Collingwood recruit Jack Buller is ready to hit the ground running as he prepares for his first pre-season in black and white, eager to build on his 10 career games.

The 24-year-old has spent the last two and a half season at Sydney having been picked up as a mid-season recruit in 2023, and played the final nine games of this season after a strong year in the VFL.

The last of those games yielded three goals against the West Coast Eagles in Round 24, with Buller hoping to transition straight into the Pies’ forward line in 2026.  

“It happened pretty late to be honest, when the season wrapped up, I had no intentions of leaving Sydney, but Leppa’s been awesome and letting me know that if I work hard there’s definitely a career here for me,” Buller said.

“There were a few decisions that needed to be made but I’m absolutely stoked to here and walking through and meeting everyone, I know it’s the best decision I could’ve made.

"Hopefully I’ll continue to take the next step, I learnt a lot in the back half of last year and feel that I’ve got such a long way to go.

“I think there’s a lot of tools in place here that can help me evolve and become a better player and I know if I give a lot to the Club, hopefully I can take a little bit back myself and hopefully we achieve something special.

“Playing footy always has its ups and downs but the back half of last year (2025) was good, I got to play some games and get a bit of continuity and in my last few games really found some form and I’m just excited to get a few more tools in place here and become even better.”

Buller’s journey is one that is becoming increasingly more common in the modern game since the mid-year draft was re-introduced over half a decade ago, having moved between states to realise his AFL dream.

Eligible for the 2019 national draft, the now permanent key forward played in the National Championships in 2018 and 2019 as a defender for his home state of Western Australia, but was over-looked come November.

He would spend the next few seasons developing in front of the big sticks in the WAFL and breaking out in the first half of the 2023 season to earn his chance on an AFL list, moving to the other side of the country to do so for the Swans.

He now makes the move south to Victoria, but there are a few familiar names and faces in the KGM Centre that will make the adjustment that bit easier.

“There’s so many I’m excited to play with, Q (Isaac Quaynor) is awesome, Darcy Cameron we’ve had a bit of a similar career path at the moment so that’ll be exciting to play alongside him,” he said.

“I played state 18s with Bobby Hill, so I talked to him on the phone and he was saying how excited he was and I share the same feeling, hopefully we can do something really cool together.

“When I got traded, Ed (Allan) was really good and Hayesy (Will Hayes) in reaching out and we did a few runs together, so it was good to meet them and become close with them

“It’s good having some connections back home and they’ve been so awesome in helping me come home.”

And alongside the connections to home, there are also family connections to the Magpies that have made this trade all the more special.

Buller’s grandfather was Ray Jones – a 22-game Magpie between 1946-48 – who was known not only for his football exploits, but his time spent in the Navy during the second world war and his career as one of the country’s best modern architects following that as well.

While Jones unfortunately won’t get to watch his grandson don the black and white having passed away in 2022 aged 97, Buller said his family was extremely proud that the legacy would be continuing.

“It’s a bit of a full circle moment, he played 80 years ago now,” he said.

“For him to lay some roots down here and have a connection to the club and for me to pick up where he left off in a sense is cool.

“It was so long ago and would’ve looked a little bit different for him, but the family is so proud and it’s really exciting.”