[6] He tested at the Rookie Me Combine in October 2017, then trained with Collingwood's affiliate in the VFL.
[2] He made his debut in round 6 of the 2018 season against Richmond at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, as a late replacement for Tom Langdon.
[8] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Appleby returned to his parents' dairy farm in Cohuna, helping out with the farm-work while training four times a week at the Cohuna Football Oval with Melbourne player Marty Hore, whose family has a dairy farm near in Leitchville.
[10] Appleby was unsuccessful in his attempt to regain a spot on an AFL club's list, though was appointed as captain of the North Melbourne reserves ahead of the 2021 VFL season.
[11] In April 2023, Appleby took over the punting job at Rutgers after enrolling in the summer of 2022.