Jai Serong pushing himself to be the best he can after joining Sydney in the off-season

Jai Serong want to follow the path of fellow Hawk-turned-Swan Josh Kennedy in making Hawthorn regret letting him go. He speaks about “the enemy”, playing on Charlie and his new home.

Swans defender Jai Serong is ready to fight to be the third key defender for his new club after seeking a trade from Hawthorn due to his “limited” backline opportunities.

The 22-year-old only played 10 AFL games for the Hawks after being selected with the 53rd pick of the 2021 draft. The brother of Fremantle superstar Caleb Serong, Jai was slowly establishing himself in the Hawthorn system as a strong performer in the VFL and was even trusted to play in their semi-final loss to Port Adelaide in 2024.

However, the arrival of Tom Barrass and Josh Battle saw his first-team chances dwindle even further. Serong didn’t make a single AFL appearance in 2025, despite impressive form in the VFL, where he was named the Box Hill Hawks player of the season for the second year in a row.

After meeting with several clubs ahead of the trade period, Serong eventually nominated the Swans as his preferred destination.

A fresh start at the Swans could be the chance Serong needs to get back into the AFL. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Serong will wear the number 13. Picture: Phil Hillyard.

“It was a really good ending (with Hawthorn),” Serong said.

“I let them know that I wanted more opportunity, and they respected that and were able to work out a trade.

“At the Hawks, there were some really good players in front of me. Battle, obviously an All-Australian, Barrass, Scrimshaw, Sicily, Weddle, so I felt like my opportunities were limited in the role I wanted to play, which is as a third tall key defender.

“I spoke to a few clubs, and Sydney felt like the best and right opportunity. They said to come in, work hard and earn your spot. They said no guarantees, there are no promises in AFL footy.

“I have a lot of love for the Hawks, but they’re the enemy now. So hopefully we get them, I think it’s in round two, and hopefully I’m playing that game and get the win.”

Serong will wear the No. 13 guernsey at the Swans, recently left vacant by the departing Ollie Florent. It was one of 10 new numbers announced by the Sydney on Wednesday, including star recruit Charlie Curnow donning the No. 35, his brother, Ed’s, number at Carlton.

Former Sun, Malcolm Rosas Jnr, will wear the No. 10, while exciting young forward Jesse Dattoli will move into the No. 9 previously worn by Will Hayward.

For Serong, the Sydney lifestyle has already won him over – “The weather’s certainly a lot more consistent than Melbourne,” he said – but he’s left no stone unturned in trying to prove to the Swans coaches he deserves a spot in the side from opening round.

And that mentality stems from important mental lessons he learned from his final year at Hawthorn.

Serong was left frustrated by his lack of senior opportunities, having to bide his time at VFL level. Picture: Michael Klein

“The biggest learning was dealing with frustration,” Serong said. “The back end of 2024, I was playing some good footy, but so was the AFL team, and not many injuries.

“Barrass and Battle made it a bit more difficult, and there were injuries this year, but opportunities didn’t go my way, and it was dealing with the frustration of selection.

“I did a lot of work with psychologists about handling that frustration and not taking it into games. At times earlier in the VFL, I had times when I wasn’t handling it well enough. So that’s been the biggest focus for me, focusing on the things I can control.”

Moving to the Swans from Hawthorn in the search for opportunities is a tried-and-true path. Josh Kennedy left the Hawks and ended his career as a Swans premiership legend.

Serong (R) has been eager to train on Curnow to improve his own skill and hopefully impress the Sydney coaches. Picture: Phil Hillyard

As Serong puts his best foot forward, including trying to play on Curnow as much as he can at training, he hopes he can have similar success in the red and white.

“It’d be great to have a career like (Josh) had, he’s a great player, so if I can replicate that, it’d be great,” Serong said.

“I think I’m quite versatile. I can play tall, small, I’m competitive 1 v 1, and aerially, I feel like I can become an interceptor and win the ball back from the opposition. That’s what I can be.

“I’ll be trying to match up against Charlie, and it’s a good challenge. You want to go up against the best. And he’s certainly one of the best in the group. It’s only going to help me and the other defenders get better as players.”

Originally published as Jai Serong pushing himself to be the best he can after joining Sydney in the off-season