Ex-Adelaide ruckman Sam Jacobs will join GWS players in hunt for grand final redemption
Former Crow Sam Jacobs departed Adelaide yesterday to start the next phase of his AFL career at GWS. However, he already has one thing in common with many of his new teammates that is driving him to succeed.
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Former Adelaide ruckman Sam Jacobs has only just arrived at his new club, but he already shares a common yet unwanted bond with many of his GWS teammates – that is, they’ve both endured grand final losses to Richmond.
The 31-year-old big man – who was traded from the Crows to the Giants for a future fourth round pick at the end of the 2019 season – flew out from Adelaide yesterday to begin his new Western Sydney venture.
Jacobs was part of the Crows’ shock 2017 grand final loss to the Tigers, while GWS was blown off the park by Damien Hardwick’s men in this year’s decider - the first in which the AFL’s youngest club has featured in.
Speaking to Triple M’s The Rush Hour before his departure, the former Adelaide fan favourite said he was looking forward to rucking to a Giants midfield full of elite talent, and help them try and go one better in 2020.
“I’m absolutely pumped, it’s going to be really good,” Jacobs said.
“I feel like I’ve been a part of the club for a long time, but thankfully it’s finally here and I can get to work.
Welcome to the GIANTS family, Sam Jacobs! 🧡 #NeverSurrender
— GWS GIANTS (@GWSGIANTS) October 15, 2019
“I’ve only met a couple of the boys… by the time the trade went through everyone was – because they obviously played in the grand final – a lot of them had taken off overseas.
“A few have contacted me and been in touch, which has been really nice.
“Over my time at the Crows we didn’t even come close to having a top 10 draft pick, but you’re sort of the odd one out if you’re not a top 10 draft pick up there.
“So, I’m really looking forward to playing with this high-end talent and I think they would have learned a lot last year; hopefully we can all take from our experiences from losing grand finals and make a better effort than we did (next season).”
Despite playing 184 games for the Crows – after he moved to Adelaide from Carlton, where he featured in 17 matches – Jacobs only made five AFL appearances in 2019 after losing the number one ruck mantle to emerging young gun Reilly O’Brien.
It’s likely he’ll vie for game time with incumbent ruckman Shane Mumford, who led the Giants’ charge throughout their finals campaign.