Woodwock was once one of Australia’s brightest young talents.
He came through the AIS, debuted in the A-League at the age of 18 and represented his country at Under-17, Under-20 and Under-23 levels, captaining the Young Socceroos and playing in the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
But a move from Perth to the Sky Blues in 2015 ended in disaster when the left-back fractured his ankle in pre-season and tore all his ligaments, putting him out of football for almost a year.
Woodcock’s second season with Sydney FC was also plagued with injury, and he admits some his love for the sport diminished while he recovered and he turned to a new career path as a personal trainer.
“I kind of spent a lot of time with Andrew Clark and the rehab team there, I spent more time in the gym than I did on the pitch,” Woodcock told The World Game.
“I kind of gained a bit of a passion for it and then I did my certificates in fitness and started working in a gym casually while I was still at Sydney FC - actually to help pay rent in Sydney because it’s so expensive.
“Then I started to really enjoy it and my agent at the time said: 'do you want to take a step back and play in the NPL, a club’s offering this amount, it might be good for you to get games under your belt'. So I terminated my contract at Sydney FC a few months early and from there I went into full-time work in the fitness industry.
“I was playing in the NPL [as well] and I happened to be earning a bit more money than I was actually in the A-League. So I was a bit more comfortable and just kind of went into the fitness world.
“I spent a lot of time at Sydney FC off the pitch so coming back from that a lot of things come into it – passion for the game, loss of confidence and form – and for me, I got myself into a bit of a rut football-wise. I wasn’t enjoying it as much as I was a junior.
“And then with life financial things come into play and just working full-time in Australia and playing semi-pro just worked out financially better for me at that time.
“A combination of a lot of things, but definitely a little bit of passion lost for me but in saying that I’m still playing, it’s just I didn’t have as much drive as before to get to the next level where I would have liked to have been as a younger kid.”
After spells with Sydney United and then Sydney Olympic, who he helped win the double in 2018, the left-back moved back to Perth and now manages an F45 gym in the Western Australian capital.
He also works as a personal trainer privately and is studying to become a Pilates instructor.
But now, completely injury-free, the defender has not completely given up on football and will turn out for Cockburn City in the NPL Western Australia this season.
“The NSW and Victorian NPL’s are pretty competitive because you’re paid a little but more and more of the players have played at a certain level,” Woodcock said.
“Over in Perth it’s not as intense as those leagues but it’s still a decent standard.”
At just 24 years old, Woodcock admits he hasn’t completely ruled out a possible A-League return one day.
“Never say never, but one thing we kind of learn as young players is once you’re out of the system in Australia it’s actually really hard to get back in,” he said.
“If that opportunity was to come my way I’m sure with the flexibility of my job it’s something I’d have a look at for sure now that I’ve sorted my body out.
“But it’s pretty hard to get back into the system, which a few of us have learnt in the NPL. If the B-League/expansion thing did happen I think it would be good for a few people.
“We’ve seen a few people from the NPL now stepping into the A-League and doing good things. Max Burgess was in our team a couple of years ago and he’s on fire at the moment.
“I’m sure there’s plenty of players around Australia that - given the opportunity - could take it with both hands.”
Woodcock’s former Joeys and Young Socceroos teammates include Milos Degenek, Awer Mabil and Christopher Ikonomidis, who have all since gone on to play for the Socceroos and in Europe.
The full-back is content in his new career choice but says it’s “crazy” how things can work out in football and in life.
“It’s crazy, there’s guys that were at the AIS with myself that don’t even play football anymore,” he said.
“Then there’s a group that are playing in Europe and in the Champions League, and you go: 'f*ck, I wouldn’t have seen that coming, I didn’t even think you were going to scrap a deal in Australia'.
“But that’s the world of football – right place, right time. Different experiences in life and where it leads you. That’s why we love it.”
