Joseph's performance in amassing 19 touches opposed to St Kilda livewire Stephen Milne two weeks ago has earned him this week’s nomination as the NAB AFL Rising Star, but the 19-year-old says he knows he has done a good job when he receives acknowledgement of a different sort.
“I played on Brent Harvey in the NAB Cup. He’s probably been the hardest player to play on. One of my strengths is to get under a player’s skin, and he pretty much bashed me up on the day. He showed me a few moves I can use on future opponents,” Joseph said.
After spending last year on Carlton’s rookie list, Joseph earned a reputation for his hard work and close checking with the Northern Bullants in the VFL. He was elevated as a nominated rookie on the eve of the season, and has played every game since.
He says he is constantly trying to learn about the game, and has no hesitation in picking the brains of the very best.
“'Juddy' (Chris Judd) shows me a few things that can stop players from using their strengths. We’ve got some good tackling coaches at the club, and I tend to use them a lot,” Joseph said.
“Jordan Bannister has tagged a fair few of the good players in the AFL, so I’ve got around to him a few times at training to learn a bit off him. I’m just trying to use the resources around the club.”
Joseph was recruited to the Blues from Glenorchy, the same Tasmanian club that was also the original club of Peter and Paul Hudson, Rodney Eade and Daryn Cresswell.
While some would be fazed at the prospect of moving from suburban Hobart to the top end of Melbourne town, Joseph had no such hesitations.
“I barracked for Carlton as a kid, so it was pretty good getting all this Carlton gear when I arrived. I moved out when I was 16, so I was pretty used to living out of home. It takes a bit of getting used to things like training at 1pm. I’m used to training at 5pm, so it was a bit new. It’s been a good experience so far,” he said.
The lifelong Blues fan is a keen student of the club, and was proud to accept his jumper from the club’s last close-checking No. 45.
“Anthony Franchina came down a few days before my first game and gave me my jumper. It was really good to meet him and wear his number,” Joseph said.
As for the rest of the year, Joseph said his goals have not changed despite having already exceeded his own expectations.
“I want to play consistent footy and not get too far ahead of myself. I have probably flown under the radar a bit, but that might change now. The real test is to hold my head up high and try to play consistent footy.”
