Introduction A hard-working medium-sized midfielder, Jack Redden has proven a tough AFL competitor who thrives on the contest. He has quickly risen through the AFL ranks to become one of the Lions' key midfielders who can win his own ball and apply pressure to the opposition. Background • Hailing from the small South Australian country town of Keith, Jack Redden boarded at Sacred Heart College for his final two years of school and balanced his academic commitments with playing U19 football for Glenelg. However, he broke his thumb early in the year which limited him to only a handful of matches with the U19 SANFL side. • His form upon his return justified his selection in the South Australia team for the U18 national championships. • He saved one of his best performances for last by almost singlehandedly leading Glenelg U19s to the premiership in his final year. In a blistering final quarter, Redden proved valuable with a number of key clearances in his team’s Grand Final victory. • Although he wasn’t invited to the National Draft Camp, Redden attended the South Australia state screening session where he showed great aerobic capacity with a 14+ beep test result. • Despite receiving great interest from rival clubs including Melbourne, Adelaide and Fremantle, Redden was eventually snapped up by the Lions with their second round selection (Pick No.25 overall) in the 2008 AFL National Draft. 2009 • An uninterrupted pre-season saw Redden selected for the Club's opening NAB Cup match against St Kilda at Gold Coast Stadium. He earned his first ever disposal in Lions colours after dispossessing his opponent with a diving smother - an act which delighted Senior Coach Michael Voss.  • In his second pre-season match against Essendon, Redden was thrust into the spotlight when he received a fifty metre penalty late in the final quarter that saw him line up for goal to win the match with only 18 seconds left on the clock. He ultimately missed the set shot but learned plenty from the experience. • He starred for the Lions Reserves in the local AFLQ competition. Playing mostly in the midfield, Redden proved a prolific ball-winner who had the poise and skills to find team-mates under pressure. • He eventually earned a senior call-up in Round 15 to take on eventual premiers Geelong. Unfazed by the occasion, the boy from Keith in SA kicked a critical goal to help his team to a famous victory. • He kept his spot in the senior side for the remainder of the season, playing 10 consecutive matches including two AFL Finals. He featured in midfield roles and also across half-forward where he showcased his ability around goals. • He collected a career-high 24 disposals against Port Adelaide in Round 21 and finished with six goals from his 10 senior matches. • He was considered desperately unlucky to miss out on an AFL Rising Star nomination for his consistent efforts in his debut season.
2010 • Redden was one of the few Lions to play all 22 regular season games in 2010 and in only his second year with the Club proved himself a valuable part of the midfield brigade. • While he was a consistent contributor throughout the season, Redden improved as the season went on, with seven one-pointers until round 12. He then kicked his four goals for the year in round 12, 13, 14 and 21. • Redden was rewarded for his stellar efforts on the field with a Rising Star nomination in round 15 for his outstanding performance in the Lions’ narrow loss to St Kilda, following in the footsteps of teammates Todd Banfield and Tom Rockliff who earned nominations earlier in the season. • He finished the year with four goals, 114 marks and an average of 17 disposals per game. He led the Lions in tackles (115) and was third for inside 50s (73). • Redden finished 5th in the Club Champion Award with 26.5 votes, edging out veteran defender Ash McGrath by one vote.
2011 • Redden continued his rapid rise through the AFL ranks in 2011 by establishing himself as one of the best young midfielders in the competition. • He was regularly among the Lions' best players each week, averaging a career-best 23.9 disposals and leading the Club in total tackles with 166. In fact, Redden ranked among the top five tacklers in the competition. • Together with his ability to find the ball and pressure opponents, Redden also proved a valuable contributor to the scoreboard with 14 goals for the season - including four game as a multiple goal-kicker. • On five occasions he collected a dozen or more tackles - including his Round 5 match against St Kilda when he laid 12 tackles, collected 27 disposals and kicked two goals to earn his first ever Brownlow Medal vote. • He twice collected a career-best 32 disposals - in Round 12 v Carlton and in Round 16 v Hawthorn - and also finished third at the Lions in total marks. • Redden also surpassed his first games milestone throughout the 2011 when he lined up for his 50th AFL game against Adelaide in Round 20 at the Gabba. He also kept alive his unbroken streak of 54 consecutive senior matches since making his debut in Round 15 of 2009. • His brilliant season culminated in him finishing third in the Merrett-Murray Medal vote count - his second consecutive top five finish - and being awarded the Shaun Hart Most Courageous Player trophy.
Jack Redden is emerging as a key midfielder for the Lions in future yearsSunday, June 19, 2011 - 12:28PM
James Polkinghornes speaks with Rising Star nominee Jack Redden.Thursday, August 12, 2010 - 7:01PM
Jack Redden becomes the third Brisbane Lion to win a NAB AFL Rising Star nomination in 2010Tuesday, July 13, 2010 - 9:06AM
Rockliff catches up with Redden.Thursday, May 20, 2010 - 4:30PM
Coach Michael Voss is not considering his side's earlier thrashing from Geelong or its raft of missing playersFriday, July 10, 2009 - 12:08PM
Brisbanes Jack Redden is the round 15 nominee for the 2010 NAB AFL Rising Star award after his outstanding perTuesday, July 13, 2010 - 10:51AM
Jack Redden speaks exclusively to BLTV.Tuesday, June 23, 2009 - 12:59PM
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