Footy star reveals hard road back from horror injury that had him thinking it was time to hang up his playing boots

Footy star Josh Kelly has revealed the extent of his hip injury which left the veteran wondering if it was time to retire.

Kelly, 31, joined the GWS Giants in 2014 and the midfielder has been a mainstay, chalking up 230 appearances in over a decade.

A premiership remains elusive, with Kelly experiencing regular September heartache, notably losing the 2019 Grand Final and three preliminary final defeats.

Throw in a straight-sets finals exit in 2024, and Kelly – who was pick No. 2 in the 2013 national draft – could be forgiven for wondering if he will ever win a flag.

In recent years, the one-time All Australian has been floored by a hip injury, which at times was so painful Kelly was unable to tie his own shoelaces.

A poor performance in Canberra last year against the Western Bulldogs when Kelly was hampered by injury made him wonder if the game had passed him.

In recent years, the one-time All Australian (pictured, left) was unable to tie his own shoelaces or sit on the couch properly

‘I was just so exhausted by it all,’ Kelly told News Corp.

‘For such a long time I was just trying to grind through, but that night in Canberra it tipped over.

‘When the game was on the line I did nothing…. I thought I had played my last game.

‘That was really hard and it felt like I was throwing in the towel, but there was this moment where I realised I just can’t do it alongside these guys anymore.’

Kelly was being hard on himself, and teammates such as Toby Greene and Stephen Coniglio knew he was giving his all.

Walking up stairs and even sitting on the couch became a chore, so Kelly knew what was required – major surgery to resurface his hip.

It was the ‘Andy Murray surgery’ – the Scottish tennis great underwent a similar procedure – and there were no guarantees Kelly would return to anywhere near his peak.

The procedure shaved off Kelly’s bone spurs and the top layer of his femur.

A premiership remains elusive, with Kelly experiencing regular September heartache, notably losing the 2019 Grand Final and three preliminary final defeats

Kelly hopes to begin running again in June, but may still sit out the 2026 season as a precaution

Next was a metal cap on top of the femur, and relining the top and bottom surfaces of his hip joint.

Unsurprisingly, Kelly felt he had been hit by a bus post-surgery, and then the rehabilitation began.

He hopes to begin running again in June, but may still sit out the 2026 season as a precaution.

‘I feel so much better. No hip pain,’ he said.

‘There is still some stiffness, but this is a new start line for me. The (safe) plan is round one next year.’