Jayden Short Set for 200th AFL Game Against Essendon

jayden short is set to reach his 200th AFL game on Friday night against Essendon, and Kamdyn McIntosh says the Richmond defender has grown into one of the club’s most important voices. McIntosh said Short’s energy, care and leadership have made him a central figure inside the Swinburne Centre.

McIntosh on Shorty

“It was obviously a privilege to play alongside Shorty,” McIntosh said in reflection on the milestone. “He is a very close mate of mine now, and he's just been such a good player for the footy Club, since he walked into the Club.”

McIntosh said he still remembers Short’s first day at Richmond. “I'm a couple of years older than him, so I remember the first day he ever came to the Club, and he was just like an energiser bunny. All the boys just fed off his energy, and they loved it.” He added: “Then to go out there on game day, he just brings the same energy on the field.”

Richmond's long-serving leader

Short was drafted by Richmond in the 2015 rookie draft and is now in his 13th season at the Swinburne Centre. The 30-year-old has moved from energetic newcomer to prominent leader, a shift McIntosh linked to the club’s emphasis on development and character.

“Early days in his career, he was energetic, and he was working hard, and he learned off players like Trent Cotchin and Jack Riewoldt, and now he's one of those boys in the side,” McIntosh said. “I think that's the great thing about the Richmond Football Club, is that it's not about the person you are today, when we first drafted Shorty, but it's the person he's become, and we're very big on that at Richmond.”

Sammy Lalor and Taj Hotton

McIntosh also pointed to the way Short now handles the quieter parts of club life. “There's definitely been times in my career as well, when things aren't going so good, and he was always there, had my back, and he'd check in with me,” he said. “You want those sort of people around your Club, so it was pretty amazing to have him on my side during my career.”

He said Short is now doing the same for younger players. “I feel like it just fits him perfectly, because he's such a humble and caring guy, and he's a big family man, and he is there for these young boys,” McIntosh said. “He's there for your Sammy's [Lalor] and your Taj's [Hotton], and he's taken on that leadership, father figure role.” McIntosh, who played his 200th game last year with Richmond, framed Short’s milestone as the next marker in a career that has already shifted from promise to responsibility.