Roy O’Donovan’s first half hat-trick stole the show – and rightly so – but one youngster’s impressive cameo off the bench certainly caught the eye in Newcastle’s F3 Derby win on the weekend.
Former Brisbane Roar youth winger Joe Champness was a late substitute in the Jets’ big win over the Mariners and took just two minutes to find the net on debut.
His speed, directness and eye for goal were a real joy to watch.
For those unfamiliar, Newcastle signed Champness on a scholarship deal earlier this year.
He then spent six months on loan in Portugal with Academica.
The powerful 20-year-old impressed Jets boss Ernie Merrick in the pre-season and was rewarded with a two-year Hyundai A-league contract.
It’s fair to say things are pretty good for the Kiwi-born attacker right now.
And while most young players would be soaking up the world of a professional footballer, the ultra-talented Champness has another hobby keeping him busy.
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The emerging football star is also a budding musician and has already had a song released on Spotify!
Champness, AKA ‘JOWIC’ is a rap artist and his track ‘Wet Floor’ was released on the popular music streaming platform earlier this year.
“I’ve been writing music since middle school or high school,” Champness told www.a-league.com.au
“I released a song on Spotify. I’ve got a lot more coming actually – a few more releases.
“I’m kind of gearing up towards a full project. A mix tape release which I’m excited for.”
Despite his commitments with the Jets, Champness says music allows him to switch off from football and drives him to succeed away from the field.
“For sure. It’s something that I’ve done alongside football for as long as I can remember,” he said.
“For me it’s kind of a natural thing to do when the body needs to recover I get the mind ticking with writing music and working with my producer.
“It goes hand in hand for me [music and football]. One doesn’t take away from the other. They both help each other in a way because I’ve done both of them together for so long.”
And do his teammates give him any stick for his off-field endeavours?
“No! They like it. They’re pretty supportive of it. They’re a great bunch of lads,” he said.
