Team GWS signs RAMS player Josh Bruce
Team GWS is pleased to announce the signing of yet another talented footballer with Canberra born Josh Bruce committing to the club for the next three years.
As the first signing for GWS from Canberra, 18 year old Bruce becomes the first ever player to graduate onto the club’s AFL list from the inaugural TAC Cup side.
Bruce, who moved to Sydney at the start of 2010 to finish his schooling whilst training with GWS, has returned home to Canberra after wrapping up his National Championships campaign with the NSW/ACT RAMS where he impressed up forward in a number of the games.
The exciting key position player said that he was over the moon to be in Canberra to share the news with his family and friends.
“It’s just so exciting – I’m really pumped about the future now, I feel like it’s all just coming together.
“Everyone at Team GWS has invested in me and showed a lot of faith. The work that Al McConnell has done with me on a personal level after I moved to Sydney makes this feel like it is the right move for me.
“The class of the personnel they have up there is just second to none. I know it’s the right place for me to be to keep developing as a footballer and as a person.
“To be honest, It’s been a tough year, I think I’ve really learnt a lot though. Moving and changing schools was always going to be hard but the support from Al and Heath James has really made me see the bigger picture. The player welfare really has been sensational.”
Bruce started playing football at six years of age in the local Canberra junior league. Aside from a two year stint with St Edmunds College, Josh played both his junior and senior football with Eastlake Football Club.
“By signing with GWS I can still have a close connection to home in Canberra and I think that’s going to be a huge strength for this club. We have a really strong AFL community here. There is a lot of talent to be tapped into. We can really develop a strong supporter base and offer kids a real opportunity.
“I just feel really privileged to have been a part of this the whole way. I was lucky enough to be involved in the inaugural TAC Cup season and run out for that first game. Hopefully I’ll get to run out for the first ever AFL match too, I think that would be a pretty nice story to tell.”
Team GWS High Performance Manager Alan McConnell said that the club was extremely impressed with the development Josh has shown in his time with Team GWS.
“Josh is a really strong competitor with excellent endurance for a big man. There aren’t a lot of big competitive key position players that can run the lines as he can.
“He’s been a steady improver over the course of the season which is what has excited us. He’s not up and down, he has been consistently improving over the year. We believe there is considerable more improvement to come.
Team GWS Head Coach Kevin Sheedy said that he was impressed with the talent that was coming out of the Team GWS zone.
“This is a great signing, not only for our club but for the Canberra community. I’m happy that we can offer this opportunity to Josh which he has worked so hard for, and that we can demonstrate the very real pathway we are providing to young footballers from the region.
“Canberra has a very rich AFL community. I think this is the start of a great future for all young footballers from the region and that they can see the very real and lasting commitment this club has to our zone.”
Josh Bruce now becomes the seventh player signed to Team GWS, joining southern NSW recruits Kurt Aylett, Anthony Miles, Sam Schulz and Mark Whiley along with NT duo Shaun Edwards and Curtly Hampton and NRL star Israel Folau.
