in 2023. [1]

Contents

Early life and junior football

Edwards grew up in Victoria and attended Mentone Grammar. He played junior football with the Sandringham Dragons in the NAB League, where he began to attract AFL interest due to his height, athleticism and versatility. In 2021, he was considered one of the top prospects available in the mid-season draft. [1]

AFL career

North Melbourne (2021–2023)

Edwards was drafted by North Melbourne with the first overall selection in the 2021 AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft while completing Year 12. He joined the club as a development player and trained part-time during his final months of school before gradually entering the club’s VFL program. [2]

Over the next two seasons, Edwards played primarily in the VFL. In 2022, he appeared in 15 matches, averaging 7.1 disposals and 9.7 hit-outs per game. [3] Although he showed glimpses of potential, he did not break into North Melbourne's senior side.

In October 2023, North Melbourne confirmed that Edwards had been delisted after three seasons on the rookie list. [4]

Post-AFL career

After leaving the AFL system, Edwards joined Cheltenham Football Club in the Southern Football Netball League (SFNL). Ahead of the 2024 season, he was listed among the league’s top 30 players by local media. [5]

Playing style

Edwards is known for his height and ability to play both in the ruck and as a key forward. His junior strengths included contested marking and mobility for a tall player. During his time at North Melbourne, the club focused on helping him improve his physical strength and match endurance to prepare for senior-level football.

References

  1. 1 2 "Roos take Jacob Edwards with pick No.1 in mid-season draft". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  2. ↑ "No holiday for North's schoolboy No.1 as club eyes VFL debut". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. 18 June 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  3. ↑ "Jacob Edwards - Player Profile". NMFC.com.au. North Melbourne Football Club. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  4. ↑ "North Melbourne delist four players as off-season continues". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. 23 October 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  5. ↑ "SFNL: The top 30 players ahead of the 2024 Division 1 season". Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. 29 February 2024. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.