Josh Fahey eager to line up for GWS Giants in Manuka AFL clash

Josh was in year six and desperate for a day off school. So off he went to an Aussie rules gala day with all of his close mates.

Fahey quickly fell in love with the sport, the decision setting him on a trajectory to the AFL.

Given his dad's deep ties to rugby union, through both the John I Dent Cup and ACT Brumbies, it could have been a controversial move. But Adam didn't hesitate to support his son's sporting endeavours and urged Josh to chase his AFL dream.

"The more sports young kids can play, the better," he said. "They all have different skill sets that can be used in any walk of life. Anyone who's coached him has played a part in his journey and where he's got to.

"The first sign we thought 'hang on, he might be pretty good at this' was at under-15s nationals where Josh made the All-Australian team. Then he got picked again at under-18 level for Australia and was best on ground in that game, that's where it really sunk in that this might be a reality."

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Fast forward to today and Fahey has emerged as a GWS Giants secret weapon as the side has soared to five-straight victories.

The midfielder made his AFL debut in round 11 and has won three of four matches in the top flight. Just last week the Queanbeyan junior rescued his team when he was injected into the contest in the fourth quarter as the substitute and kicked a crucial late goal in the 71-57 victory over Adelaide.

Less than 24 hours later, Fahey was back on the field and leading the Giants VFL team to a victory over Frankston.

The 19-year-old praised GWS coach Adam Kingsley for providing him with the freedom to play his way and said he's determined to spend as much time as possible in the top flight.

"That's the best way to improve your game," Fahey said. "There's a massive jump between VFL and AFL level. It's difficult at times to compare them, they're two very different competitions.

"For me, the more I play AFL, the better I'm going to get. I don't think it's ever going to be easy but there are little things you pick up each week that help make it easier so I do feel the more I play AFL, the better I will get."

Fahey will return to Canberra with the Giants this weekend, however will have to wait until Thursday to learn his selection fate.

The VFL team will play in a curtain raiser before the AFL clash against the Gold Coast at Manuka Oval, the youngster desperate to feature in the main event.

Fahey has mixed emotions of the last time he played at the ground, Queanbeyan falling in an under-18s grand final after Ainslie kicked a goal after the siren.

The Giants record at Manuka has been poor in recent years, the side losing their last nine at the ground. On the flip side, they have won five games on the trot and will arrive in Canberra desperate to break the drought.

"One of my goals at the start of the year was to play in front of my home crowd," Fahey said. "Whether it's this week or in the near future I'm not sure, but as long as I put my best foot forward at training I'll give myself every chance to play.

"We have struggled lately at Manuka, which isn't ideal for our supporters. The more games we win there, the more people we'll get and the better it will be. This week we're looking to make a big stand in a massive game for us in terms of the season and our hopes of playing finals. We're in a good place at the moment but it won't be an easy task."

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