The childhood Demon who turned his setbacks into motivation

IT IS often how you handle the delivery of bad news that others remember. That was certainly the case with Jai Culley last February. Simon Goodwin had summoned him to his office at Casey Fields, where the then-Demons coach and head of development Mark Williams told him he wasn't getting a contract. At least, not yet.

Melbourne didn't have a list spot when Culley moved home and signed with the Casey Demons in the weeks after being delisted by West Coast at the end of 2024. But when Shane McAdam ruptured his Achilles mid-February, one opened.

Instead of signing the standout player from the VFL program over the summer before the pre-season supplemental selection period (SSP) deadline, Melbourne turned its attention across the country to someone they had considered the previous November.

Jack Henderson had just been invited to trial at West Coast late in the SSP after playing in a VFL premiership with Werribee. The Eagles offered him a contract after he played in a practice match. After having no options 10 days earlier, suddenly he had two offers. He chose Melbourne.

Culley had been crushed only a few months earlier when West Coast delisted him via Zoom when he was in Bali during the off-season. He'd been left in limbo after playing 12 games across three seasons after being selected at pick No.1 in the 2022 Mid-Season Rookie Draft.

This stung almost as much. But Culley copped it on the chin. Goodwin was blown away by his response in the moment, and the following day on the track. He dusted himself off, again, then dominated in the next VFL practice match against North Melbourne, which stuck with list manager Tim Lamb.

Andy Moniz-Wakefield had torn not just his ACL, but also his MCL and PCL earlier that day. When the AFL reopened the SSP momentarily to allowed Carlton to also replace Jagga Smith, Melbourne also decided to reward someone training under their nose.

Culley got his shot. Now more than 12 months on, the 23-year-old is starting to cement a spot in Melbourne's new-look midfield under new senior coach Steven King.

"I really wanted to get back on a list. I had a meeting with Casey and they said I could train with the AFL squad two or three times a week, so that was the reason I ended up signing with them. The main thing for me was trying to impress the coaches and sort of make myself stand out a bit," Culley told AFL.com.au.

"When Shane McAdam went down with the Achilles, I thought, 'I'm a good chance here to get the list spot'. And then they ended up picking Jack Henderson. So that was a bit of a setback. I had a meeting where they told me that they weren't going to pick me. Obviously, it's probably not the best news to hear.

"The next week, Andy Moniz-Wakefield went down with an ACL, so it was a bit of a whirlwind, but then, luckily enough, a spot opened up for me and they backed me in. It's amazing how it turned out."

Since the AFL reintroduced the Mid-Season Rookie Draft in 2019, a stack of players have carved out careers at the highest level. Jai Newcombe is the poster boy of what's possible. But there is always intensified hype around the No.1 pick.

Culley moved to Perth at the end of May 2022 after firing for the Dandenong Stingrays in the Talent League as a 19-year-old. But after playing four games in his first year at West Coast, disaster struck in his fifth appearance of 2023 when he ruptured his ACL against Richmond. After three more appearances in 2024, his time was up at the Eagles.

"What I learned over there is how quickly it can get taken away from you," Culley said this week. "Three years in the system … I felt like I got a bit more than that in me. So it gives you the bit of perspective of not taking it for granted and gave you the extra motivation to try and get back on the list.

"It was a pretty good experience for me, though. Obviously, they were the ones that picked me up, so they gave me the opportunity to get my foot in the AFL door. It didn't go how I planned, with injury and selection. But I spent two and a half, three years on their list and enjoyed it quite a lot. I didn't play as many games as I would have liked to, but they gave me the opportunity and I guess I wouldn't be here today if they if they didn't do that."

Culley would have gone anywhere for a second chance. The fact that it was Melbourne made it even more special. He grew up an avid Demons supporter and used to sit behind the goals in the Ponsford Standard with his dad and his grandpa. They are still coming to the MCG, just with more skin in the game than before.

"Dad and grandpa are diehard supporters," he said. "They come every week. For me growing up, I used to sit in the same sport every week at the 'G and watch the boys play, so to be on the other side of the fence is a pretty cool experience, and something I hope I can do for a long time."

Culley's first season at Melbourne started on the back foot when he suffered a stress fracture in his foot, ruling him out of the first couple of months of 2025. It took him until round 21 to get a game in what would prove to be Goodwin's final game as Melbourne coach. He kicked two goals from 13 disposals in his first win at AFL level against the club that had shown him the door almost 12 months earlier.

He played the final four games of the season to earn another contract and build momentum into his first full pre-season at the Demons, where King quickly discovered he had more than he realised in the 194cm midfielder.

"It's just another example of someone going away and utilising their break. Getting a speed coach, came back and ripping nick. The first two weeks we trained, obviously the five-plus year boys aren't here, and he was dominating training and you think, 'Jeez, that's impressive'. Then when the old boys started returning, he kept dominating, like he's a physical specimen and he's invested a lot in his athleticism, his footwork, speed, and he's got his obvious power and strength there as a big body," King told AFL.com.au on the eve of round one.

"He's been super impressive. Timing is everything. He's obviously had some significant injuries with ACLs and then he had his sore foot where he missed a lot of time last year. But I feel like even though he's had the broken arm, he was back running within a week. If anything it was probably good for the load that he's carried all summer to give him a bit of a spell, but he's been super impressive."

Culley understands the interest in his journey. Overlooked in the draft. Mid-Season pick. ACL. Delisted. Late SSP contract. He has lived a wide gamut of football experiences. Now he wants more. Much more.

"It's obviously a different story from not getting picked up straight away to getting picked up and then the setbacks along the way, with the knee and being delisted,” Culley said. "It's an even better story when you come out the other side and have a long career. That's what I'm planning to do."

After watching his beloved Demons end a 57-year premiership drought when he was still at school, Culley will play alongside Max Gawn and Tom McDonald in their 250th games on Sunday, wearing the No. 13 guernsey worn most recently by four-time 'Bluey' Truscott Trophy winner Clayton Oliver.

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