Shai Bolton

Shai Bolton (born 8 December 1998) is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

At 18 years and 163 days, he was the youngest player to debut for Richmond since captain Trent Cotchin in the 2008 season.

He was thought to have kicked a match-winning goal in the final two minutes of the match, before an automatic review overturned the umpire's on-field decision and ruled the kick touched off the boot.

Bolton played in each of the next two matches before Richmond's bye week in round 12.

To that point he ranked fourth in the AFL for forward half pressure.

In round 13 Bolton turned in an impressive first half against, racking up 12 disposals and two goals to half time.

Though he did not finish strongly, it was nevertheless an "impressive" performance.

In 2013 Bolton entered the elite talent pathway when he joined the Flying Boomerangs Indigenous Academy.

He began playing underage football with WAFL club South Fremantle the following year.

Bolton was sidelined for much of his 2015 season however after suffering stress fractures in his back.

He was drafted by Richmond in the second round of the 2016 draft and made his debut in round 9 of the 2017 season, as the club's youngest debutant in nine years.

In his final season (2016) at the club he averaged 17 disposals and two goals per game, including a seven-goal performance against East Perth.

He represented Western Australia at the 2016 AFL Under 18 Championships, kicking five goals in the tournament.

Bolton attended high school at Wesley College in Perth, leaving after completing his year 11 studies to focus on football.

During his time at Wesley, he formed close friendships with future AFL players Sam Powell-Pepper and Quinton Narkle.

Prior to the 2016 national draft, Bolton was praised for his "blazing speed" and "natural instinct for the game".

He impressed recruiters in October's pre-draft All Stars game at Punt Road Oval, recording 16 disposals, seven inside 50s and a goal.

He placed second in the running vertical jump test at the national draft combine that year.

Bolton was drafted by with the club's first pick and the 29th selection overall in the 2016 national draft.

Before the season had even officially began, Bolton was charged with striking Tom Williamson in a VFL practice match against the Northern Blues.

He subsequently accepted a one-match ban.

His 8 'crumbs' in that match also tied the record for the four-year old stat set by Sydney's Josh Kennedy in 2016.

He was rested from the club's AFL side in round 15 however, after backing up that match with a four disposal game against.

Bolton returned to senior football in round 19 when he replaced the injured Jack Riewoldt, creating a forward-line without a recognised tall forward.

He was dropped after just one match however, returning to the VFL to play out his season with the reserves.

His performances at this level were labelled "above the level" by coach Craig McRae with media pundits suggesting he was close to a call-up to senior level during the AFL finals series.

Despite this talk he would remain in the reserves, playing in each of the team's three victories as well as in their losing grand final against Port Melbourne.

Champion Data figures released at the end of September showed Bolton as the second quickest player at Richmond and one of the 15 quickest in the AFL, after he set a top speed of 34.8 kilometres per hour in an in-match sprint during the season.

Bolton made his AFL debut in round 9, 2017 in a match against at Spotless Stadium and taking the place of the injured Dan Butler in the Richmond forward-line.

Bolton finished the 2017 season having played six matches and kicked three goals at senior level.

He also played 14 matches in the reserves and kicked 23 goals, good for the fourth most at the club.

With premiership small forward Daniel Rioli still recovering from a serious foot injury, Bolton came out of a fitness-building off-season and straight into Richmond's senior forward line.

He played in both of the club's official pre-season matches, including a three-goal tally in that series' first match against.

On the back of those performances he was selected to play in the round 1 season-opener against.

Bolton was relatively ineffectual over the season's first two matches however, recording only three tackles and one goal in total and was subsequently dropped from Richmond's round 3 side.

Despite his inability to impact at senior level, Bolton was immediately impressive in his first reserves match of the season, kicking three goals in Richmond's VFL win over Port Melbourne.

In 2018 he won the VFL's Mark and Goal of the Year awards while playing reserves grade football.

Bolton was a premiership player with Richmond in each of the 2019 and 2020 seasons, the first of which he also received a Rising Star nomination in.

Bolton was born in Katanning, Western Australia and grew up in the southern Perth suburb of Forrestdale before spending his teenage years in Mandurah.

He comes from strong footballing stocks, with father Darren a former Fremantle player and Peel Thunder best & fairest winner and his uncle Allistair Pickett a two-time Sandover Medalist.