Jye Caldwell pictured during his draft year in 2018. (Photo: AFL Photos)

Jye Caldwell’s wish to become a Bomber was granted in the dying stages of the trade period, with the young midfielder joining the club from Greater Western Sydney along with picks Nos. 44 and 74 in exchange for pick No.29 and a future second-round selection.­

Here are some things you may know about the 20-year-old. 

1. Natural talent rings true

He may have been a handy junior basketballer and cricketer, but it was in the ring where Caldwell did his best work to win Victoria’s state junior boxing title as a 13-year-old.

It’s no surprise Caldwell’s competitive nature has translated from the ring to the footy field. 

"With boxing, you sort of learn to hate the other person," he told AAP in 2019.

"Boxing is 100 per cent where the aggression comes from.

"I always wanted to become an AFL footballer, boxing was a side thing ... I've always been pretty aggressive playing footy."

Caldwell during his boxing days. (Photo: Bendigo Advertiser)

2. The Dylan Shiel link

The No.11 selection in the 2018 NAB AFL Draft from Bendigo Pioneers, Caldwell was taken with one of the picks Essendon gave GWS in exchange for Dylan Shiel.

He took over the Giants’ No.5 guernsey vacated by Shiel’s departure, and will now link up with the star midfielder in the Bombers’ engine room.

Caldwell is the only player to have been drafted at pick No.11 from Bendigo in history. Memorable Pioneers draftees include Dean Solomon (1997), Nick Dal Santo (2001), Joel Selwood (2006), Dustin Martin (2009) and Jake Stringer (2012).

Caldwell gets to work in the No.5 vacated by Shiel's departure. (Photo: AFL Photos)

3. Seeking out the best

Despite barracking for St Kilda as a kid, Caldwell has modelled his game on Geelong champion Joel Selwood.

The pair shared similarities in their draft years, having to overcome injuries to be selected in the first round. 

Caldwell couldn’t take a trick in 2018, suffering a serious hamstring tear in Vic Country’s first game of the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships and subsequently missing the rest of the carnival. 

He returned for the Pioneers later in the year before suffering a minor strain to the other hamstring and being forced to miss the Draft Combine. 

The setbacks led Caldwell to tee up lunch and a chat with fellow Pioneers graduate Selwood, who offered tips on resilience and belief after overcoming external doubts about his knees to flourish as the No.7 pick in the 2006 national draft.

Caldwell in action for Bendigo Pioneers in 2017. (Photo: AFL Photos)

4. An historic debut

Caldwell made his AFL debut in what’s believed to be the first League game played in snow.

A late inclusion for the injured Jacob Hopper, he tallied 13 disposals, six tackles and five marks in the Giants’ 56-point loss to the Hawks at Canberra’s Manuka Oval in round 21, 2019.

Snow falls during Caldwell's debut game. (Photo: AFL Photos)

Caldwell’s parents Sam and Rod and sister Delaynie made the six-hour car trip from Bendigo to Canberra on game day to be there for the occasion.

Callan Ward did the honours of presenting Caldwell with his guernsey, sharing special words about his teammate.

“From the moment you walked into the footy club you’ve done absolutely everything right. I claim you as my favourite player; I love the way you go about it and the way you train and you show real leadership,” Ward said pre-game.

This news is brought to you by Orchard HRO, the club's official recruitment and list management partner.