Berry was born and raised in
Horsham, Victoria along with his younger brother,
Tom Berry, who was previously Jarrod's teammate at the Brisbane Lions. Jarrod was a standout junior, playing local football with the
Horsham Saints and with the
North Ballarat Rebels in the then,
TAC cup. He was a standout bottom age player in the TAC cup, winning All-Australian and team of the year honours in 2015. He was highly touted as a possible number 1 draft pick for the 2016 season, although injuries and inconsistent form hampered his top age year. He captained Vic Country at the
AFL Under 18 Championships in 2016, and he further improved his draft stock at the draft combine, winning both the 3 km time trial and the beep test, showing his competitiveness and endurance. He was eventually selected at pick 17 in the 2016 AFL draft alongside his best mate,
Hugh McCluggage. ==AFL career==