By Aaron Kirkby-Rodier – @AzKirkby9
Brendan Goss shot to prominence after appearing on ‘The Recruit’ during season 2014 but after a successful spell in the VAFA he is now plying his trade out at SEN Park for Balwyn.
Originally from Warragul, Goss would start his junior football close by at Garfield.
“I didn’t play for Warragul I played for Garfield which is about 15 minutes out of Warragul, played there for a few years with my good mates.”
“We were getting belted by a hundred points every week and I was 14 or 15 so you can imagine how skinny I was then. It was tough local footy you had all the club legends telling you how to play footy it was a good upbringing into footy.”
After playing most of his juniors with Garfield Goss would move on and attend Xavier College where he would play school football.
“I left in 2005 in year 10, some say the parents shipped me off to boarding school but it was a bit of a mutual decision I wanted to get out of the small country town.”
“Moved to Xavier and went there for three years pretty much didn’t have any real desire to go back to Warragul. Since I finished school I’ve really just stayed in Melbourne working in property.”
After finishing school Goss would stay with “Xavs” and play his senior football.
“When I finished school I went straight into Under 19’s footy, I went well enough during that year that I got the call up to the seniors. I played the second half of the season in the seniors and both the seniors and 19s made the grand final, the club gave me the choice of what I wanted to play and I chose to play in the 19s with my mates.
“As luck would have it we lost and the seniors won.”
Despite his rare talent Goss has always had a laid back approach to the game and tried not to take it to seriously.
“Never really taken footy to seriously in the respect that I’ve never really tried to get to the next level, it’s just been something that keeps me out of trouble and gives me something to do on weeknights, on the weekend and my mates play it.”
Old Xavs are one of the strongest sides in the VAFA and Goss has enjoyed a successful tenure with the club tasting the ultimate success.
“We won the flag in 2013, Chris Waller was I that team as well. We were always a dominant team I think at one stage we had been involved in 8 of the last 10 grand finals so there was a pretty big expectation at the club to make finals and do well.”
“It was a good club to be a part of, a really successful one.”
A new reality TV show would hit the screens during 2014, ‘The Recruit’ and Goss would become a fan favourite throughout the series with his jovial personality. He would almost go all the way but he would be forced to leave the competition near the pointy end with a stress fracture.
“My coach at the time mentioned it and I pretty much said no thanks because taking a few months off work is a pretty big commitment. But then I thought I may as well go along and have a crack.”
“I went in not really expecting much and being a pretty laid back sort of person I had a go but to get as far as I did was great and to really challenge myself and do something really different.”
Now back on the footy field at local level Goss has experienced some of the highs and lows of being a part of the high profile series.
“I cop a bit of flack for it but I will look back on it and had the opportunity to do things that a lot of people would be jealous of. It was good to take myself out of my comfort zone. The last few years there has been some expectation and pressure once you start playing some decent footy.”
Opportunities would open up for Goss to take the next step, as he would sign for a VFL club during season 2014.
“Probably had about 3 or 4 clubs interested and I ended up signing for Essendon VFL but had a stress fracture at the end of the show so I was in a moon boot for about 12 weeks so I thought it was best to finish the year at Xavs.”
During the offseason Balwyn would snatch up Goss and good friend Chris Waller from Old Xavs many surprised by the stars switch from the VAFA, but there is a good story behind the move.
“It’s a funny story. I wasn’t really keen on moving but on our silly Sunday we were at a nightspot and the Balwyn boys were there and they’d just lost the grand final to Norwood. We were all a few beers deep and I ended up having a few with them and thought to myself these boys aren’t too bad fellas. It was just in jest to start with saying no worries boys ill be there next year.”
“A couple of weeks later “Nutsy” (Daniel Donati) gave me a call and said look I know it was 3am and we were at the bar but is it something you would consider, I was sort of um-ing and ah-ing and Waller was pretty keen so I said I’ll go along to the meeting and expecting a half an hour meeting we were still there at 10 or 11 o’clock and I just felt I wanted a change.”
Goss and Waller would join Balwyn, two massive recruits for the club. Not an easy decision for Goss but Donati had made a similar move during his career.
“It was made easier as well because Nutsy had done it in the past going from Old Xavs to Noble Park so it was easy to relate to him and the club seemed pretty close to premiership success.”
Only being at Balwyn a short time Goss has already seen what a great culture the tigers have.
“Balwyn is a great club with great people, all the way from the President to the Coach to the bloke who pumps up the footys.”
After making the move from the VAFA Goss speaks highly of the EFL and his new teammates.
“The quality of footy is great, I knew that coming in. The most difficult thing has been playing alongside the likes of Barker, Broadhurst, Gobbels and Murray they’ve been around for years and at the start of the season I sort of thought I needed to come out and kick 5 or 6 goals but I’ve learnt that if I just kick 2 or 3 goals and play my role that goes a massive way to helping us win.”
At the beginning of 2014 Goss tore the EFL apart kicking 5 goals in the Interleague encounter and with the EFL set to clash with VAFA again next March, could we see Brendan Goss line up in the new colours?
“If I am asked certainly, it would be great. I’d obviously relish the challenge to represent the EFL and I reckon their would be a few interesting conversations out on the field. Fingers crossed I can get a few kicks later in the year and put my hand up.
Even though he is now apart of the EFL Goss still reminds his new teammates of how the game ended last year.
“I do remind Nutsy and Rennie of the score and how many I kicked don’t worry about that.”
Brendan Goss has come to the EFL with a big reputation and he has certainly lived up to it. He will be a crucial cog in the Tigers pursuit of success in season 2015 and beyond.