Jai Culley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Jai Culley | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Culley with Melbourne in March 2026 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Born | 24 February 2003 | ||
| Original team | Langwarrin JFC/Dandenong Stingrays | ||
| Draft | No. 1, 2022 mid-season rookie draft | ||
| Debut | 17 July 2022, West Coast vs. Hawthorn, at MCG | ||
| Height | 194 cm (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder/Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Melbourne | ||
| Number | 13 | ||
| Playing career1 | |||
| Years | Club | Games (Goals) | |
| 2022–2024 | West Coast | 12 (7) | |
| 2025– | Melbourne | 11 (4) | |
| Total | 23 (11) | ||
|
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 7, 2026. | |||
| Career highlights | |||
| |||
| Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com | |||
Jai Culley (born 24 February 2003) is a professional Australian rules footballer who plays for Melbourne in the Australian Football League (AFL). Culley previously played for the West Coast Eagles.
West Coast
Culley was selected with pick 1 of the 2022 mid-season rookie draft.[1] He made his debut against Hawthorn in round 18 of the 2022 AFL season.[2] Culley played 4 games in his debut season.
In round 6 of the 2023 AFL season Culley kicked 4 goals and had 10 disposals, earning him a nomination for the 2023 AFL Rising Star Award.[3] Two weeks later in round 8 against the Richmond Tigers, Culley ruptured his ACL and would not play for the remainder of the season.[4]
At the conclusion of the 2024 season Culley was delisted by the Eagles.[5]
Melbourne
Culley signed with the Casey Demons following his delisting in an attempt to return to an AFL list.[6] On 24 February 2025, Culley was signed by the Melbourne Football Club in the Supplemental Selection Period (SSP) for the 2025 AFL season, which had closed three days prior but was re-opened to allow Melbourne to find a replacement for Andy Moniz-Wakefield, who had suffered an ACL injury in a practice match over the weekend.[7] He made his debut for Melbourne in round 21 of the 2025 AFL season.[8] At the end of the season, Culley signed a one-year contract extension to the end of 2026.[9]
In April 2026, having played every game for the Demons up to that point in the season, Culley signed a two-year contract extension to the end of 2028.[10] In round 7 of the 2026 AFL season, Culley ruptured his ACL, ruling him out for the rest of the season.[11]