Jai Culley finally knows what an AFL win feels like, and it came at the expense of the club that cut him loose.
Delisted by West Coast just eight games after returning from an ACL rupture, the 22-year-old marked his long-awaited Melbourne debut with two goals and a resounding 83-point win over his former side at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.
It was Culley’s first victory in 13 career AFL matches, having gone winless across his two-and-a-half seasons in Perth.
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Recruited by the Demons through the pre-season supplemental selection period, the former No.1 mid-season draft pick made a powerful statement, not just on the scoreboard, but with his celebration too.
From heartbreak to highlight
After slotting his first goal in the third quarter, Culley turned to the stands and proudly tugged at his red and blue guernsey, a message of gratitude to his new home and perhaps a pointed reminder to the old one. He added a second goal in the final term and finished with 13 touches, playing with the sort of freedom that once earned him a Rising Star nomination at West Coast.
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Watching on, Melbourne great David Schwarz didn’t hold back on SEN: “How West Coast let him go is unfathomable. In all their pre-season — I have watched a lot of their footy — he would be in the best two or three, and going head-to-head with the best midfielders at Melbourne and showing them what he can do.”
For Culley, it was more than a win. It was closure, redemption, and the start of a new chapter with the club he’s supported since childhood.