Tiger Townsend could become a Giant ... againBy Anthony Colangelo
The Age
2 November 2018 Jacob Townsend's former club the Greater Western Sydney Giants are considering re-recruiting the 2017 Richmond premiership player.
The Age understands Townsend underwent a medical at the Giants on Wednesday, with the forward also being courted by Greater Western Sydney's cross-town rivals the Sydney Swans.
While the Swans move is still a possibility, there has been a push from within the Giants playing group for the club to bring the medium-sized forward back to the expansion club.
Townsend was delisted by the Tigers but they have committed to giving him a spot on the rookie list should he fail to find a new home.
The 25-year-old can be signed by any club as a delisted free agent. The Swans are also considering signing unwanted Geelong forward Daniel Menzel.
While he may not be a midfielder, the Giants lost a lot of experience in the trade period (Ryan Griffen, Rory Lobb, Tom Scully and Dylan Shiel) and Townsend's return would add to their mature-aged and mature-bodied playing stocks.
Townsend is from Leeton-Whitton in New South Wales and was traded to the Tigers after the 2015 AFL season. He was taken as a zone draft selection by the Giants in 2010 and is still on very good terms with the club and players.
He was initially viewed as a midfielder but his worth as a mid-sized forward became apparent late in the 2017 season when he became an integral part of Richmond's premiership.
Kicking 16 goals in five games in that season he played his first game in the side in round 22. A six-goal performance against Fremantle in round 22 was followed by five against St Kilda in round 23.
His two-goal grand final effort capped off a remarkable cameo for the season.
He played 10 games in 2018, kicking 12 goals, but did not play a final after being dropped for round 20. In the VFL he fractured his ankle late in the season.
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