Opinion
Jai Culley is the Round 6 Rising Star nominee after kicking four goals in West Coast’s loss to Port Adelaide on the weekend.
Culley is the perfect example for why the Coates Talent League allows up to five ‘overage’ (i.e. players in their 19th year) players to feature on club lists.
In his under 18 year – 2021 – he was a medium forward with size and strength that wasn’t matched with endurance or consistency.
However he hit the ground running in 2022. He had two standout games early in the season followed by a proper illustration of his skills in a match for a ‘Young Guns’ squad, made of players eligible for the 2022 mid-season draft, against Vic Metro where he had 20+ possessions and kicked four goals (all in the first half) whilst also frightening a bunch of kids (who were all of a few months younger than him!) with his hard tackling.
It was clear from that moment that he was not long for the underage league, and so it was when he was drafted #1 by West Coast in the mid-season draft.
Culley is a big body – he may only carry about 90kgs on his 194cm frame, but he is broad and will continue to fill out in coming years.
He attacks the ball, and sometimes the man (was given a two week break after an errant elbow late last season!), with vigour and is a strong tackler in close. He also has a nice left foot, easily adjusting between booming shots on goal from outside 50 and deft switches from stoppages.
Jai Culley of the Eagles. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Owing to the injury crisis at West Coast – of which he was a part in the opening few weeks of the season – Culley was forced to play as a permanent forward against Port Adelaide.
Coach Adam Simpson suggested that he had spent some time training as a forward during the preseason due to his nearly being of key position size, and it obviously paid off as he displayed good forward nous with his goals coming from both general play and set shots.
With good hands as well he certainly creates headaches for opposition defences given he needs a minder of similar size and versatility, and there’s not many of them around. Or at least, many of them around who actually like having an opponent!
His future is likely to be as a midfielder who plays forward rather than the other way round, though as I have mentioned before, very few midfielders manage to consistently kick goals when ‘resting’ forward, and I’m sure it will be tempting for Simpson to see if lightning can strike more than once.
Despite what some think, 194cm blokes (or, any sized midfielder) who can average multiple goals a week whilst also playing regular midfield minutes are basically unicorns.
Chances of winning the Rising Star
The team he plays in is terrible so that is very much against him, but it will mean he’s given opportunities each week and he is a little flashy and kicks goals so he can’t be discounted entirely.
Plays like
I can’t stop thinking about Beau Waters whenever I see the neat left boot in a West Coast jumper, but I reckon Jordan Lewis is a good comparison here.
Big body, wins his own ball, and delivers nicely by foot. On exposed form I’d say Lewis has him for midfield craft and natural ball winning, but Culley is more dynamic and could be more damaging without ball in hand.
Ceiling
It’s always a bit harder to rate guys who are already very well built as youngsters but given his delayed start to AFL football it may not be as impactful, and I like what I see of Culley and think he could be a very good player for a very long time.
Defensively he seems sound, his versatility is a big selling point and he and Ginbey could certainly form a very damaging duo for the next decade or so if both of them can prove to become bigger possession winners.
Possibly wishful thinking, but West Coast having something approaching a full complement of midfielders on the park would also be of great benefit to him as it would allow him to develop without being a big opposition focus. Wishful thinking!
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
Apparently, the Eagles forward has embraced the nickname too after the commentators compared his style to big Fraser Gehrig!
What on earth was this from Jobe?
The Roos captain gleefully seized on the chance for a bit of karma!
The Giants coach was not a happy man!
What a chase from Kieren Briggs!
Callum Brown is looking at a big suspension after concussion Tom McCartin with a heavy bump.
