Jai Newcombe
{{Short description|Australian rules football player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox AFL biography
| name = Jai Newcombe
| nickname = Nuke, Duke the Nuke, King Kong of Poowong, The Poowong Punisher, The Prince of Poowong, Nub Jnr, Billboard
| image = Jai Newcombe.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Newcombe in 2025
| fullname = Jai Newcombe
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|08|2|df=yes}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| originalteam = Poowong (EDFL), Box Hill Hawks
| draftpick = No. 2, 2021 mid-season rookie draft
| debutdate = Round 13, 2021
| debutteam = {{AFL Haw}}
| debutopponent = {{AFL Syd}}
| debutstadium = Sydney Cricket Ground
| height = 187 cm
| weight = 92 kg
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub = {{AFL Haw}}
| guernsey = 3
| years1 = 2021–
| club1 = {{AFL Haw}}
| games_goals1 = 91 (39)
| statsend = round 16, 2025
| careerhighlights =
- Peter Crimmins Medal: 2024
- AFLCA Best Young Player: 2022
- 22under22team: 2023 (vc)
- AFL Rising Star nominee: 2022
- VFL Team of the Year: 2021
}}
Jai Newcombe (born 2 August 2001) is a professional Australian rules footballer with the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Early career
Newcombe grew up in the small rural town of Poowong in Southern Gippsland, and attended the nearby Drouin Secondary College. He participated in the Auskick program at PoowongAFL Record. Round 9, 2022. pg 46 and playing junior football for the Poowong Magpies in the Ellinbank & District Football League. Newcombe was unable to secure a place in the Gippsland Power squads at ages 16, 17 and 18. He made the team in 2020 but due to the COVID-19 pandemic was unable to play a game.
Newcombe's AFL career started at the Hawthorn affiliate Box Hill Hawks in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He played a practice match for Box Hill at the start of 2020 and was asked to return in November after Melbourne was released from lockdown. He made the long commute twice a week from Warragul, where he was working, to training at Box Hill.{{Cite web|url=https://boxhillhawks.com.au/player-feature-jai-newcombe/|title = Player Feature: Jai Newcombe|date = 22 May 2021}}
AFL career
Newcombe was selected with pick two in the 2021 mid-season draft, having caught the eye of recruiters after an impressive campaign with the Box Hill Hawks across the first half of the 2021 VFL season. The following week, Newcombe made his AFL debut against the Swans,{{cite web |title=Straight into the seniors for Jai Newcombe |url=https://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/955441/straight-into-the-seniors-for-jai-newcombe |website=hawthornfc.com.au |access-date=12 June 2021 |language=en}} setting an AFL record for the most tackles in a debut match, with 14.{{cite news |title=Hawthorn rookie rewrites the record books in stunning debut |url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/fans-in-awe-of-buddy-brilliance/news-story/cd30bfed78277bc3364b700225f87925 |access-date=12 June 2021 |work=NewsComAu |date=2021-06-11 |language=en}}
Statistics
Updated to the end of round 16, 2025.{{cite web|url=https://www.afl.com.au/stats/stats-pro#/Discover/CD_I1020895/Newcombe-Jai|title=Jai Newcombe Stats|work=AFL Tables|accessdate=4 July 2021}}
{{Australian rules football statistics legend}}
{{AFL player statistics start with votes}}
|-
|2021 || {{AFL Haw}} || 44
| 7 || 1 || 1 || 32 || 30 || 62 || 17 || 39 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 4.6 || 4.3 || 8.9 || 2.4 || 5.6 || 0
|-
|2022 || {{AFL Haw}} || 44
| 22 || 8 || 6 || 266 || 230 || 496 || 94 || 101 || 0.4 || 0.3 || 12.1 || 10.5 || 22.5 || 4.3 || 4.6 || 11
|-
|2023 || {{AFL Haw}} || 3
| 22 || 12 || 8 || 244 || 309 || 553 || 100 || 94 || 0.5 || 0.4 || 11.1 || 14.0 || 25.1 || 4.5 || 4.3 || 18
|-
|2024 || {{AFL Haw}} || 3
| 25 || 11 || 4 || 262 || 357 || 619 || 97 || 111 || 0.4 || 0.2 || 10.5 || 14.3 || 24.8 || 3.9 || 4.4 || 24
|-
|2025 || {{AFL Haw}} || 3
| 15 || 7 || 6 || 175 || 184 || 359 || 58 || 84 || 0.5 || 0.4 || 11.7 || 12.3 || 23.9 || 3.9 || 5.6 ||
|- class="sortbottom"
! colspan=3| Career
! 91 !! 39 !! 25 !! 979 !! 1110 !! 2089 !! 366 !! 429 !! 0.4 !! 0.3 !! 10.8 !! 12.2 !! 23.0 !! 4.0 !! 4.7 !! 53
|}
Honours and achievements
Team
- McClelland Trophy ({{AFL Haw}}): 2024{{cite web|title=Hawthorn wins McClelland Trophy|url=https://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/1688710/hawthorn-wins-mcclelland-trophy|website=hawthornfc.com.au|access-date=2 December 2024|date=3 November 2024}}
Individual
- AFLCA best young player: 2022{{cite web|title=Newcombe named Best Young Player by coaches|url=https://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/1206544/newcombe-named-coaches-best-young-player|website=hawthornfc.com.au|access-date=2 December 2024|date=23 August 2022}}
- 22under22 team: 2023{{cite web|title=Hawks duo among league's best young players|url=https://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/1412339/hawks-duo-among-leagues-best-youth|website=hawthornfc.com.au|access-date=2 December 2024|date=23 August 2023}}
- Peter Crimmins Medal: 2024{{cite web|title=Newcombe crowned 2024 Peter Crimmins Medallist|url=https://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/1671932/newcombe-crowned-2024-peter-crimmins-medallist|website=hawthornfc.com.au|access-date=2 December 2024|date=5 October 2024}}
- AFL Rising Star nominee: 2022{{cite web|title=It’s Jai time! Newcombe lands Rising Star nomination|url=https://www.hawthornfc.com.au/news/1106931/its-jai-time-newcombe-lands-rising-star-nomination|website=hawthornfc.com.au|access-date=2 December 2024|date=19 April 2022}}
- VFL Team of the Year: 2021{{cite web|title=Lion-hearted big man leads VFL team of the year|url=https://www.afl.com.au/news/683130/lion-heartedbig-man-leads-vfl-team-of-the-year|website=afl.com.au|access-date=2 December 2024|date=7 October 2021}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{hawplayer}}
- {{AFL Tables|ref=J/Jai_Newcombe.html}}
- {{AustralianFootball}}
{{Hawthorn player squad}}
{{Peter Crimmins Medal}}
{{AFLCA best young player}}
{{2022 AFL Rising Star nominees}}
{{2021 AFL mid-season draft}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Newcombe, Jai}}
Category:Hawthorn Football Club players
Category:Box Hill Football Club players
Category:Australian rules footballers from Victoria (state)
Category:Gippsland Power players
Category:Peter Crimmins Medal winners
Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen
{{AFL-bio-2000s-stub}}