Before we get to the thought of Josh Bruce pulling on an Eastlake Demons jumper with his brother, we'll start with his knee.
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"Look, the knee is not real good," Bruce said.
"It got blown out completely, I did both my meniscus and my MCL, and obviously the big one, the ACL."
Which means Bruce might not be gearing up for a pre-season training session any time soon.
Not that you'd expect him to. After bringing down the curtain on a 13-year AFL career, Bruce has earned a moment to breathe.
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Bruce's second knee reconstruction in the space of two years brought his 163-game career to a premature end after stints at the GWS Giants, St Kilda and Western Bulldogs.
The 31-year-old has moved home to Canberra to be closer to family as he raises his own - and he wasted little time in putting an Eastlake return on the table.
Bruce's older brother Aaron has been a mainstay in the Demons' forward line and was named in the AFL Canberra team of the year this season.
So a few defenders in the AFL Canberra competition may have felt a shudder when Bruce posted a photo of the pair after a game in the Giants' early days with the caption: "Can't wait to play with this bloke again next year".
But whether the boots come on again remains to be seen.
![Josh Bruce has moved home to Canberra after ending his AFL career. He's keen to play alongside his brother again. Picture by Adam Trafford Josh Bruce has moved home to Canberra after ending his AFL career. He's keen to play alongside his brother again. Picture by Adam Trafford](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/36vwtM5n3dmMVgNPycRBEHz/4a4c82e6-53c0-4f33-ba7c-a5b8b7f174f3.png/r0_0_1717_1067_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"Funnily enough we played a Giants [pre-season] cup together in about 2011 against Carlton at Manuka," Bruce said.
"He was a top-up player and I was obviously listed, but we never played for Eastlake together. We played juniors, I'd play three games a week - I'd play at his age level and play at my own age level - but never a senior Eastlake game.
"It may be one to tick off the bucket list, we'll see.
"We'll just see how the rehab goes. I'll be watching fondly. I might do a bit of coaching, but I'm not sure if the boots will come on or not. You'll be the first to know."
Bruce kicked 234 goals during his AFL career and twice finished as his club's leading goal kicker [St Kilda in 2015 and Bulldogs in 2021] - and he wastes little time in picking his favourite memory.
![Josh Bruce finished his career as a Bulldog. Picture by Adam Trafford Josh Bruce finished his career as a Bulldog. Picture by Adam Trafford](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/36vwtM5n3dmMVgNPycRBEHz/c6828f6b-b793-44f5-8ecc-c5c32e1ed601.jpg/r0_77_3464_2025_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
It was the day he turned Good Friday into a great one, booting 10 goals in the Bulldogs' 128-point demolition of North Melbourne in 2021.
But a pair of knee injuries in 2021 and 2023 limited Bruce to just 13 games in his final two seasons.
Some clubs are said to have been sniffing around Bruce for 2024, but the key forward - who was drafted by GWS as an ACT zone selection in 2010 - opted to walk away.
"I made the call with my knee in conjunction with the club. I'm getting a bit long in the tooth. I'm 31, I'll be 33 by the time I'm right to go again at AFL level," Bruce said.
"The mental stress of making yourself be in the top one per cent in the country, it's tough, it's really hard. I just didn't have it in me anymore, to be honest with you.
"There's a weight off the shoulders in terms of the rehab side of things and I can just try to live my life a little bit. It's good to be home with family support.
"It was not the way you want to go out, but I think over time, especially coming home, you realise how special it is to play even one game of footy let alone 180-odd. It's one of those things I'll definitely look back on very fondly.
"The short-term is very busy with kids and family. They don't give a crap that I've played any games, so it's pretty funny. I'm just dad to them."
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