FORMER basketballer Jacob Moss will join Port Adelaide’s AFL list as a category B rookie in 2025.

Moss has been granted approval from the AFL to train with the Power for the rest of the 2024 season and he can be selected to play for the SANFL side if required.

The 198-centimetre 19-year-old played some junior football at West Adelaide, but hasn’t donned a footy jumper since under 15s.

Prior to joining the Bloods, local boy Moss began his junior football journey through Colonel Light Gardens Football Club and continued through his early high school years at Immanuel College.

A former member of the Adelaide 36ers academy, Moss was initially noticed by AFL scouts during the Australian under 20s basketball championships in 2023.

Port Adelaide list manager Jason Cripps said Moss’ skills and athletic ability caught the eyes of recruiters.

“Jacob is athletic and particularly strong in the air, with an excellent running vertical jump,” Cripps said.

“He has a good sporting base across basketball and junior football and we expect him to develop well in a professional AFL environment.

“Jacob is a smart, mature young guy who is already fitting in really well with his teammates. He has taken this opportunity with both hands and we look forward to officially having him as part of our list in 2025.”

Coming from NBL1 club Sturt Sabres, Moss gave up his dream of playing college basketball in the US, to stay in Australia and pursue a possible AFL career.

“The last week training with the team has just been so surreal,” he said.

“Leaving basketball and spending the last year training and trying to get here, finally being at the club and being welcomed so much by the players and staff, it’s been amazing. I couldn’t ask for anything more.

“As a basketballer, I was always known as the kid who used to play footy. You could always tell that footy was where I was meant to be.”

Moss has not been registered in an Australian football competition for at least three years, making him eligible for category B rookie status.