GREATER Western Sydney has confirmed the signing of delisted Essendon defender Jayden Laverde as a rookie on the opening day of the pre-season supplemental selection period (SSP).
The 29-year-old, taken with pick No.20 pick in the 2014 draft, played 145 games for Essendon including 14 games in 2025.
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Laverde's signing comes on the opening day of the pre-season supplementary selection period (SSP), which runs until February 20.
The SSP window allows clubs to add extra players to their list following the national and rookie drafts last week.
Laverde joined his new teammates at Giants training on Monday, with midfielder Clayton Oliver also taking part in the session after his highly-publicised move from Melbourne last month.
Defender Leek Aleer, who had sought a trade to St Kilda, has also returned to the Giants.
Known for his competitiveness and ability to lock down dangerous forwards, Laverde will add depth and experience to an already formidable Giants backline that includes the likes of Sam Taylor, Jack Buckley Connor Idun and Aleer.
"Jayden is a proven defender with real physicality and resilience, and we believe he will slot in seamlessly into the way we want to play," Giants footy boss Jason McCartney said.
"He's taken on some of the toughest match-ups in the competition throughout his career, and he consistently competes to the final siren. That's exactly the type of attitude and standard we want in our program."
