27 Facts About Jake Melksham

Jake Melksham was born on 29 August 1991 and is a professional Australian rules footballer who has played for Melbourne Football Club and the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League.

Jake Melksham spent three years playing for the Calder Cannons, winning a premiership in his final junior year.

Jake Melksham made his AFL debut in the 2010 season and was rewarded with an AFL Rising Star nomination.

Jake Melksham spent six seasons with Essendon, which peaked with a fifth-place finish in the best and fairest, and after 114 games with the club, he was traded to the Melbourne Football Club during the 2015 trade period.

Jake Melksham spent his final year as a junior playing for the Calder Cannons, which saw the club win their fifth premiership when they defeated the Dandenong Stringrays by fourteen points in the grand final.

Jake Melksham received mid-year state honours when he represented Vic Metro in the 2009 AFL Under 18 Championships and prior to the start of the competition he was labelled by The Age journalist, Emma Quayle, as one of the "players to watch" during the championships.

Jake Melksham averaged eighteen disposals during the championships and ranked second overall for Vic Metro in clearances and score assists, behind eventual number one draft pick, Tom Scully.

Jake Melksham was recruited by the Essendon Football Club with their first selection and tenth overall in the 2009 national draft.

Jake Melksham played the next two matches before he was omitted for the round six match against Hawthorn at the Melbourne Cricket Ground; he returned the next week for the three-point loss against Port Adelaide at Etihad Stadium where he kicked his first AFL goal.

Jake Melksham was rewarded with the round eight nomination in the AFL Rising Star after he recorded fourteen possessions, three clearances, three tackles and a goal in the twelve point win against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium.

Jake Melksham missed the round ten match against the Western Bulldogs after he sprained his ankle during the thirty-five-point win against Richmond the week before, he returned the next week for the nine-point loss against Sydney at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Jake Melksham played the next four out of five matches, missing the round fifteen match against Melbourne due to being rested, before he was dropped for the round seventeen match against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium.

Jake Melksham played the next three weeks in the Victorian Football League for Essendon's affiliate team, the Bendigo Bombers, before returning to the senior side in round twenty for the ninety-eight-point loss against Collingwood at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and he played the remainder of the year to finish with fourteen matches for the season.

Jake Melksham went on to play every match during the season and was praised for his performances in the midfield by many in the industry, some of which were former player, Garry Lyon, and journalists, Ashley Porter and Martin Blake.

Jake Melksham played his first final in the sixty-two-point loss against Carlton in the first elimination final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Jake Melksham played the first four matches of the season before he was omitted for the Anzac Day match against Collingwood in round five, he played in the VFL that weekend for Essendon's reserves side in the thirty-five-point win against North Ballarat and was named in the best players, which saw him return to the senior side for the thirty-nine-point win against Greater Western Sydney at Etihad Stadium in round six.

Jake Melksham played twenty-one matches for the year with The Age journalist, Rohan Connolly stating his form had improved from the previous year; this was reflected in his fifth-place finish in the club best and fairest count.

Jake Melksham was rewarded with a two-year contract extension, tying him to the club until the end of the 2015 season.

Jake Melksham was omitted the next week for the match against Gold Coast at Etihad Stadium and missed the remainder of the year to finish with sixteen matches in total.

Jake Melksham played the first thirteen matches of the 2015 season, including his 100th AFL match in round four in the Anzac Day clash against Collingwood at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, before missing the round fifteen match against Melbourne at the Melbourne Cricket Ground due to a hamstring injury sustained at training.

Jake Melksham returned for the eighty-seven-point loss to the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium in round eighteen he was forced to miss the next week and played in the VFL, before returning for the 112-point loss against Adelaide at Etihad Stadium in round twenty, and played the remainder of the year to finish with eighteen match for the season.

Jake Melksham was suspended for two years which, with backdating, ended in November 2016; as a result, he served approximately fourteen months of his suspension and missed the entire 2016 season.

Jake Melksham played the opening six matches of the year, but struggled to make a significant impact, and he was dropped for the round seven match against Hawthorn at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Jake Melksham was recalled to the senior side for the thirty-five-point win against Gold Coast at TIO Traeger Park in round ten.

Jake Melksham excelled in his new role as a forward in 2018, finishing with a career-high 32 goals for the season as Melbourne made its first finals series since 2006.

Jake Melksham returned to form in 2020, playing every match of the shortened season, including captaining the side to victory against North Melbourne in Round 11, due to the absence of Max Gawn and Jack Viney.

Jake Melksham struggled to have an impact in the closing rounds of the season as Melbourne missed out on the finals, finishing in 9th position.