Josh Davis: Father of young football diagnosed with stage four melanoma urges Aussies to get skin checked
The father of a young football player diagnosed with stage four melanoma following a routine scan has called on the sports community to be careful about skin checks.
Kalamunda Cougars ruckman Josh Davis has been sent to hospital following complications from a heavy blow to his ribs in a Perth Football League first round match three weeks ago.
Scans revealed lesions on his brain, lungs and abdomen and the 24-year-old began treatment at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital’s oncology unit on Friday after surgery.
The family is hopeful that immunotherapy and radiation therapy can save their son, but the devastating effects of his cancer may mean he is unable to complete his apprenticeship as a mechanic. The Cougars have created a Go Fund Me page.
“It’s very important, especially for men and women who play football, to get yourself checked,” Josh’s father, Mike, said.
“I have been involved in football all my life. I was a coach for many years and was president of the Kalamunda Junior Football Club for five years, I played ammos for many years and as a family we were always involved in football, spending hours outside.
“The Kalamanda Cougars have done so much to rally around Josh and our family and also fundraise. I sent them a thank you message reminding everyone to be vigilant in getting your skin checked regularly, not just for yourself but for those around you as well.”
“This all stemmed from a little mole on Josh’s back that he got two years ago. It’s probably been there for a while and gone unnoticed. The important thing is to always make sure you get your checkups. I’m guilty of not getting checked lately, too.”
Josh, a 196cm ruckman who was once on the Swan District’s colt list and has been hampered by a series of injuries, recovered from a blow to his ribs in the third quarter of the Cougars’ opening round game.
“He played the rest of the game and looked fine. He didn’t think he got hit in the head, maybe he didn’t,” Mike said.
“He got himself home, walked in the door and said his ribs were really sore.
“Then he started slurring his words and vomiting, his face started to fall and we knew something was up.
“My wife Penny took him to the emergency room in Midland and about an hour later I got a call and said, ‘You need to come down.’
“He was lucky in a sense that he shot the police officer who hit him in the ribs and went for a scan because he had bleeding in the brain and we would never have known about the cancer because he had no symptoms before.”
Her son had melanoma removed from his back and upper shoulder in 2024, followed by full-body scans, biopsies and regular check-ups. They all exonerated him.
“He was off work for seven months as a result of his knee reconstruction, missed the entire football season in 2023, and was looking forward to getting back to work and getting back on the field with the Cougars, and then suddenly a mole scan revealed he had a melanoma that had spread,” Mike said.
“And then he dealt with it for another 12 weeks. He missed the first 10 weeks of the season, then played the last eight games at threes, missing the association’s fairest and best by just one vote.
“Prior to this latest diagnosis, he had just come back from a torn hamstring he suffered six or seven weeks ago and hadn’t practiced much. He was batting third for the Cougars and was hoping to get back into the doubles and singles.”
“I have to say, the oncologists, neurosurgeons and everyone at both Midland and Charlies hospitals were amazing.
“Josh was born with Bell’s palsy on his left side and was always deaf on his left side. He faced these challenges along the way and managed to play football and work as a mechanic’s apprentice.”
Mike said his son had two months left in his apprenticeship.
“He may not be able to complete this, he has damage to his arm and there is a risk of him having a seizure,” Mike said.
“If everything goes well and he can go back to work, there will still be big changes in his life.”
Josh, who has two siblings, won the premiership with Kalamunda Colts in 2020 and won the best club player award.
“Josh is the kind of teammate and friend everyone hopes to have; reliable, humble and always there when needed,” the club’s GoFundMe page says.
“Despite everything, Josh is positive and determined to take on this fight with the courage and resilience he showed on the field.
“Josh and his family have already been through difficult times and now they need our support more than ever. This devastating diagnosis has deprived a young man who had given so much to his club, his friends and his community, of the best time of his life. Now it is our turn to stand by him.
“Any donation, big or small, will help ease the financial burden and allow Josh to focus on what matters most: his treatment, his recovery, and staying strong in this fight. Please support Josh Davis; he is a true club member, a great friend, and a young man who deserves every chance to win this fight.”
