Jed Richardson ditches the Sherrin for the love of basketball

Tasmania JackJumpers final Development Player Jed Richardson was on a pathway to the AFL, before he put down the Sherrin for good to pursue his love of basketball.  

The 22-year-old from Brisbane comes in at 6’10” but his footy foundations have instilled a raw athleticism that is sure to take some opponents by surprise.  

JackJumpers coaching and conditioning staff have already been impressed by his agility and endurance, not to mention his jumping ability.  

“He’s a hell of a kid,” Coach Scott Roth said. “Already he’s very athletic, and his ability to get up and down the floor will be a huge asset for us. 

“He’s still quite raw and has such huge potential for development, and this is the best environment for that and when you add the fact that he’s passionate about learning, he’ll continue to grow.” 

Richardson grew up with a dream to play AFL alongside his younger brother Billy, with the pair playing club footy as youngsters.  

When COVID hit, Richardson found solace in shooting hoops in the front yard rather than joining his Year 11 classes on Zoom, but it wasn’t until 2024 that he made the call to pick one sport.  

“St Kilda flew me down to Melbourne for a couple of sessions, and they flew up to Brisbane to do a couple of sessions with me,” he said.  

“But, it just wasn’t for me. I just fell in love with basketball more and more. It’s much more fun, and the satisfaction of the ball going through the hoop, or getting a dunk, you just can’t beat it.” 

Richardson’s brother Billy plays for the Saints in the VFL. Richardson admits it’s “probably a good thing we’re not in the same code, now we can support each other and there’s no sibling rivalry.”  

Richardson’s reaction to getting the DP position with the JackJumpers was also one for the record books, with Roth saying it was unlike anything he or the other coaches had experienced before.  

“He made all of us jump backwards,” Roth laughed. “We were on a Zoom call, and we told him the good news, and he was very excited.  

“We’ve never had that kind of reaction from anyone, it made us very emotional, and clearly he was a mix of excited and relieved to have found his pathway.” 

The JackJumpers first game of Hungry Jack’s NBL27 is on Monday September 21 at MyState bank Arena, with their first home game at the Silverdome on Friday October 30.