Joe Knowles was out of the A-Leagues system for years, but he never gave up. Now, the 26-year-old is reaping the rewards at Brisbane Roar, writes Sacha Pisani.
In the A-Leagues wilderness for four years. It’s long enough to at least raise doubts over a return, if not, kill that dream.
After his Perth Glory release in 2018, Joe Knowles was left to pick up the pieces in the real world. But even as he was forced to take on full-time work as a fence installer while juggling life in the NPL, the Perth-born striker never gave up hope.
“It was pretty tough,” Knowles told KEEPUP as he reflected on his Glory departure. “I was in the youth team for four years and the senior team for a year. I was at the club for five years and then Tony Popovic came in and I didn’t really get a chance to show what I was worth.
“He brought in a lot of good players, which was unfortunate for me. But that’s just the way football happens sometimes.
“I had to find a way elsewhere. I knew my time in the A-League wasn’t done. Since then, I was pushing to get back into the A-League. I had a brief stint in Scotland for six months but that didn’t work out due to training compensation fees, which was unfortunate for me not to continue playing professional football.
“But everything happens for a reason.”
Given an opportunity by Brisbane Roar having impressed on trial, Knowles is back in the A-Leagues after a lengthy absence and feeling like he belongs.
He was playing NPL football for Oakleigh Cannons in Victoria and flying up to Brisbane to earn a contract with the Roar.
With a deal in hand, Knowles – who has started all three games this season in the Isuzu UTE A-League – was man of the match in Brisbane’s 1-1 draw at Western Sydney Wanderers last week.
“I always had confidence in myself that I would get another chance. Whether it was a contract or a trial, I always knew I was going to get something,” the 26-year-old said as the Roar prepare to host Luis Nani’s Melbourne Victory on Saturday.
“When it came around, I left nothing on the table. I gave it everything because I wanted it so badly. Being in that professional environment, growing up for five-six years at Perth Glory, it’s all I kind of really knew.
“Then having to start working full-time, it hit me pretty hard. Then after working a year full-time, I knew even more that I wanted to get back into it (the A-League).
“The move to Melbourne was a big step for me because I was pretty comfortable in Perth. I didn’t really need to leave but I had to push myself out of my comfort zone and go over to Melbourne to give everything to get another chance because I didn’t think it was possible to get back into the A-League in Perth.”
I was just a number in Perth
A Glory product, Knowles signed his first senior contract with Perth in 2017-18 after four years with the NPL team.
In total, Knowles made 15 appearances for the Glory in the A-League Men, though only five were starts, scoring once. But, he never felt apart of it.
“What I learnt from my time at Perth Glory is that I felt I was kind of used as an extra number. I wasn’t there on merit,” Knowles reflected.
“It was always when the numbers were down, the players were out.
“I feel like this time around, I deserve to be there and I deserve to be playing. That gives me a lot of confidence.
“The gaffer Warren Moon [Brisbane Roar head coach] has put a lot of confidence in me starting me in these first three games. I just want to do well for him and the team.”
‘Oh, what a stitch up’
While he didn’t feel truly part of the Glory squad, Knowles is definitely in the thick of it at the Roar, and it comes after a memorable pre-season.
Pre-season is in italics as Knowles was on trial during Brisbane’s pre-season amid Oakleigh’s Championship pursuit in NPLM VIC.
“My actual everyday job of fencing was a lot harder than flying around and playing football. That took a toll on the body,” Knowles said.
“I think I was on cloud nine. Getting to train full-time with an A-League team again. I was leaving Melbourne to go up to a sunny Brisbane every second week and getting back to play with my good mates in Melbourne on the weekend to secure silverware.
“At that period of time, I was loving life. I don’t think I felt anything in my body. I was pretty numb.”
Trying to earn that coveted contract, Knowles really announced himself in a memorable pre-season showdown against Premier League visitors Leeds United at Cbus Super Stadium in July.
Knowles scored against the iconic club from England, all after he thought he was being pranked by coach Moon. It was a goal four years in the making.
“I was excited to be given a couple of weeks on trial in Brisbane and then the gaffer came to me and said he wanted me to play in a game against Leeds.
I was thinking, ‘oh, what a stitch up’. I’ve come up here and thought hopefully I could play against an NPL team, score a couple of goals and prove myself. He’s come in and said I’m starting against Leeds.
“It was a great moment. I was more excited than nervous. I knew this was my opportunity to prove to everyone that I do belong at this level. I was waiting four years for this opportunity. I knew I’d go out there and give everything. I wasn’t going to be nervous. I was going to be confident and I wanted to prove to everyone I am good enough.
“I enjoyed it from the start. I got a goal as a result for all the work I put in over four years.”
What he learnt from his absence
Knowles’ time outside of the A-League Men was challenging but rewarding.
Linking up with legendary Victorian football coach Chris Taylor originally in 2019, Knowles was the star man as Oakleigh clinched their first ever NPL Championship this season, while enjoying a fairytale run to the Australia Cup semi-finals.
“He [Taylor] knew from the first day my aim was to get back to the A-League and he was happy with that,” said Knowles. “He always happy to help me out to get back to where he thought I belonged as well.
“To have someone like that as your coach, it only benefited me and it showed in the games. The way he let me play was to let me express myself. There might’ve been times I didn’t track back 50metres to defend a ball but then we’d win the ball back and I’d be on the counter and score a late winner.”
With 13 goals in 2022, Knowles also scooped a pair of Football Victoria awards – the NPLM VIC Gold Medal (alongside Heidelberg’s Kaine Sheppard) and the Players’ Player of the Year Award.
But what did Knowles learn after his four-year absence?
“As a younger player, you obviously want to listen to the older players but you hear a shout, you play a ball simple and don’t usually play your own game,” he said.
“I think playing at a good level in Melbourne, I learnt that my own ability is good enough. Sometimes you do need to take risks and do what you believe is the right option. As I’ve started this season, I’m growing in confidence in myself.
“I have a lot of belief and know I’m good enough to be at this level.”
It’s unbelievable
From Jack Edwards Reserve in Oakleigh to Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium. Knowles is now playing alongside former Premier League striker Charlie Austin.
Knowles and Roar’s marquee man have struck up quite the partnership upfront. The proof was there during pre-season, when KEEPUP captured a moment between the pair.
In sweltering conditions, Austin pulled aside the then-trialist and walked him through goalscoring scenarios.
Austin marched him around the 18-yard-box, imparting his wisdom on the A-Leagues hopeful. Fast forward to Round 3 last week and that scenario played out as Knowles teed up the former Southampton, QPR and Burnley striker.
“When you get to train with players every day, you get to understand their movements,” he said. “I’ve been with Charlie for a couple of months now so I knew where he likes the ball and where he likes to run.
So those sorts of things always help. Then that video popped up and it was pretty cool actually because he does talk exactly about that situation – where he would go and what he would do.
“You never know, some of things just stick in your head. I’ve obviously had a little glance up when I had the ball at my feet, I’ve seen he was going to do that. It was like I could just put it on a platter for him. Hopefully it’s the first of many.”
Knowles added: “I think that’s the thing that I love the most about being back in the A-League. No disrespect to the NPL teams but I get to learn from players that are so experienced.
“You have Scott Neville, Jay O’Shea, Charlie Austin, players that have been around for a long time. Every single day I get to go into training and learn new things.
“Playing with Charlie is unbelievable. I used to watch him play and score goals in the Premier League. To be able to play with him now and assist him…”
