Jason Horne-Francis

Horne-Francis was born in South Australia and raised in Adelaide. 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,^[2] 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.^[3]

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.^[4][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]

Growing up, Horne-Francis supported the Fremantle Dockers.^[16] He dropped out of school in year 11 to work at the Fleurieu Milk Company;^[2] he credits this experience, as well as his stepfather's influence, with maturing him as a person.^[17] Born Jason Horne, in 2021 he added the Francis name after his stepfather, former AFL player Fabian Francis.^[18][19][2]

As an adult Horne-Francis learned that he had partial indigenous heritage through his biological father, whom he has no contact with.^[20] This connects him to the Wardaman people in the Northern Territory.

Statistics correct to the end of the 2024 season