After seven seasons at Tigerland, Jack Ross is set to notch his 100th AFL game in the Anzac Day Eve clash against Melbourne on Friday night.
He will reach the milestone in front of the Tiger Army, at Richmond's home ground, the MCG.
At just 25 years old, Ross has emerged as a key figure at Richmond, evolving from a trusted teammate to a respected leader, highlighted by his elevation into the Club’s leadership group at the start of the season.
However, Ross has had to navigate the challenges that come with being an AFL footballer, in order to reach100 games.
Selected with pick 43 of the 2018 AFL National Draft, the in-and-under midfielder quickly earned his debut in Round 4 of the 2019 season, making an immediate impact at the elite level, amassing 25 disposals, four marks and five tackles in a dominant win over Port Adelaide.
He continued his hot start to his career with a 28-disposal game in an epic Anzac Day Eve win over Melbourne and kicked his first goal against the Western Bulldogs the following week in Round 7.
Unfortunately, his debut season was derailed by a syndesmosis strain in his foot, which kept him out of the side for a period of time.
After successfully completing rehab and getting back in strong form, Ross was held out of the VFL Grand Final side, with the prospect of coming into the AFL’s Grand Final winning team, but was overlooked, missing out on premiership glory in both leagues.
“I don’t like missing out on training, let alone games, let alone Grand Finals,” Ross told Richmond Media's ALL IN documentary earlier this year.
“That was really tricky. When I was rested for the VFL Grand Final, I thought I might have been a bit of a sniff to play in the AFL one, but that didn’t eventuate.
“It was really tricky to try and navigate as a 18-19 year old, but at the same time, sitting back at the end of the year and reflecting on it with my parents and a few of my mates, it kinda felt like the game doesn’t owe me anything. I was 19 years old and had just come in, I can’t be flat at that at all, and we won, so I couldn't be mad at all.”
He finished his debut year having played seven AFL matches.
Ross showed incredible resilience and a willingness to improve his craft early on in his career, resulting in him taking over Brandon Ellis’ number five guernsey during the 2020 off-season.
In a season riddled with interruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ross continued to find his feet at the elite level.
In just his second year, Ross gradually transitioned to a midfield role, earning minutes at the centre bounce and on the wing.
He managed to string together another seven AFL games, where he had a season-best performance in Round 9, collecting 17 disposals in the team’s dominant win over the Bulldogs.
The youngster missed out on his second premiership as he was left out of the side for Richmond’s thrilling 31-point Grand Final win over Geelong.
Biding his time, Ross quickly approached his 50th AFL game in Round 20 of 2022 against the Brisbane Lions. The young midfielder collected 13 disposals, two clearances, and 267 meters gained, a strong contributor in the seven-point win.
Ross played in all of Richmond’s 23 games in 2025, the most in a single season of his entire career. He took his performances to a whole new level last season, highlighted in the team’s epic Round 1 win over Carlton, where Ross took over the game with his 28 disposals, two goals and four tackles.
He credits his form to the ability to switch off outside of footy and find the right balance.
“I think the reason I played a lot of footy (last year) was because I did switch off and I didn’t burn myself out, and that balance is a massive part of performing as well,” Ross said.
“I like to do everything I can to get better, but also learning when to switch off and just take it chill, let the body reset and do things outside of football.”
Having experienced the highs and lows of AFL football, Ross has stepped into Richmond’s leadership group, acting as a role model for his younger teammates, trying to excel at the elite level.
“I really enjoyed being in that leadership group, with a few of those other guys around that 24-25 year-old-mark,” Ross said.
“We can be the bridge that connects the young and the older guys.
“There isn’t really anything that I have changed all that much, it has kind of happened naturally, trying to fast-track those guys as much as possible, and we have brought in so much top-end young talent now.”
