Jake Kolodjashnij

Jake Kolodjashnij
Kolodjashnij playing for Geelong in April 2019
Personal information
Full name Jake Kolodjashnij
Born (1995-08-09) 9 August 1995
Launceston, Tasmania
Original team Launceston (TSL)
Draft No. 41, 2013 national draft
Height 195 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Weight 94 kg (207 lb)
Position Key defender
Club information
Current club Geelong
Number 8
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2015– Geelong 209 (5)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of round 22, 2026.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Jake Kolodjashnij (/kɒləˈdʒæzniː/, ko-lə-JAZ-nee;[1] Ukrainian: Джейк Колоджашній; born 9 August 1995) is a professional Australian rules footballer, currently playing for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League.

Early life

Kolodjashnij grew up in Tasmania where he played soccer and basketball in his younger years. His grandparents fled Soviet Ukraine after World War II and settled in Australia. Kolodjashnij's twin brother Kade also played football professionally, first playing for the Gold Coast Suns, and then the Melbourne Football Club before retiring in 2020 due to concussion issues.[2]

He attended St Patrick's College, Launceston.

Kolodjashnij began playing Australian football for the first time at 12 years of age for the Prospect Junior Football Club. Kolodjashnij lived across the road from Prospect Park, a multi-use venue for both soccer and Australian football. He and brother Kade played in junior premierships for Prospect in under-13s and under-14s of the Northern Tasmanian Junior Football Association. In his under-15 season with Prospect he and Kade were referred to Tasmanian head coach, and former AFL player, Matthew Armstrong, for consideration for the Tasmanian talented player pathway and were recognised as having significant potential. As part of the talented player pathway process, both the Kolodjashnij brothers were permitted to Tasmanian State League club, Launceston, for their under-16 year. Jake played for Tasmania in the under-16 National Championship in 2011 and followed that with selection in the under-18 National Championships in both 2012 and 2013. He was taken with the 41st pick in the 2013 AFL draft by the Geelong Football Club.

AFL career

Kolodjashnij is a defender selected by Geelong in the 2013 NAB AFL Draft. He plays as a rebounding defender and an overhead mark. In the previous year, he played 16 VFL games and finished fourth in the Victorian Football League best and fairest. He made his AFL debut in round 12 of the 2015 season against Melbourne.

Kolodjashnij was part of Geelong's 2022 premiership team that defeated Sydney by 81 points.

In 2026, Kolodjashnij was at the centre of a major scandal for the club, having been asked by Geelong to sign a waiver to absolve them of any responsibility for future potential concussions, with Kolodjashnij having had suffered multiple concussions in his career to that stage.[3]

Personal life

Kolodjashnij currently studies a Bachelor of Commerce at Deakin University.[4]

Statistics

Updated to the end of round 22, 2026.[5]

Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
  #  
 Played in that season's 
premiership team
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2015Geelong8 901586812634250.00.16.47.614.03.82.80
2016Geelong8 200012610623275480.00.06.35.311.63.82.40
2017Geelong8 180313213126379430.00.27.37.314.64.42.40
2018Geelong8 230215413629095420.00.16.75.912.64.11.80
2019Geelong8 230116786253109330.00.07.33.711.04.71.40
2020[a]Geelong8 17031255217777250.00.27.43.110.44.51.50
2021Geelong8 2210165104269120270.00.07.54.712.25.51.20
2022#Geelong8 2320165111276107330.10.07.24.812.04.71.40
2023Geelong8 19031368221889290.00.27.24.311.54.71.50
2024Geelong8 2411203124327123470.00.08.55.213.65.12.00
2025Geelong8 0——————————————0
2026Geelong8 1110765513144100.10.06.95.011.94.00.90
Career 2095141507105525629523620.00.17.25.012.34.61.70

Notes

  1. ↑ The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Honours and achievements

Team

Individual

References

  1. ↑ AFL (28 March 2014). "AFL Tweet".
  2. ↑ "Stage set for Tassie twins". The Mercury. 2013.
  3. ↑ "Kolodjashnij comes forward as Cats player involved in secret concussion deal saga as club issued 'please explain'". Fox Sports (Australia). 7 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "Elite Athlete Program Profiles". Deakin University. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  5. ↑ "Jake Kolodjashnij". AFL Tables. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
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