He represented Tasmania at the 2007 AFL Under 18 Championships, where he impressed sufficiently to be named on the interchange bench in the Under 18s All-Australian Team.
He then spent the 2008 season playing exclusively with Carlton's VFL-affiliate, the Northern Bullants.
Appearing mainly in a defensive, tagging role, Joseph was lauded for his performance in the semi-final against Geelong's Gary Ablett, Jr., and was made a nominated rookie for the 2009 season.
He received a Rising Star nomination in Round 11 after tagging St Kilda's Stephen Milne out of the game, and earning 19 disposals himself.
[6] :1.^ Joseph was eligible for the Best First Year Player award, even though it was his second season on the Carlton list, because he played his first AFL game in 2009.