Simonstown star departs for Melbourne this week

Playing professional sport is the aspiration of almost every young person and for Simonstown's Conor Nash that dream will become a reality this week when he heads to Australia to begin a two-year rookie contract with top Aussie Rules side Hawthorns in Melbourne.
Just over two weeks on from claiming his first Meath SFC title in Simonstown's Keegan Cup final victory over Donaghmore/Ashbourne, Nash will pack his bags, and leave his friends and family behind to begin an exciting new adventure.
At just 18 years-old, Nash has a wise head on such young shoulders and while he is eagerly looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead, he is already planning for his future by starting a part-time college course in February.
Establishing a homely base and being surrounded by the right people is something Nash's parents Tom and Bernie prioritised before allowing their son to jet off to the other side of the world, but the outstandingly talented youngster is happy with what lies ahead and can't wait to get going.
Choosing to leave behind a promising career in rugby and with Meath GAA was a very difficult decision for Nash to make, but he is happy with his choice and is hopeful of being successful.
'This is a possible career path for me, but that isn't there in the GAA and that is probably a turn-off. I know you can't make a career playing GAA, but it has its other benefits like winning All-Irelands and others accolades like that,' Nash told the Meath Chronicle.
'Winning the Keegan Cup was massive. Being here with the Simonstown community for the last week has been massive and if you were to have success with Meath it would probably be even bigger again.
'Those type of things do make GAA very appealing, but what really appealed to me was that sport could be my lifestyle and training everyday would be my job. Having spent some time in Australia already, that has made me look forward to it even more,' he continued.
'One of the main things my mother and father checked out a lot was about my education when I was with Hawthorns. I will be in college part-time, starting in February, doing bio-medical science.
'Everybody knows that a sporting career is not going to be forever and you need to have another job as well. If it doesn't work out for me in two years at least I have that to fall back on.'
First spotted by Aussie Rules recruiter Mark McKenzie playing with St Patrick's Classical School in Navan, Nash clearly stood out, and in June 2015, Tom Nash was first approached by the Melbourne club for permission to speak to his son.
After a spell of assessing if Nash had the temperament to deal with such a huge move, Hawthorns made their intentions clear and in February of this year they offered him a rookie contract.
While flattered with the approach at such a young age Nash clearly had his heart set on a rugby career, but the more he learned about the move to Australia and a life in Aussie Rules the more he felt he would love to give it a go.
'I wasn't completely taken on it at the beginning. I still had a lot of options with rugby and Gaelic football, but it grew on me over the years,' he explains.
'When the recruiter came back over in October 2013 we went through a lot of the skills and they used to send me different videos to be studying and I used to do a lot of training myself.
'Then in the summer of 2015 they said they wanted to bring me over to Australia for my first trip and that is when it started to get real. It was suddenly then a real viable option for me and it really started to grow on me after that first trip.
'I have been over to the club three times and I have spent the guts of three months there. My mother and father have gone over with me and then last August I went over on my own.
'When I go there I am a professional player. I do everything that the professionals do and I work with them, we all train together.
'At this stage, all the lads over there know who I am and when I go over they all know me by name. That has made it a lot easier and hopefully it will make the transition a lot easier when I go over full-time. It is a massive move for me to be leaving home by myself and that is probably why Hawthorns have made this a three-year process. Hawthorns will try to make it as easy as possible for me, but I will miss my family and friends,' Nash continues.
'Myself and Conor Glass from Derry will be living together with a host family, so hopefully that will all help with the transition. The host family are dead-on people and I can't wait to get there.
'When my mother and father came over with me they were there to make sure everything was right for me. They checked out the place and the club showed them exactly where I would be living and where my support base would be.
'My parents were blown away by the network and support system over them. They were happy that I would be living in a home-type of situation.'
Choosing to turn down a career with Leinster Rugby and the opportunity to be part of the Meath team for many years was difficult for Nash, but he hasn't ruled out ever coming back to play for Meath or Leinster.
'It was a very difficult decison to make to leave my other sporting options behind, but the support I have received from everyone has been great,' said Nash.
'When I came back from Hawthorns with an offer to sign last February, Leinster Rugby sat down with me and showed me the path they could offer me and it was very tempting.
'It was a huge call and it took me a while to make. Hawthorn gave me as much time as I needed to make up my mind.
'They knew the opportunities I have at home so they didn't pressurise me, but they made it clear they wanted me. It was a huge call because Leinster have been a huge part of my sporting life and I love rugby.
'Playing with Leinster and Ireland gives you a huge buzz, so I was grateful to them for so much and that made my decision even more difficult.
'If I wasn't going to Australia, I probably would have focused on rugby. Rugby is one of my first loves and that probably is what I would have chosen to do if the offer hadn't come from Australia.
'The Leinster lads have told me that if I am back in two years then I am by no means off their record books. Meath GAA would be another option when I come back and that might be something I would like to do.
'All that is down the line if it doesn't work out in Australia, but I'm really hoping it will work out down there and I'm really looking forward to getting going now. Colm O'Rourke has been hugely supportive and urged me to do whatever it was I wanted to do. He is 100 per cent behind me.
'I can't wait to get stuck into it because I know if I give it 100 per cent then I should be fine,' concluded Nash who will touch down in Melbourne on Thursday and begin preseason training next Monday.