Player Watch Welcome to Collingwood Jai Saxena

[TradeDraft]

 

[PonsfordMagpie]

Welcome to Collingwood, Jai

 

[Soups]

Welcome Sexina.

 

[Chunky Steak]

Welcome Saxy Boy.

 

[Jen2310]

Welcome Jai!

Prenounced "Jeh"

 

[Chunky Steak]

I get the feeling a lot of regular posters weren't aware we could pre-list Cat B rookies.

Wake up and get excited, people!

It's time for the Sax Machine.

 

[YouBeauty]

Welcome Jai!

Prenounced "Jeh"

According to Google: "Jai" can be pronounced either as "Jay" (like the name of the letter) or as "J-eye", depending on the context.

 

[Chunky Steak]

Welcome Jai!

Prenounced "Jeh"

Listening to commentators get it wrong is going to drive us all bonkers.

 

[Jen2310]

According to Google: "Jai" can be pronounced either as "Jay" (like the name of the letter) or as "J-eye", depending on the context.

Its def Jeh. Like "yeh"
I heard Xavier students call him this at an APS game.

 

[TradeDraft]

 

[sr36]

According to Google: "Jai" can be pronounced either as "Jay" (like the name of the letter) or as "J-eye", depending on the context.

Google is wrong on this one - kind of. The hindi word jai rhymes with chair (closest English rhyme anyway) But it'd be confusing as many Indians would have just gone along with it rhyming with "Hi" or "Hay" rather than correcting pronunciation - so that's kind of become their name. Just as the vietnamese name "Nguyen" is pronounced totally differently in Australia than in Vietnam.

 

[Matty_G]

Welcome Jerr

 

[legendstatus]

Him and Hayes to fight it out I guess?

 

[TradeDraft]

NGA graduate Saxena joins Collingwood

Collingwood has selected Jai Saxena as a pre-approved Category A rookie, becoming the second dual-Indian heritage player to be drafted to the AFL.

www.collingwoodfc.com.au

Club said he is a Cat-B Rookie

 

[Jen2310]

Him and Hayes to fight it out I guess?

Different type of forwards, Jai more your classic small forward/crumber, where Hayes plays up the ground

 

[Jen2310]

 

[Jen2310]

 

[Jen2310]

NGA graduate Saxena joins Collingwood

Collingwood has selected Jai Saxena as a pre-approved Category A rookie, becoming the second dual-Indian heritage player to be drafted to the AFL.

www.collingwoodfc.com.au

Club said he is a Cat-B Rookie

Cat B on the Cat A list

 

[unplugged]

Its def Jeh. Like "yeh"
I heard Xavier students call him this at an APS game.

Really? I didn't know they streamed APS games, is that new?

 

[Jen2310]

Really? I didn't know they streamed APS games, is that new?

They dont.
I went down and watched one game, the last game of the season. They lost after the siren, it was pretty heartbreaking
Ollie Greeves played in that game too, for Caulfield. Jack Dalton too for Xavier.

 

[Jen2310]

Its the quite 2 years Jai has had to get to this point.

He was cut from Oakleigh as a bottom ager. Wasn't even in the Xavier 1sts. He went back to local level. Got fitter, faster and hired a tackling coach.

He wasn't even in draft calculations at the start of the year. I doubt any of us had heard of him until he kicked 5 goals for oakleigh.

Now to be drafted onto an afl list. Thats quite the achievement.

 

[Jen2310]

Looking forward to seeing how he goes this pre-season.

We don't really have many small forwards like him. He's your classic x factor small, who can create something out of nothing. Off the packs of a contest.

 

[Jen2310]

 

[Jen2310]

Jai (pronounced J-air) Saxena was a member of Collingwood’s Next Generation Academy and played for the Oakleigh Chargers in the Coates Talent League, where he displayed an impressive 2025 campaign.
Collingwood National Recruiting Manager Shane O’Bree welcomed Saxena to the black and white family.


“We are pleased to welcome Jai to Collingwood, another incredible talent through our NGA who we eagerly look forward to developing,” O’Bree said.


“We have been watching him for several years, and he has such a great story of resilience and hard work paying off.


“Although disappointed to not get a game early in the season for Xavier College, he initiated a lot of hard work, which saw his game spike into a great year with the Oakleigh Chargers.


“He will be an exciting talent to watch in the forward line and will undoubtedly play with a lot of heart and passion on the field.”

NGA graduate Saxena joins Collingwood

Collingwood has selected Jai Saxena as a pre-approved Category A rookie, becoming the second dual-Indian heritage player to be drafted to the AFL.

www.collingwoodfc.com.au

 

[TradeDraft]

AFL will love we Rookies him with his Indian Hertige