The Shepparton product and second-year Port Adelaide key forward returned to the track for the Power last week, and one of his fellow marksmen is liking what he’s seeing from the 200cm 19-year-old.
Mitch Georgiades, Port Adelaide’s leading goalkicker in 2024-25, spoke to Adelaide media on Tuesday, with the Power’s forward makeup a sticking point among interviewers.
“Jack (Whitlock), on the back of last year was playing some really strong football, it's a good battle for him,” Georgiades said.
“Like I said before, the competition's healthy, and it'll make us better.
“(Whitlock) is very athletic, I think he's probably one of the faster boys in the two km time trial.
“And his willingness to learn every week and try to get better. He's trying to put some weight on.
“He's probably a slighter frame at the moment, but he knows he needs to get bigger, and that's what he's doing. So he's very talented, that’s for sure.”
Whitlock was taken at pick 33 of the 2024 AFL Draft, a night after twin brother Matt was snapped up by North Melbourne.
The Shepparton Bears and Murray Bushrangers export made his debut in round 21 in a loss to Geelong and held his spot for the following three games to close out the season, most notably kicking three goals in the penultimate match against Carlton.
In 2026, Whitlock will compete with fellow tall forwards Ollie Lord, Jack Lukosius and Georgiades, but the latter said the club must adopt a holistic approach to achieve success this season.
“There's no individual that's going to carry the forward line,” Georgiades said.
“I think this year, the emphasis is on everyone carrying their load and sharing it as much as possible, which is certainly going to put us in the best stead to perform as a team.”
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