Hard work starting to pay off for Woodville-West Torrens AFL draft prospect Josh Morris
Woodville-West Torrens almost axed him from its junior squad but Josh Morris is proving the doubters wrong and is shaping up as one of SA’s top AFL draft prospects.
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Josh Morris was almost cut from the Woodville-West Torrens under-18 squad at the start of this year.
After playing only one under-18 match in 2018, Morris admitted to turning up for pre-season training after the Christmas break unfit – and was accused of being unprofessional.
But he was determined to prove the coaches wrong.
Fast-forward 10 months and Morris is firming as one of SA’s top AFL draft prospects after lining up in eight reserves and seven under-18 games, including the Eagles juniors’ grand final win.
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He also featured with the state under-18 side at the national championships in June and was invited to test at this month’s AFL national draft combine.
Players require the interest of at least four AFL clubs to win an invitation to the national draft combine.
“Leading into the start of normal training (this year) I was told I was in jeopardy of being cut from the Eagles team,” Morris, of Rosewater, says.
“I was sort of not committed to the training program we were given during the off-season and I came back super unfit.
“They (coaches) took it like I didn’t want to be out there.
“That’s kind of when I flicked a switch and said ‘If I want to play footy at a decent level, I have to start taking it a bit more seriously.’
“It set a fire in my gut and I wanted to prove them wrong and show I wanted to be out there.
“So every training I’d rock up early and do extras, then ask the coaches what I could do better, listen to their advice and stick to what they thought I could do to become a better player.”
The 186cm, 76kg forward’s elite speed was on show at the draft combine, when he broke the three-second barrier in the 20m sprint.
Morris, who turns 18 two weeks before next month’s AFL draft, is proud of how far he’s come and says hard work is behind his rapid rise.
“I’ve worked with Sean Baker at PEAQ Conditioning and we’ve done stuff to not necessarily work on running but work on the technique to improve the speed aspect,” the Rosewater Football Club product says.
“I was very shocked to get an invite to the national draft combine and even making the state team this year shocked me – I didn’t expect this year to turn out how it has.
“I’ve had lots of support from the Eagles and my local footy club, Rosewater, they’ve both played a big part in helping me become the player and person I am today.”
Morris, who spoke to Carlton, Hawthorn and Fremantle at the combine, is set to watch the AFL draft at home with family, including his mother, Kellie, and father, Matt.
“I’m feeling very nervous but it’s been a very exciting year,” the Henley High Year 12 says.
“It would mean the absolute world and be a dream come true to get drafted.”
The 2019 AFL national draft spans over two days on November 27 and 28.