Joshua "Josh" Francou is a former Australian rules football

Australian rules football

Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...

er in the Australian Football League

Australian Football League

The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

 (AFL).

Port Adelaide (1997–2006)

Debuting with Port Adelaide

Port Adelaide Football Club

The Port Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club based in Alberton, South Australia, which plays in the Australian Football League and the South Australian National Football League...

 as a 22-year-old, Francou was part of Port Adelaide's inaugural team. He was one of the clubs best players, playing every game, averaging a respectable 15 disposals per game as well as kicking 16 goals for the year. He played every game the next season also, averaging 16 disposals. In the 1999 season, Francou missed out on just three games. Port Adelaide played in their first final in that year, losing to the Kangaroos

Kangaroos Football Club

The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...

 by 44 points.

The 2000 season was a good one for Francou, averaging 22 creative disposals a match. He continued to average over 20 disposals the next season, kicking 7 goals in both years. In 2002

2002 AFL season

-Round 2:-Round 3:-Round 4:-Round 5 :-Ladder:All teams played 22 games during the home and away season, for a total of 176...

, he once again averaged over 20 disposals, and for the first time since 1998, played in all games.

Injuries and retirement (2003–2006)

In his early career in the SANFL, Francou dislocated his left knee so badly it bent 90 degrees, forcing him out of the game for over a year. In recent times, he has been ravaged with knee-reconstructions, one in just his second game of the year in 2003

2003 AFL season

Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2003.See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.-National Cup:...

, and then another injury to his other good knee in Pre-Season 2004

2004 AFL season

Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2004.See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.-Wizard Home Loans Cup:The Wizard Home Loans Cup Final saw St...

. He was able to play every game except one in 2005 (despite battling osteitis pubis

Osteitis pubis

Since 1924, osteitis pubis has been known as a noninfectious inflammation of the pubis symphysis causing varying degrees of lower abdominal and pelvic pain. Osteitis pubis was first described in patients who had undergone suprapubic surgery and remains a well-known complication of invasive...

). He injured both his left and right knee.

On 23 August 2006

2006 AFL season

Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2006.-National Cup: 3.10.5 defeated 1.10.15 in the 2006 NAB Cup Final...

, Francou announced his retirement after playing only 23 games since his knee reconstruction in 2003, and no games in his final year (2006).

Since retirement (2006–)

Josh has joined radio station 5AA, replacing [ Russell Ebert]] as special comments commentator. He also writes for the Adelaide Advertiser.

Josh Francou has also worked as a part-time Physical Education teacher at Banksia Park International High School

Banksia Park International High School

Banksia Park International High School is a high school in Banksia Park, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It enrolls about 900 students. The school has a large and well-established international programme, started in 2000, and is accredited as an International High School by the Council of...

 and Pulteney Grammar School

Pulteney Grammar School

Pulteney Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, co-educational, day school, located on South Terrace in Adelaide, South Australia.- History :...

 in South Australia. He taught at Prince Alfred College

Prince Alfred College

Prince Alfred College is an independent, day and boarding school for boys, located on Dequetteville Terrace, Kent Town, near the centre of Adelaide, South Australia...

 and now teaches at St Peter's College, Adelaide

St Peter's College, Adelaide

St Peter's College, , is an independent boy's school in the South Australian capital of Adelaide...

.

AFL Statistics

• Games – 156
• Disposals – 3020
• Av Disp per game – 19
• Goals – 72
• Behinds – 81
• Accuracy – 47%

External links