James Podsiadly Biography

Adelaide defensive coach James Podsiadly leaves the club to pursue business interests.

"James is a quality person with a sharp football brain and he gave our club great service as a player and most recently as a member of the coaching panel," Crows head of football Brett Burton said.

"He was keen to stay involved and we discussed several possibilities but ultimately he has other life goals and interests to fulfil. We wish James and his wife Claire all the best for their future plans."

Adelaide hopes James Podsiadly's career as a forward will be useful in in his new role as the club's defensive coach.

"In essence it's now that ability to teach the defence how to play more like a forward, in anticipation of where the ball's going to come in and how you actually gather those intercept marks and generate offence," Adelaide head of football David Noble said of Podsiadly.

"What he can bring is some key position development, some of that real craft of forward and back. The package he brings is really good."

Retired Adelaide veteran James Podsiadly will stay with the club as an assistant coach for season 2016.

The 34-year-old will oversee the club's defenders, having played the bulk of this season in defence in the SANFL.

"I've thoroughly enjoyed my time at the club and am excited to continue my journey here by transitioning into a coaching role," Podsiadly said.

"I always wanted to stay involved and this opportunity was too good to ignore.

"I look forward to working with the Crows' exciting and developing backline."

James Podsiadly calls time on an incredible career that personified the value of persistence and self-belief.

The 34-year-old bows out with 104 senior games to his name – including the 2011 premiership with Geelong – and 195 goals.

"The Adelaide and Geelong supporters, I can’t tell you how much they’ve embraced me and my story," Podsiadly said.

"I just want to thank them for their support, and all the people who made the decision to take a risk on me, whether it was at Geelong or here at Adelaide.

"To achieve what I have from a team perspective, I’m very grateful and thankful for.

"I’m proud of those achievements, but I’m more proud of the people that I’ve met who have helped me get here."

A fractured bone in James Podisiadly's back has stalled the playing career of the Adelaide veteran.

Podsiadly was injured in the club's opening SANFL game of the year against North Adelaide, limping from the field after receiving an innocuous hit to his back.

The club's head of football David Noble initially said there wasn't anything structurally wrong with Podsiadly's back and that he had suffered only "severe bruising".

But the full extent of the injury – a fractured bone in his back – was discovered last week and the Crows predict it could sideline the 33-year-old for at least a month and up to six weeks.

Adelaide coach Phil Walsh has declared there's no room in the club's best 22 for veteran James Podsiadly – at least for the immediate future.

"I still think 'Pods' has got some roles to play for the club. Will it be every week? No," Walsh said.

"It's round one, let's just wait for the season to get going.

"I've been really happy with what Pods has done so far. At this point in time, though, I'm happy to go with Kyle Hartigan down back and Josh Jenkins up forward.

"They're probably the two spots I'm looking to use Pods though at some stage."

James Podsiadly says Crows defender and teammate Daniel Talia should be the 2014 All-Australian full-back.

"If you look at the halfway mark of the season, he's done a fantastic job at stopping some of the game's elite forwards," Podsiadly said.

"I look at the in-form backmen in the comp and I reckon he's right up there … when it comes to game day he's executing his role for the team immensely well, so I hope he gets rewarded down the track."

Kyle Hartigan credits his solid early season form to mentoring from Crows senior recruits James Podsiadly and Eddie Betts.

"'Pods' has been a great mentor, he's been around for a long time – I sit down and do my edits (game review) with 'Pods' every week and he goes through and gives me the forward's aspect of my positioning," Hartigan said.

"I know for Luke Brown, Rory Laird over the pre-season coming to training and playing on Eddie Betts, one of the best small forwards in the game, every training session gives you every confidence when you go out and play.

"Them coming into the club and passing on their knowledge and being able to play on the good players has really benefited our group."

Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson says recruit and former Cat James Podsiadly has provided invaluable insight into his former team as the Crows prepare to take on Geelong in their 2014 season opener.

"We've certainly leaned on 'Podsy' a fair bit in the last couple of weeks just to make sure there's nothing we haven't missed," Sanderson said.

"He's been great. There's probably a little bit of pressure on him too, playing against his former club in round one."

After squaring up many times together at training in the past, Tom Lonergan now looks forward to taking on former teammate James Podsiadly in the Cats' opening round match against Adelaide.

"He was a great player for Geelong over so many years, and I respect him highly," Lonergan said.

"He's a pretty smart footballer, knows where to run. He's got a lot of good attributes.

"He's obviously a pretty strong sort of fella and moves really well, and he'll be pretty keen to show Adelaide his worth."

James Podsiadly says he has no issues with Taylor Walker returning from injury to join him in the Crows' forward line.

"It's actually exciting because 'Tex' is a player who wouldn't get in the way of any of the things going on when he gets back in the side. I think he's actually quite selfless [in] the way he plays his footy," Podsiadly said.

"From that perspective it's going to be really great to see him back in the team.

"He's training really well, he's training with the group. They're obviously holding him back because he's such an important part of this footy club and the team."

Despite his age, Adelaide recruit James Podsiadly says he still has plenty to offer his new club.

"Whatever I've done over the last couple of years at Geelong, I want to be a better player at Adelaide," Podsiadly said.

"I've got to go against the trend. I know physically and mentally I'm right, but just learning the game is where I think I can improve and take my game forward.

"I don't know what a 32-year-old footballer is supposed to feel like, but from what I've been told I don't feel like that.

"I'm not here to fill spots or fill numbers, I'm hopefully here to make an impact."

After being delisted by the Cats, 32-year old James Podsiadly signs a two-year deal with the Crows.

"The most attractive aspect [of the move to Adelaide] was the way [Adelaide list manager] David Noble and the club presented their vision of where they want to take this group," Podsiadly said.

"I'm excited about starting the pre-season in a new state, at a new club and with a new group of guys. I can't wait to get over there and get started."

Dockers football manager Chris Bond says Fremantle are interested in key forwards James Podsiadly and Scott Gumbleton.

"The feedback we're getting is James is really keen to continue his career and really keen to strive to get another premiership under his belt, and hopefully we're a club he can see that in," Bond said about Podsiadly.

"Either of those two (Podsiadly or Gumbleton), if it was to eventuate, has to be desperate to play, and keep doing everything they can to improve our club."

James Podsiadly hopes to continue his career with another club after being delisted by Geelong.

"Geelong has developed some fantastic young players who now deserve the opportunity to take the club forward," Podsiadly said.

"I would like to wish the next generation all the best and I hope they all have as much fun playing for the Cats as I did."

Cats coach Chris Scott expresses disappointment after James Podsiadly becomes the latest Cat to cop a suspension this year along with Jimmy Bartel and Steve Johnson.

"We accept that the game is sometimes a line-ball thing when it comes to these incidents," Scott said.

"But to stand up here and say, 'They've been really line-ball and it's not as if we've got a huge problem, they're all one- or maximum two-week things,' kind of misses the point a little bit.

"We've put ourselves in a position now where we need to be extremely careful. Now Pods has hurt the team by not being available this week.

"So collectively – the players, coaches and administrators within the Geelong Football Club – we need to work harder to address these things."

James Podsiadly will miss a week after accepting a one-match ban for striking St Kilda's Jack Steven.

James Podsiadly has been training as a defender with a view to moving to the Cats' backline in 2013.

"Obviously he has played a lot forward, so he knows what that is about, so he is just getting a look at playing down back at the moment," teammate and Cats full-back Tom Lonergan said.

"He is one of those players that is pretty versatile, can play anywhere (and) is so strong and quick. He has got a great footy brain so I'm sure he'll adapt pretty well to playing anywhere."

Geelong forward James Podsiadly will become the 13th oldest VFL/AFL player to reach 50 games when he runs out against Collingwood.

"Four years ago I never thought I'd get one game, let alone 50," Podsiadly said.

"But (Geelong recruiting manager) Stephen Wells and (football manager) Neil Balme gave me an opportunity almost three years ago and I just wanted to take it."

Geelong forward James Podsiadly is substituted out of the Grand Final after leaving the ground due to a dislocated shoulder.

James Podsiadly has come a long way from being the warm-up supervisor in Geelong's last grand final to being the full forward this year.

"I was the warm-up supervisor," he said.

"I took the warm-up and celebrated hard after [the game]."

Hawthorn draftee Isaac Smith says Michael Barlow and James Podsiadly have broadened the recruiter's horizons, allowing older players to play AFL.

"I'm just happy that Barlow and Podsiadly have opened the door and created some hype around VFL players because there are a lot of good players running around," Smith said.

Geelong's James Podsiadly faces a three-match ban for a head-high bump on Carlton's Bryce Gibbs and may miss the start of the Cats' finals campaign.

Geelong coach Mark Thompson says surprise star James Podsiadly has exceeded his expectations.

"I didn't think he would be as good [as he's been]," he said.

"When we got him I thought 'Oh yeah, well he'll play some footy' ... but he's just in the team. He's part of the 22 and if he keeps it up, he's not going out. He's in our best 22, so it's an amazing story."

Mature-age rookie James Podsiadly had no explanation for the roar he received from the Cat faithful after kicking a bag of five goals against the Power at Skilled Stadium.

"I can't explain it," Podsiadly said of his rapid rise to near-cult status.

"That was pretty surreal to be honest. I was wondering if Gary Ablett was running behind me when I was running off."

James Podsiadly makes his AFL debut for Geelong with 17 disposals (9 kicks and 8 handballs), 11 marks and 2 goals in a 7-point loss to Fremantle.

Geelong will unveil mature-age forward James Podsiadly in Sunday's clash with Fremantle. Podsiadly was named at full-forward in place of the suspended Cameron Mooney.

"It was something that I never thought would happen (before this year)," Podsiadly said of his selection.

"I feel like I prepared well over the summer and now the important thing is to take the opportunity and do whatever the team needs me to do. I can't wait to get over there and play."

James Podsiadly has been elevated from Geelong's rookie list in place of injured youngster Mitch Brown who has been placed on the long-term injury list.

"James is in the mix for selection and so it was an easy decision to upgrade him," Geelong football manager Neil Balme said.

"It doesn't mean he will play this week, but he played all the way through the practice-match schedule and if the match committee want him he is available."

James Podsiadly's former Werribee coach Simon Atkins believes that Podsiadly has what it takes to make it in the AFL.

"With his maturity, he is so well prepared. He's strong and people don't realise how quick he is on the lead for someone who is 194cm," Atkins said.

"He can play the bear in the square or he can get it on the lead.

"With his power and speed on the lead, if he's got blokes giving him the footy lace-out, he'll come at it pretty hard.

"The other thing is his left foot kick. When he's on song he doesn't miss."

James Podsiadly left Werribee for Geelong last year to pursue a career as part of the club's fitness and conditioning team.

However, after winning the team's VFL best and fairest, Podsiadly was picked up as a mature-aged recruit in the 2009 rookie draft.

"They put some stuff on the table and asked whether I wanted to go down this track (of becoming a mature-aged rookie) or if I wanted to continue down the track with my fitness career at the club. I just jumped at (a chance to play AFL)," he said.