Dear Footy Tragics,

I must start by apologising for last week, where my article went missing in action. Basically, I couldn’t access the internet for three days, hence the “technical difficulties”.

Moving on and this week I look at Josh Toy, the young man from the Aberfeldie football club in the Essendon and District Football League. Toy was regarded as a certain top three draft selection by most recruiters, before the Gold Coast swooped.

Toy is a medium sized defender (185cms, 87kgs), known for his poise across half back and his penetrating kicking. Toy turns 19 in April next year and assuming he remains injury free, I expect him to be a certain starter for the Suns in Round 1 2011.

Here is a quick snapshot of Toy’s last three years of footy:

  • 2008 – Represented Vic Metro at the NAB AFL Under 16 National Championships;
  • 2009 – Represented Vic Metro at the NAB AFL Under 18 National Championships, played 5 matches, averaged 21 disposals per game and made the All Australian team. Toy also played for the Calder Cannons in the TAC Cup and his school side, Pentleigh and Essendon Grammar (PEGS);
  • 2010 – Toy has played three games for the Gold Coast in the VFL and has been named in the best twice. Toy is playing most of his footy with his school side PEGS, as he completes his schooling in Melbourne. Toy will move to the Gold Coast in November this year, after he has completed his Year 12 exams.

For those of you unfamiliar with the private school football competition in Melbourne, let me tell you that it is a very strong competition. The majority of Melbourne metropolitan draftees play in this competition in Years 11 and 12. Toy first played First XVIII football for PEGS when he was in Year 8, which is truly remarkable.

Having played the majority of his junior career across half back, let’s hope we can select Toy as a defender in 2011. If this is an option, I expect Toy to be inserted into over 50% off all dreamteams in 2011.

Good luck in your finals this week!