Jason Horne-Francis
Personal information
Full name Jason Horne-Francis
Date of birth (2003-06-21) 21 June 2003 (age 20)
Place of birth South Australia
Original team(s) South Adelaide (SANFL) / Christies Beach (SFL)
Draft No. 1, 2021 AFL draft
Debut Round 1, 2022, North Melbourne vs. Hawthorn, at MCG
Height 185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 98.7 kg (218 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current club Port Adelaide
Number 18
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2022 North Melbourne 17 (4)
2023– Port Adelaide 20 (14)
Total 37 (18)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 22, 2023.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Jason Horne-Francis (né Horne; born 21 June 2003) is a professional Australian rules footballer currently playing for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the Australian Football League, having been initially selected by the North Melbourne Football Club as the number one pick in the 2021 AFL draft. As a junior, Horne-Francis played senior-level football for the South Adelaide Football Club in the South Australian National Football League and the Christies Beach Football Club in the Southern Football League.[1][2]

Football career

Horne-Francis was known as a rising star since junior football. Growing up, he supported the Fremantle Dockers.[3] He was named the Most Valuable Player for South Australia when he captained the under-16 state team. He was also captain of the South Australian under-19 team,[4] during which he was named in the competition's All-Australian team. He commenced playing senior-level SANFL at the age of 17, and was named best on ground in the 2021 preliminary final.[5]

In late 2021, Horne-Francis was the first South Australian since Bryce Gibbs (2006) to be chosen as the first pick in the national draft[6] and just the third Indigenous player to be drafted with the first selection after Des Headland (1998) and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (2020).[7][8] Upon joining the Kangaroos, Horne-Francis had the choice of numbers 6 and 18 for his jumper, and chose 6 because the number 18 was closely associated with club legend Wayne Carey, and Horne-Francis wanted to carve his own path.[6][9]

Horne-Francis played his first game in the AFL in the opening round of the 2022 season, having 13 disposals and kicking one goal on North Melbourne's narrow defeat to Hawthorn.[10] He was part of his first victory the following week in North's 15 point victory against West Coast.[11] In June of his first season, he was suspended by the league for two weeks for striking an opponent.[12]

In October 2022, Horne-Francis requested a trade to Port Adelaide, the second number one draft pick after Tom Boyd to request a trade after one season.[13] He was traded to Port Adelaide on 10 October,[14] signing a six-year deal keeping him at Port Adelaide until 2028.[15]

Personal life

Horne-Francis is Indigenous from the Wardaman people from the southwest Kimberley (Western Australia) regions.[16] He dropped out of school in year 11 to work at the Fleurieu Milk Company,[4] his father's milk bottle factory.[17] He credits this experience, as well as his stepfather's influence, with maturing him as a person.[18] Born Jason Horne, in 2021 he added the Francis name after his stepfather, former AFL player Fabian Francis.[19][20][4] Horne-Francis' mother is Trish Francis, formerly Gully.

References

  1. ^ "Jason Horne-Francis". SANFL.
  2. ^ Thomas-Wilson, Simeon; Turner, Matt (22 November 2021). "Hype's right: Moment SA young gun won over Modra". The Advertiser. News Corp. Retrieved 27 March 2022. Along with eye-catching football talent and the Fleurieu Milk link, Modra and Horne-Francis have something else in common — both are products of Christies Beach Saints. One of Horne-Francis's last games for the Southern Football League club, where Nigel Smart, Dean Brogan and Nikki Gore were also juniors, was an under-15 grand final in 2018.
  3. ^ The West Australian (30 September 2021). "South Australian potential number one draft pick Jason Horne-Francis reveals he's a Fremantle supporter". The West Australian. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Milbank, Zac (18 August 2021). "Horne-Francis Named Torrens University SA U19 Captain". SANFL. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  5. ^ "Jason Horne-Francis". Aussie Rules Rookie Me Central. 10 November 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  6. ^ a b Bruce, Jasper (25 November 2021). "No.1 draft pick admission couldn't be sweeter". news. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  7. ^ Gleeson, Michael (9 December 2020). "Top Dog: Jamarra Ugle-Hagan taken first in the draft". The Age. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  8. ^ "AFL Players' Indigenous Map 2022" (PDF). AFL Players Association. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  9. ^ Jason Horne Francis the morning after the draft (NAB AFL Draft, 2021) (video), North Melbourne Football Club, November 24, 2021. Accessed December 1, 2021.
  10. ^ "New-look Hawks wind back the clock to start Mitchell era in style". Afl.com.au. 20 March 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  11. ^ "Six-goal Larkey stars as Roos get job done against makeshift Eagles".
  12. ^ "Video: Horne-Francis suspended for striking". The Age. 13 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  13. ^ "Power switch: Young Roos star eyes trade to Port Adelaide". afl.com.au.
  14. ^ @AFL_House (10 October 2022). "Trade paperwork lodged" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  15. ^ Founten, Loukas (10 October 2022). "Horne-Francis and Rioli land at Alberton in complex trade". Port Adelaide FC. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  16. ^ [1]
  17. ^ Roos introduce new recruits (November 29, 2021) (video), North Melbourne Football Club, November 29, 2021. Accessed December 1, 2021.
  18. ^ Smith, Matthew (16 October 2021). "Jason Horne-Francis is the AFL's hottest draft prospect - and he's ready to become a Kangaroo - ABC News". ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  19. ^ Twomey, Callum, A draft note, AFL.com.au, August 10, 2021.
  20. ^ Interview with 7 News Adelaide, November 24, 2021.
Categories