St Mary’s NTFL recruit from Nightcliff with VFL Development League experience, Josh O’Brien, says injury hell is now forgotten

STAR St Mary’s recruit, and former NT Thunder, Nightcliff and Waratah player Josh O’Brien ready for a big NTFL season after undergoing two knee surgeries and a hamstring tear.

Former Waratah and Nightcliff player Josh O'Brien – a past NT Thunder Under-18 representative – is a key signing for St Mary's. Picture: JUSTIN KENNEDY

ALREADY at just 22, star St Mary’s signing Josh O’Brien has had a lot of maturing to do.

He suffered long-term knee and hamstring issues while at Northern Blues in the AFL Victoria Development League.

Which was why – after two knee surgeries and a Grade 2 hamstring tear – he could only manage three games with Nightcliff at Division 1 NTFL level last season.

But O’Brien – already training hard with Saints in pre-season sessions coming into the 2020-21 Premier League competition – says he is now feeling good and ready for a big campaign at the Green Machine.

“They (the injuries) are tough. It changes your perspective and makes you realise footy is not everything,” he told the NT News.

“(But now) I’m keen to play at St Mary’s. I’ve got some mates here, and me coming here will freshen things up for me.

“I’m feeling good and excited to play at a high level.”

O’Brien has enjoyed the gruelling pre-season training sessions at Moil Oval, with former Greater Western Sydney and Essendon player Shaun Edwards bringing a highly vocal presence and being one of the leaders.

“Shaun has been up and about and the sessions have been good,” O’Brien, also a former Waratah representative, said.

“I don’t think people are coming here for money. They just want to be in a good environment and play some good football.

“It should be a good season. There’s plenty of interest from down south because of the COVID situation.”

St Mary’s coach Anthony Vallejo says quality players want to come to the NTFL powerhouse, despite last year’s financial difficulties

Nightcliff captain Phillip Wills says the passion to improve at Tigers is as strong as ever, as it attempts an NTFL three-peat in 2020-21

NIGHTCLIFF Tigers are hammering themselves on the training track as they prepare to shoot for a third-straight NTFL title this pre-season, while their star signing is sitting in a room just 30km outside of Darwin

O’Brien is also an NT Thunder Under-18 NEAFL representative who has played for North Ringwood in the Eastern Football League in Victoria.

With a super competitive nature, it is no wonder he wants to raise the bar and bring his teammates along with him in the 2020-21 Premier League competition.

“I play half-back/flank, but I’d like to play through the middle in a pretty elite midfield this season,” O’Brien said.

O’Brien’s former North Ringwood teammate Liam Taylor is also set to fly up and quarantine for two weeks in Darwin, further bolstering the Saints squad.

And in other good news for the Green Machine, stars Anthony Wilson, Jack Geary and Jackson Paine have signalled their interest in returning from down south this season, and are highly likely to play.

“We’ve got a couple of others who have been in the works for a while,” Saints captain Shannon Rioli said.

“And with my brother Ben (at South Fremantle Bulldogs in the WAFL) who knows, we night have a few guys from Perth who might want to come up.

“Just having the reputation the club has has brought a lot of interest from guys down south.

“Blokes come up here and play, then go back down south, and then those clubs send a lot of guys our way.”

Star St Mary’s recruit Josh O’Brien pictured while playing for NT at the NAB AFL Under-16s Carnival at Southport. Picture: SUPPLED

Rioli said he was delighted to have O’Brien and fellow former Tiger, Harry Williams, on board.

Williams has also been a standout at pre-season training.

“They’re good young local players with Premier League experience while we build our core group,” Rioli said.

“You look at someone like Nick Yarran who came across as an under-18 player and he’s one of the leaders at our club now.

“And we’ve recruited well with local teams. These two guys have played quality football elsewhere.

“Harry is winning our running and fitness testing. He’s a pretty good specimen.

“No doubt he’ll lead the way for us, and not just come in and find his way.”

Wilson’s speed will be a massive asset for the Green Machine again this season.

“In his first season he came up for six weeks because him and my brother Ben are good mates from the (AFL Community for Indigenous players) Footy Means Business camp,” Rioli said.

“So whether he comes up and does two weeks or a month, we’ll get him up for a period of time where he can play some back-to-back games and train with the group.

“And he’s also got a business he wants to expand up here with local Aboriginal ingredients.

“So he might be expanding his business up here. There might be a market for him.

“Jackson Paine is super keen, and he came up here a fair bit when he was at Redland in the NEAFL. And he was one of our better players last season.

“Jack Geary is super keen to come back up.

“And Mike Manteit came up for a couple of games last season. He played at Southport and won a flag.

“I’d love to get him back up. He’s one of my best mates, but also a really good footballer.

“And he said he wants to come up here and win a flag at some point in his career.

“He wants to play high-level footy – whether that’s getting drafted, or having a VFL, SANFL or WAFL career.

“He wants to get the best out of his body and win a few flags, and he’s a godfather to my son as well.”