Sport has always been a bridge between cultures — and in Australia, few games carry the cultural weight of Australian Rules Football. For 18-year-old Jai Saxena, born to Indian parents and raised in Melbourne’s east, that bridge has become a pathway. As he approaches his AFL draft year in 2026, he is on the cusp of turning a childhood dream into a professional reality.
If he makes it, Jai would become only the second Indian-origin player at the elite level, after Balraj Singh, who was drafted by the Adelaide Crows in 1999. For Jai, this is both a personal ambition and a chance to break new ground for his community.
Early beginnings
“I grew up with the game – I fell in love with it early,” Jai recalls. “My parents were surprised at first, but they backed me every step of the way.”
His father Gaurav still remembers that first spark: a four-year-old with a footy in hand who, as he puts it, “just loved it from the start.”
Jai began with the Beverly Hills Football Club, where he won five junior premierships, and later added another at North Ringwood. At 16, his skills earned him a place in the Victoria All Nations squad, a recognition of his rising profile. Today, he plays for the Oakleigh Chargers in the Coates Talent League, with his proudest moment so far being selection for the Vic Metro team.
Family, heritage, and fandom
Jai is a diehard Hawthorn fan, a legacy that began when his uncle bought him a Hawks membership the day he was born. “I first got into football watching my favourite team, Hawthorn, on TV. The whole family goes for Hawthorn, so it was natural. From my first game, I just stuck with it.”
But fandom is only part of his story. As someone of Indian heritage, Jai is acutely aware of the lack of representation in the AFL. “No footballer of Indian background has played at the elite level yet, and that drives me. I want to represent the community and show that it’s possible.”
Setbacks and resilience
Like every young athlete, Jai has faced challenges. In 2024, he was cut from the Oakleigh Chargers squad – a blow that shook his confidence. “It felt like my chances were gone. But I trusted the process, leaned on my coaches and family, and just worked harder.”
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That work paid off: he regained his spot the following season. A focus on improving his defensive skills, including one-on-one training with a tackling coach, transformed his game.
Learning the professional mindset
Exposure to Collingwood’s Next Generation Academy gave Jai a glimpse of what professionalism means: structured training, recovery, nutrition, and discipline. “They’ve taught me how vital sleep is for recovery, how important it is to train smart. It’s helped me see myself as a professional athlete.”
Balancing this with school hasn’t been easy. Five training sessions a week, plus weekend matches, means early mornings, late nights, and constant juggling of homework and exams. “It’s tough, but it’s part of the journey,” he admits.
Looking ahead
For Jai Saxena, the draft is both daunting and thrilling. “No matter what colours I wear, I’d just be happy. Playing AFL would be a dream. Playing on the MCG – that would be surreal.”
His advice to others, especially those from multicultural backgrounds, is simple but heartfelt: “Ignore the negative voices. Believe in yourself, trust the process, and work hard. There’s no reason you can’t achieve what you set your mind to.”
As the 2026 draft approaches, Jai Saxena stands at an intersection of sport, identity, and aspiration – carrying not just his own dream, but the hopes of a community eager to see itself reflected on Australia’s biggest sporting stage.
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