Jai Newcombe

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Jai Newcombe
Personal information
Full name Jai Newcombe
Nickname(s) Nuke, Duke the Nuke, King Kong of Poowong, The Poowong Punisher, The Prince of Poowong, Nub Jnr, Billboard
Date of birth (2001-08-02) 2 August 2001 (age 23)
Original team(s) Poowong (EDFL), Box Hill Hawks
Draft No. 2, 2021 mid-season rookie draft
Debut Round 13, 2021, Hawthorn  vs. Sydney, at Sydney Cricket Ground
Height 187 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight 92 kg (203 lb)
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current club Hawthorn
Number 3
Playing career1
YearsClubGames (Goals)
2021– Hawthorn 76 (32)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2024.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Jai Newcombe (born 2 August 2001) is a professional Australian rules footballer with the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Contents

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 Poowong [1] 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. [2]

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, [3] setting an AFL record for the most tackles in a debut match, with 14. [4]

Statistics

Updated to the end of 2024. [5]

Legend
  G  
Goals
  K  
Kicks
  D  
Disposals  
  T  
Tackles
  B  
Behinds  
  H  
Handballs  
  M  
Marks
SeasonTeamNo.GamesTotalsAverages (per game) Votes
GBKHDMTGBKHDMT
2021 Hawthorn 4471132306217390.10.14.64.38.92.45.60
2022 Hawthorn 442286266230496941010.40.312.110.522.54.34.611
2023 Hawthorn 322128244309553100940.50.411.114.025.14.54.318
2024 Hawthorn 325114262357619971110.40.210.514.324.83.94.424
Career76321980492617303083450.40.310.612.222.84.14.553

Honours and achievements

Hawthorn

Individual

References

  1. AFL Record. Round 9, 2022. pg 46
  2. "Player Feature: Jai Newcombe". 22 May 2021.
  3. "Straight into the seniors for Jai Newcombe". hawthornfc.com.au. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  4. "Hawthorn rookie rewrites the record books in stunning debut". NewsComAu. 11 June 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  5. "Jai Newcombe Stats". AFL Tables. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  6. "Hawthorn wins McClelland Trophy". hawthornfc.com.au. 3 November 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  7. 1 2 "Newcombe crowned 2024 Peter Crimmins Medallist". hawthornfc.com.au. 5 October 2024. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  8. "Newcombe named Best Young Player by coaches". hawthornfc.com.au. 23 August 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  9. "Hawthorn reveals 2022 club award winners". hawthornfc.com.au. 1 October 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  10. "It's Jai time! Newcombe lands Rising Star nomination". hawthornfc.com.au. 19 April 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  11. "Hawks duo among league's best young players". hawthornfc.com.au. 23 August 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  12. "Lion-hearted big man leads VFL team of the year". afl.com.au. 7 October 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2024.