Melbourne has extended an AFL lifeline to former West Coast midfielder Jai Culley, replacing the injured Andy Moniz-Wakefield on the club's 2025 list.

Culley was delisted from the Eagles at the end of last year, playing 12 games after he was taken with Pick 1 in the 2022 Mid-Season Draft.

The 21-year-old was invited to train with the Demons' AFL outfit over the pre-season, whilst also signing with the reserves side.

Melbourne List Manager Tim Lamb said Culley "thoroughly deserves a spot" after his impressive summer.

"We have followed Jai closely, both before and after he was drafted to West Coast. We were thrilled to secure his services at Casey for the upcoming VFL season after his time at the Eagles finished at the end of 2024," Lamb said.

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GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - JULY 31: Jai Culley of the Eagles kicks the ball during the 2022 AFL Round 20 match between the Gold Coast Suns and the West Coast Eagles at Metricon Stadium on July 31, 2022 in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Russell Freeman/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

"In his time with us, training with Casey and in match simulations with our AFL program, Jai has been super impressive and shown enough to suggest he thoroughly deserves a spot on our AFL list. He is still young at 22 years of age, and we feel he has a lot of growth in all areas of his game.

"We are excited to welcome Jai to the club, and we look forward to seeing him develop with us."

Culley was initially in line to replace forward Shane McAdam on Melbourne's list but the Victorian club swooped in to steal Werribee VFL star Jack Henderson from right under West Coast's nose.

But the injury to Moniz-Wakefield in the club's match simulation against North Melbourne opened another vacancy at the Demons, opening the door for the former Eagle to return to the top flight.

Moniz-Wakefield was ruled out for the entire 2025 season after injuring his ACL, MCL and PCL, ultimately placing him on the inactive list.

Despite the pre-season Supplemental Selection Period closing last Friday, the AFL has opted to extend the window - although no official announcement has been made - due to the long-term injuries sustained over the weekend.

Along with Moniz-Wakefield, Carlton will see prized Pick 3 Jagga Smith sit out for his debut season after tearing his ACL against St Kilda.

The Blues signed VFL forward Will White after considering making a play for defensive pair Denver Grainger-Barras or Ethan Phillips.