Josh Corbett

Josh Corbett
Personal information
Full name Josh Corbett
Nickname(s) Corbo
Date of birth (1996-04-23) 23 April 1996 (age 28)
Original team(s) Werribee (VFL)
Draft 2018 Special Assistance Signing
Height 190 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight 90 kg (198 lb)
Position(s) Forward
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
2019–2022 Gold Coast 36 (33)
2023–2024 Fremantle 5 (3)
Total 41 (36)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2024.
Career highlights
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Josh Corbett (born 23 April 1996) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Gold Coast Suns and the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Early life

Corbett was raised in the regional Victorian town of Warrnambool and grew up playing football for the North Warrnambool Eagles in the Hampden Football League.[1] As a teenager, he was overlooked by his region's TAC Cup team North Ballarat[2] but continued to make his way through the local levels of football in Warrnambool. After finishing second in North Warrnambool's 2015 senior best and fairest award at the age of 19, Corbett was invited to take part in preseason training with the Werribee Tigers and impressed enough to be signed prior to the commencement of the 2016 VFL season.[3] He gradually adjusted to the higher standard of competition by improving his fitness and made his senior VFL debut for Werribee in August 2016.[4] By early 2018, Corbett had cemented his place in Werribee's forward line and strung together nine consecutive games in which he kicked 22 goals. He also led the VFL in contested marks and marks inside 50.[5] His outstanding start to the season came to a halt in round 12 when an errant poke to his left eye from a Frankston opponent obstructed his vision and resulted in a blood clot forming in his iris and pupil.[6] He went temporarily blind in his left eye for a month due to the incident and was unable to return for the rest of the 2018 season.[7] Despite only playing half a season, Corbett was awarded the Fothergill–Round–Mitchell Medal as the VFL's most promising young player.[8] During his time with Werribee, he was personally sponsored by former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.[9][10]

In October 2018, the Gold Coast Suns signed Corbett to a four-year AFL contract with the use of the special assistance state league priority access granted by the AFL.[11]

AFL career

Corbett made his AFL debut for Gold Coast against the Brisbane Lions in round 6 of the 2019 AFL season, and kicked two goals in his first game.[12]

Following the conclusion of the 2022 AFL season, Corbett was traded to Fremantle in exchange for a future fourth round pick.[13] Corbett kicked two goals during round 20 of the 2023 AFL season in Fremantle's 7 point win over Geelong at Kardinia Park.[14] Corbett suffered a hip injury in late October 2023 which required surgery, and as a result missed the entirety of the 2024 AFL season. At the end of that season, Corbett announced his retirement at the age of 28, then signing for an off-field role with Fremantle's Fans & Community department.[15]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of 2023[16]
Legend
  G  
 Goals
  K  
 Kicks
  D  
 Disposals 
  T  
 Tackles
  B  
 Behinds 
  H  
 Handballs 
  M  
 Marks
Season Team No. Games Totals Averages (per game) Votes
G B K H D M T G B K H D M T
2019 Gold Coast 19 9 3 8 50 31 81 40 14 0.3 0.9 5.6 3.4 9.0 4.4 1.6 0
2020[a] Gold Coast 19 7 3 6 45 17 62 31 7 0.4 0.9 6.4 2.4 8.9 4.4 1.0 0
2021 Gold Coast 19 16 23 11 101 41 142 78 12 1.4 0.7 6.3 2.6 8.9 4.9 0.8 1
2022 Gold Coast 19 4 4 1 12 12 24 12 2 1.0 0.3 3.0 3.0 6.0 3.0 0.5 0
2023 Fremantle 19 5 3 3 23 10 33 20 2 0.6 0.6 4.6 2.0 6.6 4.0 0.4
Career 41 36 29 231 111 342 181 37 0.9 0.7 5.6 2.7 8.3 4.4 0.9 1

Notes

  1. ^ The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

  1. ^ "North Warrnambool Eagles export Josh Corbett joins Gold Coast Suns". Warrnambool Standard. 8 October 2018.
  2. ^ "Gold Coast mature-age recruit Josh Corbett has come from the clouds to make it to the AFL". Fox Sports Australia. 26 April 2019.
  3. ^ "Josh Corbett joins VFL side Werribee Tigers". Warrnambool Standard. 9 February 2016.
  4. ^ "North Warrnambool Eagles' forward Josh Corbett soars in his VFL debut for Werribee". Warrnambool Standard. 1 August 2016.
  5. ^ "Meet the VFL forward your AFL club needs". AFL.com.au. 24 June 2018.
  6. ^ "From bed-ridden to AFL bound". AFLplayers.com.au. 9 October 2018.
  7. ^ "Spring-heeled Sun buzzing before belated debut". Fox Sports Australia. 27 April 2019.
  8. ^ "Josh Corbett: 2018 Fothergill-Round-Mitchell medallist". werribeefc.com.au. 12 September 2018.
  9. ^ "Get to know our new recruits: Josh Corbett". goldcoastfc.com.au. 10 October 2018.
  10. ^ "VFL Round 14 Report: Box Hill Hawks VS Werribee Tigers". werribeefc.com.au. 23 July 2017.
  11. ^ "How a sun emoji sealed new Gold Coast spearhead Josh Corbett's unconventional path to the AFL". Fox Sports Australia. 9 October 2018.
  12. ^ "North Warrnambool Eagles' Josh Corbett makes mark in AFL debut". Warrnambool Standard. 28 April 2019.
  13. ^ "Deal done! Corbett on board at Freo". fremantlefc.com. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  14. ^ Welsh, Sophie. "Dockers shock has Cats' flag defence hanging by a thread". afl.com.au. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  15. ^ "Docker calls it quits after injury-plagued career". afl.com.au. 13 September 2024.
  16. ^ "Josh Corbett". AFL Tables. Retrieved 5 April 2022.