Jayden Laverde

Jayden Laverde
Laverde playing for Essendon in 2025
Personal information
Full name	Jayden Laverde
Born	(1996-04-12) 12 April 1996 (age 29)
Original team(s)	Western Jets (TAC Cup)
Draft	No. 20, 2014 national draft
Height	193 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight	94 kg (207 lb)
Position(s)	Key Defender
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
2015–2025	Essendon	145 (38)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2025.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Jayden Laverde ( /ləˈvɜːdiː/ lə-VUR-dee; ^[1] born 12 April 1996) is a professional Australian rules footballer who previously played for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) and will move to the Greater Western Sydney Giants in late 2025. ^[2] He was recruited with the 20th overall selection in the 2014 national draft. ^[3]

Early life

Laverde playing for Essendon in 2018

Laverde started his career playing for the Keilor Football Club playing all his junior years there. as a young age he was touted for his athleticism and uniqueness.^{[ citation needed ]}

Laverde played for the Western Jets in the TAC Cup ^[4] and the Keilor Football Club. ^[5] He was named All-Australian in the AFL Under 18 Championships, playing for Vic Metro. ^[6] He made his AFL debut against Melbourne in round 15 of the 2015 AFL season. ^[7]

AFL career

Laverde was drafted with pick 20 in the 2014 national draft. In 2015, his first season at Essendon, he played nine games and kicked five goals. In 2016 he suffered an ankle injury and was sidelined for eight weeks.

Originally starting his career as a forward, in the 2021 AFL season his career was reinvigorated with a move to defence. ^[8]

Laverde played 145 games for Essendon over 11 seasons, before he was delisted at the end of the 2025 AFL season, and will join GWS after the 2025 national draft. ^{[9] [10]}

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of 2025 ^[11]

Legend

G	Goals	K	Kicks	D	Disposals	T	Tackles
B	Behinds	H	Handballs	M	Marks

Season	Team	No.	Games	Totals							Averages (per game)
				G	B	K	H	D	M	T	G	B	K	H	D	M	T
2015	Essendon	33	9	5	1	49	68	117	32	34	0.6	0.1	5.4	7.6	13.0	3.6	3.8
2016	Essendon	33	9	8	9	64	41	105	43	26	0.9	1.0	7.1	4.6	11.7	4.8	2.9
2017	Essendon	33	5	1	5	26	30	56	16	14	0.2	1.0	5.2	6.0	11.2	3.2	2.8
2018	Essendon	33	7	5	6	54	37	91	27	18	0.7	0.9	7.7	5.3	13.0	3.9	2.6
2019	Essendon	15	10	11	13	66	48	114	39	21	1.1	1.3	6.6	4.8	11.4	3.9	2.1
2020 [a]	Essendon	15	6	6	3	30	16	46	20	15	0.3	0.5	5.0	2.7	7.7	3.3	2.5
2021	Essendon	15	23	1	0	202	116	318	134	35	0.0	0.0	8.8	5.0	13.8	5.8	1.5
2022	Essendon	15	22	0	1	190	123	313	137	45	0.0	0.0	8.6	5.6	14.2	6.2	2.0
2023	Essendon	15	19	1	0	186	115	301	124	37	0.1	0.0	9.8	6.1	15.8	6.5	1.9
2024	Essendon	15	21	0	0	194	139	333	127	33	0.0	0.0	9.2	6.6	15.9	6.1	1.6
2025	Essendon	15	14	0	0	139	77	216	97	25	0.0	0.0	9.9	5.5	15.4	6.9	1.8
Career			145	38	38	1200	810	2010	796	303	0.3	0.3	8.3	5.6	13.9	5.5	2.1

Notes

1. 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.

References

1. "How to say the AFL's trickiest names". Australian Football League. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
2. Keating, Mitch (30 September 2025). "GWS confirm acquisition of former Essendon defender: AFL trade news". Zero Hanger. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
3. Clark, Jay (28 November 2014), "AFL Draft 2014: Jayden Laverde joins Essendon, wants to play like Nat Fyfe", Herald Sun
4. D’Anello, Luke (26 November 2014), "AFL first-round draft prospect and Western Jets star Jayden Laverde adds to his highlights reel", Brimbank Leader
5. Quayle, Emma (14 November 2014), "AFL draft: Keilor's fab 5 set for the big time", Herald Sun
6. D’Anello, Luke (23 July 2014), "Western Jets star Jayden Laverde a contender", Hobsons Bay Leader
7. Twomey, Liam (13 July 2015), "Keilor's Jayden Laverde rapt over AFL debut", Star Weekly
8. Twomey, Callum (26 June 2021), "How a seven-goal thumping proved the catalyst for Don's career-best form", AFL
9. "Laverde, Goldstein to depart Bombers". Essendon Football Club. 21 September 2025.
10. "Club Statement: Jayden Laverde". gwsgiants.com.au. 30 September 2025. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
11. "Jayden Laverde". AFL Tables. Retrieved 11 November 2020.

External links

• Jayden Laverde's profile on the official website of the Essendon Football Club
• Jayden Laverde's playing statistics from AFL Tables