OVERVIEW

The contested ball magnet had a stellar 2017 season, as he was one of the key figures of the outstanding Western Australia Under 18s campaign. Joyce was one of the deputy vice-captains for the carnival with the bottom-ager averaging 21 disposals five tackles and four marks. He followed that by being a key part of a Colts Premiership for East Fremantle. Joyce's outstanding efforts in the finals campaign won him the honour of best finals player for the Sharks averaging 24 disposals, six marks and four tackles.

Joyce had all the key boxes ticked in terms of his progression to senior footy as he was also apart of the AFL Academy in 2018. Touted as a top 30 prospect, Joyce suffered a major setback when he missed the majority of this season with a persistent hip injury restricting the 18 year-old to just three games. It came as a double blow for the youngster as it was widely thought that Joyce would have led the Western Australia Under 18s in the carnival.

STRENGTHS

• Speed
• Accumulation
• Endurance
• Hard working leader
• Clean user in heavy traffic
• Big game performer

It is always nice to have players at your disposal who can kick their fair share of flashy goals and take high flying marks. However to be a successful side, you need to have a balance and those players who are willing to do the 'unfashionable things'  to get their side over the line on a consistent basis. Joyce is that player who runs hard, has nice speed and will lead a side throughout four quarters. He knows how to stand up in a finals series and is a player coaches and teammates can rely on to get the job done.

Despite being a small size for an inside midfielder, Joyce is more than willing to put his body on the line and win the ball for his team. With his clean hands under pressure, Joyce is able to distribute the footy and give it to the outside runners. The midfielder also has an extra string to his bow with his outstanding endurance allowing him to outrun his opponents.

IMPROVEMENTS

• Size
• Kicking efficiency
• Durability

While Joyce has certainly competed willingly in his role at under-age footy, it is a whole new level when you come up against much bigger bodies at senior level. Joyce comes in on the scales at just under 70kg which means a fair few gym sessions are in order as he aims to build up his upper body. Joyce was unable to build on his very solid body of work during the 2018 season, meaning that he runs the risk of being out of the forefront of club recruiters. Being unable to test at the AFL Combine would have been an added body blow to what has been a incredibly frustrating year for the inside midfielder.

DRAFT PROJECTION: 50+

SUMMARY

In all honesty, it is a fair bit of guesswork to predict where Joyce will be selected. If he had stayed fit and continued his strong form, it is reasonable to suggest that he would have been a second round prospect. However with the lack of matches under his belt, he is bound to have fallen down the draft order a fair bit. While there is a unknown factor on how Joyce will return following his lengthy spell on the sidelines, his work ethic and dedication to better himself tells you that he will respond to the challenge. On talent alone, he well and truly deserves to be on a AFL list next season.