The dream of a lot of young kids is to be a professional footballer. A lot of other kids dream of being a musician. Jets attacker Joey Champness somehow managed both.

Champness burst onto the scene in Newcastle’s incredible 2017/18 A-League season. He proved to be a very handy attacking option for Ernie Merrick, especially off the bench. Joey had a knack of showing up at right place at the right time, and was a key element of Merrick’s attacking setup.

In August last year, Champness fractured a metatarsal, sidelining him for a good chunk of the 2018/19 season. He’s beginning to work his way back into the squad now, and is looking to get back up to full fitness so he can be a consistent name on the team sheet.

However football isn’t Joey’s sole passion in life. Champness makes music under the alias ‘JOWIC’ (pronounced ‘Joey-C’). It’s atmospheric and introspective rap with most of the instrumentals carrying a trap flavour. Joey’s delivery is tidy, and he sprinkles in some clever wordplay and catchy hooks. Music is something that he has enjoyed working on for a long time.

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“Thinking back to the earliest days of me doing music it would be like middle school. It kinda stuck with me. As I got older I took it more and more serious,” Joey said.

Champness had the opportunity to perform live at The Cambridge Hotel in Newcastle a few weeks ago, as well as having a pre-game performance at McDonald Jones Stadium back in November.

“It was really good! People came out and showed support and I’m very thankful for that. I had a lot of fun. My DJ, Callum Watt, came down from Brisbane and they treated us really well. It was a nice little start for me in Newcastle following up from the stadium performance.”

During the process of recovering from injury, Joey mentioned that music has been a positive outlet for him during a frustrating period.

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“Obviously when you break your foot it hampers what you can do physically. Definitely off the pitch, coming home and having music has definitely helped.

“It’s been a frustrating year with injuries for me. It’s been a very different feel for me football wise as opposed to last year. I haven’t been able to do my job, which is play football so it’s been frustrating for sure. But of course having music and getting the opportunities that I’ve been blessed with with music has definitely helped. To be fair the club’s been a really good helping hand with that too. They’ve been really supportive and I’m grateful for it.”

Joey’s been busy, maintaining a prolific output of singles over the past few months. He’s working towards a longer and more cohesive project set for release in the near future.

“I am trying to work towards the release of my first successful mixtape which I really believe in. I’m excited for what the future has to offer in terms of my music,” Joey said.

It’s been a long road to recovery, and Champness announced his return to football with a bang when he took the lead against Melbourne City off the bench on Friday night. It was a high-pressure situation to take the lead for his team not long after he’d come on off the bench.

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“The ball came and I had to stay composed and put it away. I’m happy that I did that!”

Champness and the rest of his Jets teammates are preparing for an important Asian Champions League group stage qualifier against Kashima Antlers on Tuesday night. If they’re to win, it would be one of the most famous results in the club’s history.

“They’re a high profile club that we’re going over to play and it’s exciting for all the players involved. We’re looking to put our best foot forward, travel well and do everything right. Hopefully the result will take care of itself.”

Feature Image Credit: Sproule Sports Focus