James Borlase

James Borlase (born 18 July 2002) is a professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Adelaide Crows in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was drafted by the Crows as a category B rookie in 2020 and made his AFL debut in 2023.

Early life

Borlase was born in Cairo, Egypt, while his father worked as a commodity trader abroad. The Borlase family moved to Melbourne several months after he was born and relocated to Adelaide around four years later, He made the under-15 All-Australian team and played in the under-17 futures game at the MCG on 2019 AFL Grand Final day.

In 2023, Borlase played 14 games for Adelaide in the SANFL where he averaged 13.6 disposals and six marks per game. He made his AFL debut in round 21 of the 2023 season and played the final four games of the season after the Crows' key defensive stocks were hit hard through injury to finish the year. Following the season, he was delisted and then redrafted by the Crows as a rookie.

Borlase played 10 AFL games for Adelaide in the 2024 season. The club was impressed with Borlase's resilience and discipline to his craft, having to bide his time before he could get an opportunity. Following the season, he was re-signed by Adelaide until the end of 2026.

He was recalled early in 2026 to replace the concussed Jordon Butts. Borlase impressed across his first two games, curtailing star forwards Josh Treacy and Harry McKay, holding the latter to just one goal during Gather Round. As of 2020, his grandfather lived on the Eyre Peninsula.

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