Jacob Townsend

Junior football

Townsend was born to mother, Denise and father, Peter in Leeton, a small town outside Wagga Wagga in the Riverina region of country New South Wales. He played junior football in the area, with the local Leeton-Whitton Football Club in the Riverina Football League. He first took up the sport at age 13, after playing junior rugby union for a number of years with the Leeton Phantoms.

Townsend represented his state under the banner of NSW/ACT Rams at national carnivals at under 16 level.

In 2010 he played with the GWS side competing in the TAC Cup for under 18 players in Victoria. Townsend was runner-up in the club's best and fairest count that season.

He was also a strong performer when he represented the NSW/ACT Rams at the 2010 AFL Under 18 Championships.

Ahead of the 2011 underage season, Townsend was selected to join the AFL/AIS Academy program. As part of the program he would train with an AFL club over the summer and travel with the Academy group on an overseas trip to Europe. He was the only NSW player to earn selection that year.

He moved to Sydney in October 2010 and completed his schooling there through the end of 2011.

GWS Giants

Townsend was recruited to the GWS Giants through zoning concessions and signed his first contract while still in high school in 2010, opting out of a potential nomination in for the AFL draft in the process.

He would go on to train and play for the club in matches prior to its introduction to the AFL in 2012.

Townsend made his AFL debut in round 1, 2012 in the Giants' inaugural match against Sydney at ANZ Stadium. He kicked his first career goal two weeks later, in round 3 against West Coast. He would play in eight of the club's first ten matches, missing only in round 6 and 8. In round 11 he went again un-selected at AFL level, and was restrained to NEAFL level until round 17. It was then that he played in the first of his final three matches of the season. Injuries were a heavy impediment to game time that season, with Townsend playing only two matches at reserves level in addition to his 11 at AFL level. He record a total of 88 disposals and 37 tackles in senior matches that year. He was awarded the Coaches award at the club's inaugural award presentation. At the end of the 2012 season Towsend signed another three year contract with the Giants, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2015 season.

Townsend played his first match of the 2013 AFL season in round 4, but was immediately omitted from the side the following week. He returned in round 6 for a further two weeks before being dropped for a second time. Townsend played in a further five matches that season including in round 14 where Townsend was involved in an incident with Lindsay Thomas that saw the North Melbourne player suspended for headbutting. His year was prematurely ended in early August when he underwent hip surgery. He had played eight matches at AFL level in 2013.

2014's first game for Townsend came in round 2, where he kicked a goal and recorded 10 disposals against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium. He remained in the senior side for the next two round before being dropped following a five touch match in round 4. Townsend returned to senior football in round 10 and played in the next four consecutive matches. Another five disposal match would see him miss the next three matches though before he played his last match of the season in round 17. Despite playing in just eight matches he placed tenth at the club for total tackles that season.

Townsend fell even further out of favour with Giants selectors in 2015, with a combination of form and a foot injury keeping him relegated to reserves football in the NEAFL for almost the entire season. He played just one match, in the final round of the year against Melbourne at Etihad Stadium. He recorded a career high 22 disposals in the match, along with six tackles and four clearances.

Richmond

In the AFL trade period in October 2015, Townsend was traded to Richmond in exchange for a fourth round draft selection.

He faced a limited training program during his first pre-season as a result of a minor ankle injury. By late March Townsend had impressed Richmond selectors, who handed him a club debut in round 1 of the 2016 season. He played again the following week before being dropped from the club's round 3 side. Townsend returned to senior football in round 5, but only for one match. He played just once more that season, in round 14 when he recorded nine disposals against Brisbane. At season's end he had played a total of four senior matches.

Townsend spent the vast majority of the 2017 season playing reserves grade football with Richmond's VFL side. He played his first senior match of the season in round 22, when he replaced the injured Josh Caddy in a forward role. In what was ultimately an 104-point Tiger victory, Townsend contributed a match-high six goals. Not only was it a career best haul, it eclipsed his total four goals kicked across his other 32 career AFL matches. It was at this time that Fox Footy commentator Dermott Brereton labelled Townsend possibly the toughest player in the league. The following week, in the final round of the home and away season, Townsend turned in another outstanding performance when he kicked five goals in Richmond's victory over St Kilda.

Prior to his senior call-up he had played 15 matches for the club's VFL side. For his performances in these matches he was later awarded the J. J. Liston Trophy as the VFL's best & fairest player.

Statistics

Personal life

Townsend has two older sisters, Emily and Sarah.

He has dealt with a stutter since childhood.