Former Collingwood defender Jack Madgen has joined the Lower Plenty Bears in the Northern Football Netball League for the 2026 season.
Along with playing AFL, Madgen pursued a basketball career, playing for Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi, and for the Cairns Taipans in the NBL
Madgen featured in 49 games for the Magpies across five seasons after being selected as a category B rookie in 2018, having decided to return to football.
He made his debut in Round 20 of 2018 against the Sydney Swans, replacing the injured Jeremy Howe in the Magpies' side.
Madgen was rewarded with a three-year contract, but was eventually delisted at the end of the 2022 season.
He then went on to captain the Adelaide Crows' SANFL side, playing 53 games from 2023 to 2025.
He recently returned to Melbourne after he was announced as Richmond's VFL coach for the 2026 season.
The Bears finished sixth on the ladder last season in the Division 2 of the NFNL, winning just seven games for the season, and will look to improve in 2026 with their new key signing.
