Josh Deluca

{{Short description|Australian rules footballer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}

{{Use Australian English|date=January 2018}}

{{Infobox AFL biography

| name = Josh Deluca

| image =

| fullname = Joshua Deluca

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1996|5|11|df=yes}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| originalteam = Subiaco (WAFL)

| draftpick = No. 68, 2014 National draft, {{AFL Fre}}

No. 60, 2016 Rookie draft, {{AFL Fre}}

No. 50, 2017 Rookie draft, {{AFL Fre}}

No. 1, 2019 Mid-season draft, {{AFL Car}}

| height = 181 cm

| weight = 85 kg

| position = Midfielder

| years1 = 2015–2017

| club1 = {{AFL Fre}}

| games_goals1 = {{0}}4 (2)

| statsend = 2019

| years2 = 2019

| club2 = {{AFL Car}}

| games_goals2 = {{0}}6 (4)

| games_goalstotal = 10 (6)

| careerhighlights = *2x {{WAFL|Sub}} premiership player 2014, 2018

• 2x {{WAFL|PT}} premiership player 2016, 2017
• Simpson Medal 2019 (State Game)

}}

Joshua Deluca (born 11 May 1996, also known as Josh Deluca-Cardillo) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who most recently played for the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Deluca made his senior football debut in 2014 for Subiaco in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) and was a member of their 2014 WAFL Grand Final premiership winning team. He was then drafted with the 68th selection in the 2015 AFL national draft by Fremantle. In 2015 he switched to play for Peel Thunder in the West Australian Football League (WAFL), Fremantle's reserve team. He played in his second WAFL premiership in 2016 when Peel won their first ever flag.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wafl.com.au/match/league-subiaco-v-peel-thunder-grand-final-2016|title = Subiaco v Peel Thunder - Grand Final - 2016 (League) | WAFL}}

Deluca was delisted, and re-drafted twice by Fremantle{{cite news|url=http://www.communitynews.com.au/fremantle-gazette/news/afl-rookie-draft-former-dockers-taken-as-freo-selects-two-youngsters/|title=AFL Rookie Draft: former Dockers taken as Freo selects two youngsters|date=28 November 2016|first=Jessica|last=Nico}} before he made his AFL debut for Fremantle in round 14 of the 2017 AFL season, when Fremantle lost to Geelong at Simonds Stadium by 2 points.{{cite news|url=https://thewest.com.au/sport/afl/josh-deluca-joins-sean-darcy-as-fremantle-dockers-debutants-against-geelong-ng-b88516924z|title=Josh Deluca joins Sean Darcy as Fremantle Dockers debutants against Geelong|date=23 June 2017|access-date=25 June 2017}} He was again delisted by Fremantle at the conclusion of the 2017 season,{{cite web |title=Fremantle list update |url=http://www.fremantlefc.com.au/news/2017-10-06/fremantle-list-update |publisher=fremantlefc.com.au |date=6 October 2017}} after having played in his third WAFL premiership when Peel Thunder defeated Subiaco by 16 points.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wafl.com.au/match/league-peel-thunder-v-subiaco-grand-final-2017|title = Peel Thunder v Subiaco - Grand Final - 2017 (League) | WAFL}}

Season 2018 saw Deluca return to the WAFL and re-join Subiaco.{{cite web |title=Josh Deluca Rejoins Subiaco |url=http://www.subiacofc.com.au/news/13762/josh-deluca-rejoins-subiaco |publisher=Subiaco Football Club |date=13 November 2017}} Once again, the season ended in another WAFL premiership win, his fourth, when Subiaco defeated West Perth in the first Grand Final held at Optus Stadium.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wafl.com.au/match/league-subiaco-v-west-perth-grand-final-2018|title = Subiaco v West Perth - Grand Final - 2018 (League) | WAFL}}

Deluca was selected in the WAFL State Team which played the SANFL as a curtain raiser to the Fremantle v Richmond game at Optus Stadium on 12 May 2019. His 29 possessions and a goal saw him voted WA's best player and was awarded the Simpson Medal.{{cite web |last1=Pike |first1=Chris |title=State Game Match Report – SANFL pips WAFL at Optus |url=http://www.wafootball.com.au/news/17021/state-game-match-report-%E2%80%93-sanfl-pips-wafl-at-optus |publisher=West Australian Football Commission |date=12 May 2019}}

On 27 May 2019, Deluca was selected with pick one in the mid season AFL draft by Carlton Football Club{{cite web |author1=Carlton media |title=Blues select Josh Deluca |url=https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2019-05-27/blues-select-josh-deluca |date=27 May 2019}} and later that year was not offered a new contract.{{Cite web|url=https://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2019-10-19/carlton-makes-list-change|title=Carlton makes list change|website=carltonfc.com.au|language=en|access-date=2019-10-19}} After being delisted by the Blues, he remained in Victoria and signed with the Box Hill Hawks (Hawthorn's VFL/reserves team) in the hopes of resurrecting his AFL career once more.{{cite web |last1=Schmook |first1=Nathan |title=WAFL premiership star Josh Deluca signs with VFL club Box Hill for 2020 |url=https://thewest.com.au/sport/afl/wafl-premiership-star-josh-deluca-signs-with-vfl-club-box-hill-for-2020-ng-b881414705z |publisher=The West Australian |date=18 December 2019}}

On 10 October 2021, Deluca requested a trade out of Box Hill to head back to his home state, Western Australia. He returned to his home club (Subiaco) for the 2022 season onwards in the WAFL.