Indian-Australian teenager Jai Saxena is on the verge of rewriting AFL history. Entering his AFL draft year, the 18-year-old midfielder-forward has already attracted attention from across the country and could become the first player of Indian heritage to play at the elite level.<\/p>\n
For Australia\u2019s growing Indian community, Jai\u2019s rise symbolises more than sporting talent\u2014it represents a breakthrough in one of the nation\u2019s most celebrated codes.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/imagerender.jpg\")
Image: Jai Saxena of the Chargers is tackled by Kye Fincher of the Dragons during the 2025 Coates Talent League Boys Round 03 match between the Sandringham Dragons and the Oakleigh Chargers at Trevor Barker Beach Oval on April 12, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia (Source: Photo by Rob Lawson\/AFL Photos)<\/p>\n
\u201cMy earliest memory of footy is watching Cyril Rioli light up the MCG in the 2015 Grand Final,\u201d Jai told The Australia Today.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom that moment I knew I wanted to be exactly like him\u2014free, exciting, and entertaining fans. But what drives me every day is wanting to be the first to represent the Indian community on an AFL field and show that it can be done by us.\u201d<\/p>\n
– Advertisement –<\/p>\n
Born in Melbourne to an Indian father who migrated from Delhi and an Australian-born mother of Indian heritage, Jai was immersed in the game from the time he could walk. <\/p>\n
Jai\u2019s uncle, a passionate Hawthorn supporter, bought him a club membership the day he was born. A small footy travelled everywhere with him, often becoming his constant companion in the backyard alongside the family\u2019s German Shepherd.<\/p>\n
Jai\u2019s junior football journey began at Beverley Hills Football Club, where he won five premierships before adding another at North Ringwood. He progressed to state-level recognition with selection in the Vic All-Nations squad at just 16, marking him as one of Victoria\u2019s best multicultural talents.<\/p>\n
But the path has not always been smooth. After early setbacks\u2014including being cut from Oakleigh Chargers\u2019 pre-season squad\u2014Jai\u2019s resilience was tested. Instead of giving up, he worked harder, hiring a tackling coach, building his fitness, and forcing his way back into contention.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/imagerender-1.jpg\")
Image: Jai Saxena of the Chargers in action during the 2025 Coates Talent League Boys Round 03 match between the Sandringham Dragons and the Oakleigh Chargers at Trevor Barker Beach Oval on April 12, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia. (Source: Photo by Rob Lawson\/AFL Photos)<\/p>\n
By his final draft year, he had turned things around spectacularly: starring for Oakleigh Chargers in the Coates Talent League, representing Victoria Metro at the national carnival, and playing for Xavier College\u2019s First XVIII. Jai\u2019s efforts even earned him training sessions with Collingwood, bringing him a step closer to his dream.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom my journey I\u2019ve learnt there are many paths,\u201d Jai said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor some it\u2019s straightforward, but for me it was about getting cut, fighting back, and proving I belong. Discipline and trust\u2014values I learnt as a young child\u2014have kept me strong in my lowest times.\u201d<\/p>\n
– Advertisement –<\/p>\n
Despite his growing profile, Jai remains deeply rooted in his Indian heritage. He actively supports multicultural football initiatives and hopes his story will inspire other young Australians from diverse backgrounds.<\/p>\n
Jai\u2019s father, reflecting on the journey, said:<\/p>\n
\u201cJai has shown courage to pursue a sport where most kids have been much bigger than him. His resilience and commitment are admirable. As a father, I couldn\u2019t be prouder\u2014he is opening doors for future generations of Indian Australians.\u201d<\/p>\n
As draft day approaches, the teenager stands on the edge of history. Whether his name is called or not, Jai Saxena has already become a symbol of possibility for Indian Australians, and his journey is inspiring a community to dream bigger.<\/p>\n
Support our Journalism<\/p>\n
No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls.\u00a0Whether you\u2019re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via\u00a0Patreon\u00a0<\/a>or donating via PayPal \u2014 and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1756608978_532_Add-a-little-bit-of-body-text-8-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Indian-Australian teenager Jai Saxena is on the verge of rewriting AFL history. Entering his AFL draft year, the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":107934,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[638,64,63,55,639,85],"class_list":["post-107933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-afl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107933","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=107933"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/107933\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/107934"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=107933"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=107933"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=107933"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}