And now, Josh Wells has his sights set on becoming a big name in AFL.
The Westleigh athlete made headlines across Australia when he signed a $250,000 deal to join Major League Baseball club, the Toronto Blue Jays, aged 18, in 2006.
Towering at 198cm and wearing a mammoth size 15 shoe, Wells spent five years as a pitcher with the team, after 10 clubs clamoured to get him.
He enjoyed years of daily training and games against other global names including the New York Yankees, and lived with teammates in Toronto.
But devastation struck when an injury forced him to retire.
Wells, 27, who started playing the sport with Thornleigh Baseball Club, after moving to Australia from the UK aged seven, admitted he became depressed when forced home to Australia in 2012.
“It was probably the best six years of my life,” Wells said.
“There was a little Josh Wells fan club! I had a torn rotator cuff, from wear and tear. I had surgery and got back, but the ball just didn’t come out the same. It was heartbreaking.”
When he got back to Hornsby, Wells was at a loss at what to do with his life.
But a chance meeting with an old friend saw him come up with the idea of trying AFL, despite not even knowing how many people were on a team.
Now he’s playing for Pennant Hills Demons, and wants to go professional.
And with his height and fitness, he believes he’s got what it takes to play professionally.
“I’m giving it everything I’ve got,” Wells said.
“Hopefully, if I have a good season, I will get noticed by the right people and I might have the chance of being a mature-age rookie. The reason I started is because it’s so different from baseball.”
Pennant Hills AFL president Phillip Hare said he’d never seen somebody improve as much as Wells.
“With another year or two under his belt, it will be interesting to see how far he goes,” Hare said.
Last Modified on 09/03/2015 09:53
