My journey to becoming an AFL player was a lot different from the norm to say the least. Growing up on the other side of the world, I spent my time playing a variety of sports, including Gaelic football and hurling, however I knew next to nothing about Australian rules football. When I received an invitation to join an Irish AFL programme towards the end of 2018, that all changed.
A few hours of web searching and video watching followed the phone call, where I quickly tried to learn the rules and skills of the game before I got my first touch of a sherrin. Although it was similar to Gaelic football, I was blown away by some of the skill and athleticism before my eyes. The first session arrived shortly after where I joined approximately 20 other young Irish athletes who were also intrigued by the prospect of playing sport at a professional level. Trials led into a European combine which was attended by Sydney’s recruiting boss, Kinnear Beatson.
Kinnear then invited me out to the SCG in April 2019 to get a taste of what the life of a professional footy player looked like. To be completely honest, the magnitude of the situation probably didn’t sink in until I stepped off the plane in Sydney and realised the opportunity that I had been given. The two-week trial was one of the most enjoyable periods of my life and I left Sydney without any doubt that I wanted to become an AFL player.
The period after my trip to Sydney was definitely a nervous one but I eventually got the good news in June 2019 with the offer of a 2-year, category B rookie contract from Kinnear and I couldn’t have been more excited. Obviously, there are some sacrifices that had to be made such as leaving family, friends and the sports that I grew up playing but this was an opportunity to good to pass up on. The next few months were spent familiarising myself with the game and completing the training programme assigned to me by Spurrsy (Rob Spurrs) and Killer (Mark Kilgallon) who are the Strength and Conditioning coaches at the club.
Fast forward to March 2019. A long, tough preseason was nearing completion and we were itching to rip into the season ahead. What followed over the next few weeks couldn’t have been predicted by anyone and has unfortunately halted the AFL season for the foreseeable future.
Obviously the feelings of disappointment and panic crossed my mind about the possible ramifications as the news filtered through, which is only natural in a situation as serious as this. However, after further reflection I quickly realised just how lucky we are to have the support of the club, our friends and our families and how important it is to stay positive during this challenging time. Thankfully, most players have the facilities at home to train in isolation which is giving us another fantastic opportunity to improve as players. Much more importantly though, this is a period for staying safe and healthy by listening and adhering to the instructions outlined by our leaders both here and back home to ensure a return to normality as soon as possible.
Now in the second week of isolation, I have been pleasantly surprised with how the time has been so far. Most of it has been spent productively, although I have rediscovered my love for Super Mario which may have passed *some* of the time! Thankfully with today’s technology, I can FaceTime family and friends back home whenever I need to, which has been a massive help. Here’s hoping that the next few weeks will be as enjoyable.
