Over the next week almost 100 new players will enter the AFL system – most of them 18 years old and some less –they will be bright eyed and bushy tailed. Their lifelong dream will be reality, but they all know the hard work is just about to start.

Some will make a career and their fortune from doing something they love, but most will be gone after six years, some will be gone even sooner.

Whatever the outcome and whenever it comes to an end, they will say it went by too fast. For Josh Toy it went by in the blink of an eye.

Two years after becoming an AFL player he was gone. In isolation this is not a big deal, some are gone after one year, but the reality is Toy’s 13-game career was expected to last much longer.

If the 2010 National Draft was an Easter yearling sale, he might have been the top bid. Had Toy not already been signed to the Gold Coast as an underage selection, he may have rivaled Dave Swallow for top billing.

A booming right foot kick, with a strong frame, a feel for the game in the mold of Luke Hodge and a solid citizen too – his entry into the AFL might have gone under the radar, but once on the Gold Coast he was expected to make waves.

Toy was born to play AFL. Every recruiter worth his salt knew this, but what they didn’t know is he was also born with a heart defect, one that would limit his aerobic capacity and eventually his AFL career.

Toy was diagnosed with a congenital heart blockage during his first pre-season with the Suns and given the devastating news he would never play football again.

Eventually it was ruled he could play-on without risk, but he knew his time trial results weren’t as good as others and he wasn’t getting the same benefits from altitude training.

In the cut throat world of AFL, where players are poked and prodded until a weakness is found, this one was too glaring for the Gold Coast to overlook.

All 17 other clubs agreed and Toy was passed up during the 2012 draft period. As quickly as Toy was taken into the nursery, he was thrown from the cot.

Twelve months on, Toy is happy and healthy. He has gained clarity and perspective, and invites the next challenge, whatever that be.

This year he split his time between the VFL with Essendon’s reserves, the club he supported growing up, and his junior club, Aberfeldie.

He is loving football again and the opportunities to strip back the layers of life to focus on what’s important.

“There were times in the last few years that I felt so down and so absorbed by football that I really didn’t see any enjoyment from it whatsoever,” Toy says.

“There were times in the last few years that I felt so down and so absorbed by football that I really didn’t see any enjoyment from it whatsoever” – Josh Toy

Toy doesn’t feel aggrieved or robbed, by how his script has unfolded. He doesn’t feel like a part of his self has been ripped away with little notice – football never defined who he is.

Pure and simple, he was the same guy at Penleigh Essendon Grammar School (PEGS), as he was at the Gold Coast Suns as he is now at RMIT University studying Physical Education.

“I never thought that or relied on footy talents to define who I was, I always thought that character was something bigger than footy skill and I hope that everyone else thinks the same thing,” he says.

“I don’t think I was ever defined by football. People that I’ve been friends with in Melbourne, yes I’m not playing in the AFL system anymore, but they are still interested in what I’m up to in terms of my study and what I’m up to in terms of my family.

“Anyone that knows me fairly well didn’t necessarily say anything about the footy side of things, not that they didn’t care – they loved the fact I was playing at AFL level – but they were more interested in everything else that was going on…”

Toy hasn’t given up on his AFL dream and the versatile defender believes he still has something at AFL level.

He is firm in denying homesickness was a factor in his demise at the Gold Coast, but he admits finding balance in such a stressful environment was a factor.

“Everything was solely footy focused, so if you had a bad week in footy it was hard to escape from thinking about it and get away from it a little bit. It didn’t become monotonous but it became so solely focused on footy stuff it was hard to reach out and think about other things,” he says

“Everyone says that I was homesick, but its funny I wasn’t that homesick.

“By no means was I disappointed I had to move interstate – I loved the opportunity to be up there, but I think everyone would jump at the opportunity to move home and play in your home state.”

Toy still loves football and follows his ex-Gold Coast and junior teammates with interest, scrolling through his Twitter feed is a strong indication he is a sports lover.

If he doesn’t get another chance at AFL level, he hopes to remain involved in the game, potentially in a coaching role down the track.

In fact, he has made some inroads down that career path, taking charge of the Year 8A PEGS basketball team. Yet, despite the retirement of Ken Fletcher (long-time First XVIII coach) Toy doesn’t yet have designs on a more senior job.

“I told him to hang on a couple of more years,” he laughs.

His advice to the young players coming into the AFL system is to take on board every piece of advice, accept the help and guidance of coaches and senior players and have something away from football.

“At the end of the day not everyone is going to play 10 or 15 years. I’m a perfect example. I only played two years and I’m out, so having that balance for me personally would be the main thing you have to look at.”

“Whatever it is make sure you’ve got something on the outside to focus on because in the negative times you don’t want to be focusing on football and worrying about to many different things.

“The more you can do on a broad spectrum the better your football will be for it.”