Collingwood has made further changes to its AFL list ahead of the 2026 Telstra National and Rookie Drafts. 

Collingwood NGA graduate Jai Saxena has signed a one-year contract to see him in the black and white in 2027.  

Saxena played 17 games at VFL level for the Pies in 2026, scoring a total of 24 goals, including a season-high total of five majors in Round 21 against Port Melbourne.  

Prior to joining Collingwood as a Category A rookie, Saxena was a member of Collingwood’s Next Generation Academy and played for the Oakleigh Chargers in the Coates Talent League. 

He is the second dual-Indian heritage player to be drafted to the AFL.    

In other news, the Club thanks Harrison Coe and Noah Howes who have not been offered new contracts.  

Howes joined the Pies in the 2025 Mid-Season Draft, going on to play two AFL games, while Coe was selected as a mature-age ruck in this year’s Mid-Season Draft, playing nine games at VFL level.  

Collingwood remains open to considering Howes as part of preparations for the upcoming national or rookie drafts. 

Harry DeMattia has also been delisted but the Club has made a commitment to select the 21-year-old in the upcoming AFL Rookie Draft in November.  

General Manager of List and Talent Strategy Justin Leppitsch said:  

“We are pleased to have Jai sign on for another year. He has shown great potential throughout this season at VFL level and we look forward to where he can take his football with another pre-season under his belt,” he said.

“We have made the difficult decision to farewell Harrison and Noah. They have both been valuable members of our program and we thank them both for their dedication and contribution to the black and white.  

“To allow for flexibility in our list management, we have decided to delist Harry but are fully committed to re-drafting him via the rookie draft later in November.”