On a night in which it ran up a cricket score, the GWS Giants' forward line received a significant shot in the arm following the news that Jake Riccardi had signed on to stay in Sydney's West.
Initially, Riccardi appeared set to enter the final round of the 2023 season without a deal to stay on in charcoal and orange, however, in special scenes following GWS' gigantic 126-point win over Essendon, the 23-year-old announced he had inked a three-year extension.
The Victorian will continue to call the club home until the cessation of 2026, joining the likes of Harry Himmelberg, Lachie Ash and Xavier O'Halloran in extending their stays.
Despite prior conjecture on whether the Werribee VFL product would return south of the Murray, Riccardi was content to claim that the Harbour City was now his home.
“The GIANTS are the club that gave me my opportunity in the AFL, and I'll always be grateful for that,” he said.
“I've really enjoyed my time at the club so far and truly made Sydney my home.
“Adam Kingsley and all the coaches have made this a great environment to play football in and I can't wait to see where this group can get to together.”
After showing plenty in spurts across the course of his first three seasons, Riccardi has well and truly hit his straps in 2023, slotting 27 goals from 17 starts heading into Round 23.
The forward and his teammates will continue pressing for a place in the September action when they do battle with Carlton at Marvel Stadium next Sunday.
