EFNL: WAFL premiership star, ex-AFL young gun Josh Deluca commits to Doncaster East
A four-time WAFL flag star and ex-AFL Docker and Blue will reunite one of state footy’s most dangerous midfields in the EFNL next season.
Eastern
Don't miss out on the headlines from Eastern. Followed categories will be added to My News.
He’s one of the boom signings of the Eastern league this off-season.
And he’s set to re-form one of state football’s most dominant midfields in recent memory.
Four-time WAFL premiership midfielder Josh Deluca will link with Subiaco premiership teammates Zac Clarke and Chris Phelan at Doncaster East next season, after committing full-time to the Eastern league top tier outfit.
The ex-AFL Docker and Blue played 10 AFL matches from 2015 to 2019, before spending the past two years at Box Hill in the VFL where he had been aligned to Doncaster East.
Initially drafted to Fremantle with pick 68 in the 2014 national draft where he played four matches, he earned another shot at Carlton with pick No. 1 in the 2019 mid-season draft where he played a further six.
But it was in the WA state league where he made his mark.
The midfield dominance of Deluca and Phelan, fed by Clarke in the ruck, helped the WAFL powerhouse to an undefeated flag season in 2018.
It was Deluca’s fourth flag, after saluting at Subi in 2014, before back-to-back premierships with Peel Thunder across 2016 and ‘17.
Lining up alongside the pair was a lure that had the 25-year-old listing Doncaster East as his “first choice” when coming back to suburban level.
The trio are close mates, with their football journeys overlapping at either ends of the country.
“(2014) was my first year with Chris Phelan and we won a premiership together that year, then (I) went to Freo and played with Zac (Clarke) for three years and then we both got delisted from Freo in the same year,” Deluca said.
“I went to Subi and Zac came with me, and then won another premiership there (in 2018).
“Then he went to Essendon and I went to Carlton – and so we’ve ended up in the same area again.
“We’re quite close friends, we catch up a lot … I’m looking forward to playing in the midfield with Zac and ‘Phez’ (Phelan) – Zac’s been pretty dominant in the ruck when I’ve played with him, so I can just imagine how he goes at Donny East.”
Deluca represented Western Australia at state level in 2019, taking out the Simpson Medal for best afield in a match against South Australia.
While he embarks on the Eastern league’s top division with a swag of accolades, he dismissed any feeling of pressure to perform.
“I know what I can do and how I play and what I’ll bring,” Deluca said.
“As long as I prepare well … I’m confident in my ability and I’ll do my best to put that out on the park. Everyone has good and bad days so I’m just going to be like everyone else I would’ve thought.”
Deluca, who works in commercial real estate, said time in the AFL system had improved him as a footballer, despite limited opportunities.
“It’s just the reality. Everyone’s going to be disappointed if they get delisted, I guess I’m just grateful that I got to be involved and play, I just would have liked to have done it for longer,” he said.
“Every time you go up a level in footy, it’s just another learning curve. You’re always looking to how you improve, best prepare for a game and you learn a lot about yourself as a player in terms of your strengths and weaknesses.”
He’ll be joined by brother Chris at the Lions next season with the midfielder/forward crossing from Southern league club Port Melbourne Colts, Doncaster East confirmed this afternoon.
Chris won the Colts’ best and fairest in 2019, finished third for the league’s top division honour this season and featured in Subiaco’s 2014 flag alongside brother Josh and Chris Phelan.
‘Stand with us’: Local footy club pushes to emerge from recess
A local footy club in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs has vowed to return from a year in recess. Here’s the latest and how you can get involved.
‘Crazy big game’: Local footy pair put up insane numbers
Two local footballers have produced numbers which have to be seen to be believed across the weekend with games over more than 60 disposals. See the breakdown.