Talented Gold Coast SUNS rookie Josh Hall could have been preparing to pull on the green and gold of Australia at next month’s Olympic Games, but instead he'll be pulling on the red guernsey of the Gold Coast SUNS and applying himself in the Club’s NEAFL side against the Brisbane Lions this Saturday afternoon.

At just twenty-two years of age, Hall had the world at his feet, he was an elite high jumper who had all but booked his ticket to London when an impromptu appearance as top up player for a regional club unearthed a natural flair for footy, capturing the imagination of AFL talent scouts and setting chins wagging.

It was the beginning of an exciting new journey for Hall, the switched on and versatile tall wears guernsey #46 is as much a scholar as he is an athlete, having just completed his studies in Clinical Exercise Physiology at James Cook Institute in his hometown of Townsville.

Josh will graduate at the end of the year and has just a couple of practical units left to complete. He says his fingers are crossed he can use his foot in the door with team medicos Chris Gaviglio and Nathan Carloss.

“I have always wanted to be a physio, and I’m glad to have finished studying but I have set a lot of goals now and want to focus on my sporting career first. My degree will always be there.

“I basically had to decide if I wanted to go to the Olympics for high jump or move to the Gold Coast to begin my footy career. It was obviously a very tough decision and I had to see sports psychologists because it was breaking me down.

It was a tough decision, but one Josh is at ease with despite the global attention which his sport and the Olympic Games will receive during the next month.

“Ultimately, the opportunity was there for the taking and the fact that I have always had a passion for team sports, like soccer, rugby league or touch football helped me make my decision. Watching the Olympics this year will be hard, but I made my decision and I stand by it.”

When asked what the highlight has been for the young Queenslander making the switch to a new sport and a big move to a newly established footy club, the answer came without a beat.

“Growing up in North Queensland as a rugby league fan, I have always looked up to Karmichael Hunt. Meeting him was amazing. He kind of took me under his wing and has looked after me. Whenever he’s around I am still star-struck by him, he is just a great bloke.” Hall said.

Selected by the Gold Coast SUNS in the 2011 Rookie Draft, Hall has been playing football for just two years and has showed strong potential in his nine games, including a memorable outside 50 goal against the Giants reserves side. Hall was one of many in GC SUNS red who kicked a major against Broadbeach on the weekend.

NEAFL Reserves coach, Shaun Hart said Josh has fallen in love with the game and is showing very promising signs on field as part of the reserves squad.

“When Josh first played with the reserves, he had only played 4 or 5 games where he’d made about 20 marks and had 20 disposals, which is almost unheard of.

“He struggled to find the middle of the sticks early on in the season, but broke through with a long range goal against the Giants, and he hasn’t looked back.

“He is a prime example of an elite athlete who has come into a new sport and is learning very quickly how to be the best. He is very humble and very coachable so I think he will have a bright future in AFL footy,” Hart said.