(November 28, 2025) When Australia’s Collingwood Football Club announced, “We’ve got another Next Generation Academy graduate! We’ve welcomed Oakleigh Chargers small forward Jai Saxena, who will become the second AFL player with two Indian-heritage parents,” it marked an important moment for the 18-year-old Jai Saxena, and the culmination of a childhood spent chasing a ball across oversized oval fields.
The Oakleigh Chargers is an Australian rules football club that plays in the Talent League, the top statewide under-18 competition in Australia’s Victoria. Moving further ahead in his sporting journey, Jai has been drafted through the AFL Rookie Draft. It’s a process in which professional clubs select young players from development leagues and give them a contract, training access, and a pathway into senior-level competition. It is the moment when a promising player officially becomes part of an AFL club’s list, eligible to work toward a debut in the top league. For Jai, this means that when the 2026 season begins in March, he will be on Collingwood’s books as a rising forward, learning from elite coaches and preparing to play in one of the world’s most physically demanding football codes.
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Growing up Indian at home and Australian on the field
Jai’s story begins in suburban Melbourne, where he was raised in a home grounded in Indian traditions with regular prayers, temple visits, and dinners that reliably featured dal and rice. Bollywood songs and devotional music drifted through the car depending on who chose the playlist. Despite this, his sporting world was firmly anchored in Australia.
“I started playing when I was five,” Jai recalls. Coaches saw talent early, and he moved into junior clubs, then the Oakleigh Chargers, one of Australia’s strongest youth pathways. Eventually he was brought into Collingwood’s Next Generation Academy, a program designed to support players from multicultural backgrounds. It was here that his football education accelerated.
A big milestone
To understand the scale of Jai’s achievement, it helps to know what he is stepping into. Australian rules football, commonly called “footy,” is an athletic, fast-moving 18-a-side game played on huge oval grounds. It is a sport deeply woven into Australian identity, with crowds of thousands regularly gathering to watch matches in Melbourne’s stadiums.
Within this world, Jai’s position as a “small forward” is crucial as he is the kind of player expected to find space, read the play before others do, and kick important goals. It is a role that demands sharp instincts and quick decision-making as much as physical ability.
A Hawthorn household and an early sporting imprint
Although drafted by Collingwood, Jai grew up idolising Hawthorn, a different club, and one of the AFL’s most successful teams. “I have always been a Hawthorn fan, mainly because the whole family goes to Hawthorn so I never had a choice,” he said, smiling talking about how his uncle (mother’s brother) was particularly a big Hawthorn fan, as he remembered those childhood matches. Even on family visits to India, he carried a football with him and kicked it around in local parks.
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From Talent League standout to Collingwood recruit
Jai’s selection on 21 November followed an impressive year in the Coates Talent League, Australia’s top under-18 competition. His season began with a burst of goals that restored the confidence he had lost during a difficult 2024. His performances grew stronger as the year progressed, earning him selection for Vic Metro, one of the teams in the national under-18 championships. For a young forward, the recognition placed him among the best emerging players in the country.
His ability to read the game, especially against opponents taller and heavier than him became a defining strength. Coaches often praised how he positioned himself, anticipated the flight of the ball, and made smart decisions under pressure.
When Collingwood’s rookie draft arrived, his name was already in conversations. The club sealed their faith by assigning him jersey number 43, linking him to players who had risen from the same starting slot and gone on to long careers.
Role models, guidance, and the people behind his rise
When asked about the influences who shaped him, Jai did not hesitate. “All my coaches,” he said. “Dad obviously does everything that I ever ask for.” His father, who grew up in Delhi watching cricket rather than footy, nonetheless embraced a sport entirely new to him so he could support his son.
Jai also mentioned a current AFL player he admires: “If you ask for [a] footy player, maybe Zac Bailey… I would one day like to be something like he is today.” Bailey is known in the AFL for his clean skills, sharp instincts, and ability to perform in big moments. These are the traits Jai hopes to emulate as he steps into the professional game.
An historic path, and a grounded teenager
While his selection has stirred excitement among Indian-Australian families and Indian sports fans discovering a new code, Jai remains focused on his own development. His milestone is significant. If he plays at AFL level, he will become the first male player of full Indian heritage to do so. For now, he is balancing training with schoolwork. After a long conversation about the draft, he casually mentioned a maths exam waiting for him the next morning. His parents encourage him to approach football with ambition and academics with equal seriousness, creating the steady foundation that has carried him through highs and lows.
What the future holds
As the 2026 AFL season approaches, Jai enters Collingwood’s system with an opportunity that few players his age experience. The rookie draft secures a place within the club, a full year of development, and the opportunity of stepping onto the field in front of tens of thousands of spectators.
For Collingwood, he represents the success of their multicultural pathways. For the Indian diaspora, he is a young man broadening the horizon of where sporting dreams can lead. And for Jai himself, the journey from a boy who began kicking a ball at age five to now preparing for the next, most demanding chapter of his sporting life, is a significant leap in his sporting journey.
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