Jai Newcombe

Nobody saw Jai Newcombe coming. Not the clubs who passed on him in the early rounds of the draft, not the opposition midfielders who now find themselves swallowed whole by his explosive power at the contest. In that first burst from a stoppage — shoulders squared, legs driving, the ball tucked under his arm like a running back breaking the line — you see everything that makes Newcombe special. He is the player Hawthorn’s rebuild was waiting for, a Peter Crimmins Medal winner whose development under Sam Mitchell has been as rapid as it has been thrilling to witness.

Career Statistics

Player Profile

In just 90 games, Newcombe has already produced 48 goals from the engine room — a scoreboard impact that separates him from the midfield pack. His contested-ball work is ferocious, his ability to break the lines electric. At twenty-four, he is still ascending, still adding layers to a game that already terrifies opponents. For the Hawks faithful in 2026, Newcombe represents something precious: the certainty that their club’s future burns bright, carried forward by a young man who refuses to be overlooked.

EC — Senior features writer, australiafootball.com