Jayden Nguyen

Jayden Nguyen (born 27 July 2006) is a professional Australian rules footballer with the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Jayden Nguyen
Personal information
Full name	Jayden Nguyen
Born	(2006-07-27) 27 July 2006 (age 19)
Original teams	Calder Cannons (Talent League), Aberfeldie Football Club
Draft	Category B rookie selection (2024)
Debut	Round 21, 2025, Essendon vs. Sydney, at Sydney Cricket Ground
Height	178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Club information
Current club	Essendon
Number	42
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
2025–	Essendon	3 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of Round 23, 2025.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

AFL career

Nguyen was selected by Essendon in the 2025 rookie draft as a Next Generation Academy selection.^[1]

During the 2025 season, he made his debut against Sydney in round 21, becoming the first player of Vietnamese descent to play in the AFL.^[2] After impressing in the senior team in his first three matches, Nguyen signed a one year contract extension to remain at Essendon in 2026.^[3]