Former AFL player & Clarence star Josh Green joined Brent to discuss his career at the highest level, enjoying being back in Tassie and his thoughts on the Devils.
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SEN Tassie
Former AFL player & Clarence star Josh Green (15/07/24)
[MUSIC PLAYING] Right across Tasmania on SCM Tassie. This is the Devil's Advocate with Brent Castella. Follow us online at SCM Tassie and text anytime. 0 4 3 7, double 5 2 5 3 5. I'm joined by my next guest in the studio. Now it is former Brisbane line and s and Obama Josh Green. G'day, Greeny, welcome to the show. Thanks, Brent. Thanks for having me. Nice to see you, mate. How's life back here in Tassie you've been back for a little while now from AFL duties? You're loving being back home? Yeah, it's great. I really sort of missed it while I was away. And just that slower lifestyle and being back around family and friends and playing back at Clarence now. It's really good and got a young family. So just enjoying life, which is great. Let's go right back to the start. Your love affair with footy, where did that begin? Started all the way out at Sorrell, actually, raised in Richmond and they didn't have a junior program. So just worked my way through Sorrell and then ended up in their development programs, the Mariners, and then worked my way over to Clarence to take it a bit more serious under Brendan Bolton. And then, yeah, it was lucky enough to head off to Brisbane from there, so moved around a little bit. But, yeah, I guess it all sort of started out Sorrell in the junior program. That age did you feel like you were better than everyone else? So you had a bit more ability? We actually had a really good team. We ended up with, I think, four or five in the state team. So it didn't think I was better than anyone. But I definitely had aspirations to go further with it. And I definitely worked really hard at my game and looked to improve and eventually did pay off, which was great. And when did you start to believe that you could get to the highest level, I suppose? It was probably when I started playing senior footy, to be honest, for Clarence, I think I was 15, and Brendan Bolton sort of gave me the nod to play. And even I was a bit daunting at the time, and I hurt myself, I started feeling really comfortable playing against grown men. Some guys who had played VFL for a numerous years. I guess from that age, I sort of felt comfortable and maybe that it could go further than that. And you played that 2010 flag too, for remembering with Clarence? I was actually lucky to play, you know, '09 and '10 to the last, yeah, the last flag that Clarence played in. So it's been a bit of a period between that sort of the motivation to head back this year, was to win another one before it all closes up at the end of the year. Absolutely, you won't get to that a little later about the roost, but pick 32, 2010 draft of the lines, as you said. Did you feel like they were the team that were going to pick you or you had no idea at that point? Yeah, it's a tough one. I spoke to them a little bit, but they didn't really give too much away. They didn't say, like, we're going to definitely take you. The Adelaide rang the morning of the draft and said if you're there, end pick 40 or something, we'll take you. So that was nice to know that I was probably going to go. I mean, things can change as we know in the draft, but a bit of a shock to go to Brisbane. I knew some players up there, which was nice and it was a pretty stressful day for me and the family, but it turned out pretty good. And I was really happy to go up there, you know, a great environment, weather's good, and I really enjoyed my six years up there. You often hear, you know, it's hard work to get drafted, but the hard work really begins when you arrive. Was it a shock just how tough it was to burn AFL football in those early days? Oh, yeah, it was eye opening. I kind of walked in and first two people I ran into at the training was Fev and Brownie. OK, so that was a bit of a shock in itself. It took me some time to really get used to the training with those guys, you know, Simon Black look power, Michael Voss is the coach. So it took some time to get used to it and sort of feel like I belong there. And yeah, within a few years, I felt like I did and sort of rolled on from there. I think you've finished twice as the club's leading goal kicker, which was awesome. Many other major highlights, I guess. So those six years up in Brisbane, we were a bit lean there while I was up there. We, I think it's probably just the friendships. I've got some really good mates that are still playing currently and some mates that have finished up as well. And who are they? I got Ryan Lester, he's still playing. Geez, he just keeps going on, doesn't he? And then there's some ex-players and we're actually got a trip coming up at the end of the year that we're going to all catch up, which will be great. Awesome, how good. Then you went to Essena, of course. Tell us about that little period. How tough was that little transition from Brisbane to the bombers? It was really tough. I actually had a contract offer on the table from Brisbane. There was a bit of a fall out there and my parents were actually living in Melbourne at the time and it sort of just worked out the lesson. We're pretty keen and I decided just to part ways and sort of had some problems with my feet and I thought it was probably just time for a fresh start. I was a bit burnt out up there and in hindsight, I wish maybe I should have stayed and worked through it, but it was nice to move down to Essena and experience a big club, big crowds and be back around my family again, who mean the world to me. So I didn't end as well as you'd hope with Brisbane? Yeah, it wasn't ideal. Yeah, I mean, those sorts of things happen and contracts fall out and then we just decided to sort of depart ways from there and, you know, hindsight's a wonderful thing, but I was lucky enough to play there for six years and still got some good friends up there. So I try and watch them and support them as much as I can. And on the flip side, you go to one of the biggest clubs in the land, you're playing on Anzac Day and things like that. So that, again, would have been another big eye opener for you, I suppose. Yeah, it was a massive change in terms of how big the club was, supporter base, expectations and so on. I guess everyone wants success, but they just demanded it and I didn't understand how big SM was until I got there and then you're playing in big games. Anzac Day played in twice, dream time. I think we averaged around 50,000 a game, so a bit of a jump up from around 20,000 at the gabber. Absolutely, and your time there was enjoyable, was it? Yeah, I actually really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, my feet gave in at the end and I just couldn't get back out in the park and sort of where the club was going, they had enough sort of small forwards and I was sort of battling through a fair bit of pain with my feet. And I just asked one day what the guy was from a contract and I said, "Yeah, look, we're looking to bring someone else in." And that's just how ruthless it is. I did struggle with it for a while, but I understood, you know, it's a business. My body was starting to sort of let me down and, yeah, I ended up having to have injections before every game for about 12 weeks and I knew that wasn't a good sign that my body was reacting more to Plano for. One thing you've been quite open about since you left in the system is the struggles you went through or you mentioned your foot injuries there, diagnosed with severe anxiety. I believe, you know, received some pretty bad online abuse at times. How tough was all that to deal with? It's tough, I've kind of like taken everything in and I'm in a really good place now. And looking back, it was pretty tough. Everyone goes through it in the AFL, so I'm not like crying poor here, but it was tough. It's a tough environment and I think it's got even worse. That's sort of the pressure and online abuse to the players. You know, you've got all the social media now. They can't go out and do anything. And just the pressure from supporters online is just some of the stuff I see now. It's just terrible. So I've really fueled for players. I know they get paid well and so on and so forth, but no one really deserves that kind of treatment in any workplace. No, absolutely, absolutely well said. Josh Greens my guest here on the devil's advocate mentioned about moving back here to Tasmania, around your family and friends that must have been the best medicine after going through what you did. Yeah, it was quite tough that period, but I just sort of be good to move home and be around family and friends and I've been away for nine years and I guess the opportunity popped up to come back to Clarence and play for the club that I really do love. And I had success at and kind of struggled again sort of for a little bit and I thought I needed to go back to Lindisfarne just to find that enjoyment with one of my best mates. So we made a bit of a pact to that I'd play with him before we all sort of finished. And that was one of the best moves I've ever made was to go back to Lindisfarne because then I found that enjoyment again and then the opportunity popped up to go back to Clarence for the last year or the two or so. And unfortunately injured at the moment, but you've been in some good form. We must be dying to get back out there. Yeah, it definitely was hard to watch on the weekend. We kind of probably took a step backwards, which is unfortunate, but some young guys got some opportunities. There's always a silver lining to those kinds of games. What about Tasmania coming into the AFL? As a proud Tasmanian, you must be absolutely over the moon to see the map there. It's right in front of you right now as we sit here. It's going to be pretty exciting, isn't it? It's fantastic. I'm obviously probably playing, which is unfortunate. I would love to have been in my time when I was playing or definitely would have come home for sure. I reckon to pull on the map, I got to do it as a mariner back in the day and it means so much to me personally because I've represented them before, but definitely excited for the next group of young boys and girls that are coming through the opportunities they have in the future and to see how passionate everyone is and the support that's behind it already is fantastic. Yeah, you must be not kicking yourself because you've had a great career. Obviously, in a lot of players, you grew up with good AFL careers, but to see what the young kids will have now moving forward, you must be pretty jealous. Oh, definitely. Oh, I am jealous. It's every kid's dream, you know, the opportunity to get drafted, but then let alone maybe stay in your home state and play in front of your family, friends, every second week. That's just fantastic. But I just can't wait to watch them and support them and maybe be involved at some stage. Last one before I let you go, would you like a role with the club moving forward, some description? Oh, if there's something there, I've got a real passion around development and I've got my own sort of coaching business on the side that I do one-on-one coaching. So I've just got a real passion for helping people, you know, whether it's football, life, whatever it is, and passing on the things that I learned during my career and if there's a role around development or something like that, that'd be great. Great. Great to see you doing so well, mate. And great to have you back here in Tasmania. Thanks for your time. On the Devil's Advocate and good luck to you and the Roo's moving forward for the rest of the TSL season. Thanks, Prince. Thanks for having me. Josh Green joining me in the studio, my special guest on the Devil's Advocate here today. We're off to our final break of the show, coming back to whip around the country next to see how our Tazzy players fared across Australia over the weekend. Thanks to Bachelorette here on the Devil's Advocate.