Josh Bruce Biography

Josh Bruce announces his retirement, effective immediately.

The versatile former Saint and Giant played eight games in 2023 to bring his career tally to 163 across 13 seasons at three clubs, but has been sidelined with a knee injury since facing GWS in round 20.

"I moved out of home at 17 to Sydney as a skinny, hyperactive little kid and I'm finishing here as a not-so-skinny, still hyperactive grown man, with two beautiful kids," Bruce said.

"I can rest my head on the pillow knowing that every grueling pre-season session, every rehab session and every game at three clubs, I gave my absolute everything."

Scans confirm that Josh Bruce has ruptured his ACL after he landed awkwardly in the third quarter against Greater Western Sydney and was helped off the ground at Mars Stadium.

Josh Bruce has joined the backline group this pre-season after pitching the idea to his coach in his exit meeting after the 2022 season.

"Coming back from my knee injury, I certainly wasn't playing the way I was capable of and certainly didn't have the confidence in my body when I was coming back and playing forward," Bruce said.

"I heard the rumour mill that Rory (Lobb) might be coming to the club and I just felt like I might get ahead of the curve. I had a chat at my exit meeting to the coaches about potentially doing some of pre-season down back and learning my craft down there. They were open to it and it's been a good summer so far."

Josh Bruce takes a significant step forward in his recovery from a knee reconstruction by running for the first time since surgery. Bruce isn’t expected to return to full fitness until August at the earliest.

Josh Bruce's 2021 season is over after the forward suffered an ACL knee injury in the dying seconds of the Bulldogs' loss to Essendon.

St Kilda trade Josh Bruce to the Bulldogs in exchange for picks 32 and 51.

Both clubs had been stubborn in their valuation of Bruce, with the Dogs not wanting to give up pick No.13, while the Saints had been adamant the Bulldogs' next selection (No.32) wasn't sufficient for the left-footer.

Bruce had been contracted by the Saints until the end of 2020 but accepted a four-year deal from the Dogs.

"We felt we needed to add an experienced key forward to our mix and Josh certainly fits that category," Bulldogs head of recruiting Sam Power said.

"Josh is a good athlete who competes well. He is a strong contested mark who consistently hits the scoreboard, as he has shown by kicking 36 or more goals in four of the past five years (injuries limited him to three games in 2018)."

St Kilda footy boss Simon Lethlean says the Western Bulldogs will need to offer more than pick 32 to land key forward Josh Bruce.

The Saints goalkicker is being lured to the Bulldogs on a four-year deal, despite having another season to run on his contract with the Saints.

"If they want to offer a four-year offer on big money then I don't think that's the right pick, but time will tell," Lethlean said.

"You don't want to put your stake in the ground too early, and if we get other things done and that helps us get things done we'll wait and see, but it doesn't feel quite right to me."

Josh Bruce will miss the rest of the 2018 season after fracturing a fibula in a collision with a teammate in a marking contest during training.

Josh Bruce is ruled out for up to two months with bone stress in his lower back.

Bruce had been carrying soreness but there had been no major concerns about him playing through that.

"You can imagine all those questions get asked, given his form over the last couple of weeks wasn't great," Richardson said.

"My understanding was he'd been a little bit stiff but was really comfortable that he was physically right to go. It clearly went to another level on Thursday (at training)."

Josh Bruce says his VFL demotion – in hindsight – was just what he needed to reinvigorate his flagging season.

Bruce led the Saints' goalkicking with 50 in 2015, but laboured through the first eight rounds this year for a return of 13 goals and only three contested marks, after averaging almost two a game the past two years.

"I wasn't holding on to marks I probably should have and wasn't kicking goals I probably should have, and just all-round, I was probably slightly out of form," Bruce said.

"It was good to get a little bit of a kick up the backside, so to speak, and go back and work on some things and get some touch back and come back in and go OK.

"At the time, you don’t think it's good, but in hindsight … it's a valuable commodity to have guys go back and work on their craft at potentially a lesser level."

Jarryn Geary will be the St Kilda's new captain for 2017.

Geary takes over the role from Nick Riewoldt, who was skipper for 220 games. That tally ranks Riewoldt third on the all-time list for most VFL/AFL games captained, behind Carlton's Stephen Kernahan (226) and Essendon's Dick Reynolds (224).

Riewoldt, Leigh Montagna, Sean Dempster and Sam Gilbert took themselves out of contention for the leadership group, and thus the captaincy. Those players, known as the 'four elders', make up the Saints' over-30 contingent.

"Before that vote, Montagna, Riewoldt, Gilbert and Dempster got up and said 'Don't vote for us, we're out. Time for you blokes to drive it. We think you're ready'," Saints coach Alan Richardson said.

Midfielder Seb Ross, Dylan Roberton and Josh Bruce are St Kilda's newest official leaders. They join Geary, Jack Steven, David Armitage, Jack Newnes and Maverick Weller.

"If we had six players who got lots of votes and then there was a gap, we'd have six (in the leadership group). As it turned out, we had eight, because those guys were voted in really strongly," Richardson said.

Josh Bruce re-signs with St Kilda for another four years to remain at the club until the end of 2020.

“Josh committing for a further four years is another strong endorsement of the direction the club is heading in,” St Kilda chief operating officer Ameet Bains said.

“At the age 23 and with his performances last year, Josh has quickly become an important and exciting part of our team."

St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt says Josh Bruce is well placed to prove his breakthrough 2015 season was no one-off after a strong preparation this summer.

"He's prepared really well, he's given himself every opportunity in the way he's prepared this off-season. And it's one thing to know how a player plays, to try to stop them is another," Riewoldt said.

"He just works so hard within games that he sort of makes his own luck."

Out-of-contract Josh Bruce says he is happy to stay at the Saints but isn’t in a hurry to sign a new deal.

"I think my manager and the club are in talks at the moment. I’m obviously happy at the Saints but I don’t think we’re in a massive rush," Bruce said.

"At this stage, [I’m] pretty happy."

Josh Bruce has been relishing his role as a forward for St Kilda since moving to the Saints from the Giants.

Bruce has booted 18 goals – including a career-best haul of six against Gold Coast in round two – to provide the Saints with an effective marking target.

"He was All Australian full-forward in our under-18s year; he kicked a few goals and always had really good hands," St Kilda ruckman Tom Hickey told SEN.

"I think GWS tried to turn him into a defender when they recruited so many forwards so when he got his opportunity (to play up forward for the Saints) he relished it.

"He works super hard and had a huge pre-season. He's almost doing the Nick Riewoldt thing where he tries to run his opponents into the ground, and it's working.

"I would hate to play on him."

After kicking nine goals in his career, Josh Bruce adds to his tally in a big way with six majors against Gold Coast.

"He's a very impressive athlete, he's a real competitor," St Kilda coach Alan Richardson said of Bruce in the aftermath of the 28-point victory.

"His preparation is outstanding, so there's no surprises he had that kind of performance.

"We need to keep it in perspective, it's only one night, but he had a real impact."

After being largely frustrated by his defensive role at the Giants, Josh Bruce says he's determined to make his move forward a permanent one.

"I probably feel more comfortable forward," Bruce said.

"Obviously I can give a good contest down back but I feel I can naturally feel my game up forward.

"It's a work in progress but making good steps."

Josh Bruce gets his wish to become a Saint after GWS finally relents and accepts pick 48 for the defender despite initially refusing to accept St Kilda's offer of pick 41.

GWS defender Josh Bruce is willing to use the pre-season draft to reach St Kilda if the Giants cannot agree to a deal with the Saints.

GWS have declined St Kilda's offer of pick 41 but the Saints are not willing to improve their offer.

GWS may have to fight to retain the services of out-of-contract defender Josh Bruce with a number of opposition clubs showing interest in the 21-year old from Canberra.

Josh Bruce makes his AFL debut for GWS at Manuka Oval with 8 disposals (4 kicks and 4 handballs), 2 marks, a tackle and a goal in a 42-point loss to the Western Bulldogs.