EFNL 2025: Ex-AFL Giant – now social media star – Josh Growden signs at Oakleigh District

One lucky suburban footy club has signed a second former AFL player in a matter of days – only this one turned up on its doorstep. Latest here.

Ex-AFL Giant Josh Growden has signed at Oakleigh District. Picture:Wayne Ludbey

It’s a second big signing in a matter of days for one suburban club – but this one walked in off the street.

Former AFL Giant – now social media sensation – Josh Growden has linked with Oakleigh District, after the Eastern Division 3 club unveiled AFL great Dane Swan as an ace for its finals push earlier this week.

Growden – otherwise known as ‘The Kicking Consultant’ – has amassed a social media following of more than 80,000 as a kicking coach since his whirlwind AFL stint finished more than a decade ago.

The 32-year-old was an inaugural member of the Greater Western Sydney Giants’ squad before injuries put paid to his time at the top level, delisted at the end of 2013 without playing a senior match.

He later spent four years at Louisiana State University in the US, where he pulled on the boots as a gridiron punter.

Oakleigh District playing-coach Blake Pearson said Growden lives around the corner from Princes Highway Reserve and had frequented the ground for work.

“Our ground is where he films most of his content, and where he does some of his kicking lessons with his clients – he came down for a few training sessions,” Pearson said of Growden, who made a cameo appearance for the Oaks on June 14 with Swan.

Playing in a recent charity match alongside online AFL content creators and comedians for the ‘Div 12 Ressies’ in South Australia, the fire was lit for Growden to sign a contract with the Oaks for the rest of the season.

“I think he just enjoyed being back playing football, and luckily enough he’s keen to see out the rest of the year,” Pearson said.

The Woodville-West Torrens product boasts a raking kick and is set to feature in defence for an Oakleigh District outfit currently seventh and two games out of the top-five with six rounds left.

“He’ll probably play half-back – when we played Silvan, he kicked out from full-back and he basically kicked to centre half-forward,” Pearson said.

“He’s got a really big kick, and I think he had 29 possessions and two goals that game, so he was handy off half-back for us.”