Comeback clash long awaited for boom recruit
The wait has been longer than he would have liked but there won’t be any complaints when Josh Green makes his return to TSL football.
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THE wait has been longer than he would have liked but there won’t be any complaints when Josh Green makes his return to TSL football.
A decade after playing his last match for Clarence — a second consecutive premiership in the 2010 grand final — the livewire forward will line up for the Roos against rivals Glenorchy.
Making the comeback all the more special is it will unfold at Richmond Oval, a ground he grew up living near in his junior days and where his dad played all his career.
“I lived out there until I got drafted, so there are no complaints from me playing out there,” Green said.
“Dad played all his senior football out at Richmond so the occasion has actually worked out really well.
“First game back in 10 years and it is at Richmond, my home town, it is quite special.”
Green, who kicked 132 goals in 105 games with Brisbane and Essendon, missed the Roo’s season opener against Lauderdale after suffering a broken nose from a clash in an intraclub match the week prior.
It added to the frustration after the COVID-19 pandemic stalled his return by four months, and now the 27-year-old is itching to get back on the park with his teammates.
The two-time Lions leading goalkicker is also prepared for what will come his way from both opponents and spectators, having played last year in the VAFA with Uni Blues.
“I wasn’t planning to play my first game in late July but it is what it is. I’m really excited and looking forward to playing with this group.
“They are quite young but they have a lot of potential. Hopefully I can play my part this Saturday, I reckon I will be a bit rusty but hopefully I can get on the end of a couple which would be nice.
“It is still going to take a bit more time to get used to this brand of footy, a bit different to Melbourne but in terms of sledging and what they will probably try and do to someone who has dropped back a level, I am quite ready for that, and looking forward to it as well.
“I know what to expect from people watching or players I am playing on.
“A lot of people had a lot of things to get off their chest, I didn’t handle it that well, I bit back a little bit and now I will just shut my mouth and get to work and play my role.”
That role is set to be forward with bursts in the midfield, with Green tempering any extravagant expectations.
“My body is a little bit banged up, I won’t be the player I used to be.
“Coming back, the enticement … is trying to help guys. People like [Cameron] Thurley were helping me when I was a kid so if I can have an impact on guys like Ollie Davis, and Sam Banks and these guys coming through, it would be good.
“Hopefully play in a third premiership would be nice as well, but I just wanted to come back and do my bit and pass on what I’ve learned.”
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