NSW/ACT Player of the Week: Josh Bruce

By Alison Zell

In the last week GWS GIANTS backman Josh Bruce has turned 21, played one of the best games in his short career, and been compared to a three-time premiership winning defender.

After a stilted start in his debut year, Bruce is now injury-free and working on cementing a spot in the GIANTS’ backline, with Hawthorn superstar Dermott Brereton this week likening Bruce to ex-Brisbane full-back Mal Michael.

”I played one year at Collingwood and saw a young kid who couldn’t get a game in the reserves called Mal Michael,” Brereton told The Canberra Times.

”I looked at that, and there’s a size and a shape there that I reckon’s worth persevering with, and Josh Bruce has got every bit of that capability.”

Brereton, who works as a forwards consultant for the GIANTS, often calls on Bruce to mark fellow teammates when taking them through attacking drills.

”I’d say he’s probably 18 months away from standing shoulder-to-shoulder with [Collingwood’s Travis] Cloke and [Geelong’s Tom] Hawkins and those type of fellows,” Brereton said.

Bruce has seen Brereton’s comparison, but is typically humble when asked his thoughts.

“I did see that,” Bruce said.

“Dermie might have been using some poetic license but I’m just trying to play my role for the team and do my bit each week.”

Growing up in the nation’s capital with three older Brothers, Bruce followed their footsteps into AFL.

“Obviously it’s (AFL) not the main sport in Canberra and all my brothers and my dad all played footy growing up so I just wanted to be like them,” he said.

“Especially my older brother Aaron, he was obviously a very talented player himself … He got rookied (by the Sydney Swans) in 2008 but wasn’t lucky enough to get another contract but he’s been a good player down at Eastlake the last few years.”

The Eastlake product was one of the first players to sign with the GIANTS and featured in the club’s Under-18 TAC Cup team in 2010. He believes the introduction of the GIANTS to western Sydney has opened the door for NSW and ACT products to make it in the AFL.

“The GIANTS were huge for a lot of our ACT/NSW boys,” Bruce said.

“I had the typical pathway … I did as many Rams programs as I could and got involved and was lucky enough to have a good carnival at Under-18s level and made All-Australian.

“I was already in Sydney playing with GWS in the TAC Cup … I had a good carnival and they offered me a contract from there.”

Bruce has been around the club a lot longer than many of his new teammates and has seen it grow from just an idea, to a fully-fledged AFL club.

“It’s been a massive transformation,” Bruce said.

“We used to travel out to Blacktown twice a week just to train with Sydney boys and local boys here and there and then travel down to Melbourne each week to get pumped by TAC Cup teams by 100 points.

“In 2011 we got the 17-year-olds (priority selections) and some draft picks and it really started to take shape and then obviously last year was our first year and it really took off.

“Out at Blacktown, having that facility out there was great for us and then this year we’re currently at Sydney Olympic Park and next year we’re going to be at our brand new facilities.

“It’s chalk and cheese from where we started.”

It took until Round 5 last year before Bruce was selected in the team but he made a dream debut, as a late call-up for the injured Chad Cornes, to play in front of his home crowd at Manuka Oval.

“I was an emergency and Chad Cornes went down with a calf complaint and I was lucky enough to come in and kick a goal so it was a pretty good debut,” Bruce said.

“But straight after that I went down with stress fractures in my back so missed about eight games of footy.

“It was pretty disappointing but injuries are a part of footy and it’s all about timing and I’ve been lucky enough this year to stay injury-free and managed to string a few games together.”

It took until Round 6 this year but some strong performances for the UWS GIANTS in the NEAFL earned Bruce a senior call-up and he has impressed, playing every game since, including arguably his strongest game yet against Geelong last weekend.

“I’ve been working on a few things with all the coaches defensively and stuff and with my positioning,” he said.

“The way I see it and the way the coaches see it, if you get all those little things right then the rest kind of falls into place.”

A proud Canberran, Bruce is pleased with the decade-long commitment the GIANTS have made to his home town.

“I think it’s massive for Canberra, especially to have a team to call their own,” he said.

“There have been a lot of teams come and go through Canberra like the Western Bulldogs and the Kangaroos and none have really got a stronghold like the GIANTS have.

“The majority of our members are from Canberra and also regional NSW, it’s massive for them as well.

“Obviously the Swans are doing really well and we’re up-and-coming and it’s great for the game.”

This week may have been a big week for the now 21-year-old, but he is just taking it one week at a time and not worrying too much about Brereton’s comparison.

“Hopefully I play this weekend against Port and have a good game and then we’ve got the mid-season break,” he said.

“Hopefully I can just play as many games as I can for the rest of the year and take it from there.”