Josh Lai

Josh Lai
Personal information
Born (2005-10-01) 1 October 2005 (age 21)
Singapore
Original team Cheltenham
Draft Pre-season supplementary signing, 2024 national draft
Height 185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Position Defender
Club information
Current club Port Adelaide
Number 43
Playing career
Years Club Games (Goals)
2026– Port Adelaide 19 (0)
Source:

Josh Lai (born 1 October 2005) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for Port Adelaide in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Lai was born in Singapore and is one of identical twin brothers. His father Tim is Singaporean, partially raised in Sydney, and his mother Donna is Australian. Although residents of China at the time, Lai's parents opted to have their sons born in Singapore, preferring their healthcare system. Afterwards the family returned to China, where Lai attended an international school. He played soccer during his time in China.

After moving to Melbourne as a six-year-old, Lai was educated at Mentone Grammar School and played junior Australian rules football with Hampton Rovers, East Sandringham and Cheltenham, primarily as a winger. He had to sit out of football for his final year of school after fracturing his foot and instead played schoolboy volleyball, causing him to be overlooked for the talent pathways. Instead, Lai was recruited on the back of a best-on-ground performance for Cheltenham in the 2024 Southern Football League grand final, which had been attended by members of Port Adelaide's recruitment team.

Lai trained with Port Adelaide in the 2025 pre-season and was signed by the club as a rookie during the supplemental selection period. After playing 15 SANFL games in 2025, Lai made his AFL debut in round four of the 2026 season against the West Coast Eagles at Adelaide Oval, and remained a regular in their backline for the remainder of the year, amassing 19 appearances. He won the club's "Coaches' Award" for his performances in 2026.

References

  1. ↑ Black, Sarah (8 April 2026). "No hint of a Lai, Power youngster breaks the mould on journey to AFL". afl.com.au.
  2. ↑ Anderson, Jamie (28 July 2026). "Lai on childhood, footy and Singaporean heritage". portadelaidefc.com.au.
  3. ↑ "How Port Adelaide SSP recruit had no idea of AFL interest before pre-season invite". Sen.com.au. 20 February 2025.
  4. ↑ "Those closest to Josh Lai reflect on his unlikely rise to an AFL list spot with Port Adelaide". Herald Sun. 20 February 2025.
  5. ↑ "Josh Lai jumps from local footy in Melbourne to Port Adelaide list spot via SSP". Adelaide Now. 19 February 2025.
  6. ↑ "Local footballer's fairytale rise to the AFL complete". Seven News. 17 February 2025.
  7. ↑ "Josh Lai opens up on his rapid rise from suburban footy to Port Adelaide's defence". Adelaide Now. 5 July 2026.
  8. ↑ Whiting, Michael (1 September 2026). "Horne-Francis pips Butters to win his first Power best and fairest". afl.com.au.