Purchase order confirmed: Tigers lock in Jack for another year

Image credit: Ian Knight Photography

The Melbourne Tigers have started their off-season with a bang, locking in former NBL forward Jack Purchase for a fifth straight NBL1 South campaign in 2027.

The 31-year-old is coming off a 2026 season in which he set a career high in assists, averaging 17.8 points, 6 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting 37 per cent from beyond the arc.

Purchase returns to a side that flourished under Andrew Gaze, forming a potent one-two punch with Tom Wilson and well supported by George Blagojevic. All three earned All-Star Five selections in 2026.

“I think what excites me the most about 2027 is the team we’re putting together. We’ve got a lot of the boys from last year returning, and I also feel like we’ve done a great job recruiting," Purchase said.

"I feel like we can make a good run at a championship, but it’s a tough league, so it’ll be about taking it week by week for us.”

The trio was integral to the Tigers finishing the regular season on top at 17-5, an impressive feat in a division with a strong top six.

For Purchase, this recent success was a primary motivator in returning to the club, but he acknowledged that the job is far from finished.

"The Tigers is home for me, so it was an easy decision to return. We’ve built something pretty special over the last few years, and right now I don’t want to play anywhere else," Purchase said.

“There’s so much motivation heading into next season for us boys. We had a great regular season last year, but at the end of the day, it meant nothing because we fell short.

"I think the South is the toughest league in the country, and it gets stronger every year, so all of us boys are ready for the challenge and itching for the season to start."

The son of former NBL player Nigel Purchase, Jack was named NBL1 South Co-MVP in 2023, earned back-to-back All-Star Five Second Team selections in 2025 and 2026, and has a 55-point performance to his name.

He has also played 50 NBL games, with stints at four clubs in four different states, most recently with the Brisbane Bullets in NBL26.

Purchase will be chasing championship glory in 2027, after the Tigers fell short in the preliminary final against eventual NBL1 South champions Frankston.

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