Meath footballer Conor Nash has joined AFL side Hawthorn on a two-year deal, the club announced this on Monday.
The 18-year-old joins as an International Category B rookie and now travels to Melbourne to begin his preseason preparation.
"I am fairly close now to becoming a full time player out here in Australia and am looking forward to pre-season,” he told the club's official website.
Nash captained Leinster at U18 level and represented Ireland at U18 level, as well as playing inter-county football for the Royals.
"The oval ball wasn’t too bad because I play rugby, but I suppose positioning will come with time and a lot of work," he said.
We can't wait to see him in brown & gold! pic.twitter.com/oUpnatrtQ5
— Hawthorn FC (@HawthornFC) October 30, 2016
Hawthorn Recruiting and List Manager Graham Wright said: "At only 18 years of age, Conor is a very impressive and mature person who has already been a part of high performance programs with rugby in Ireland.
"He has great speed and agility for his size, is a natural competitor and has a great combination of tackling and defensive skills.
"I would like to thank the Nash family; Bernadette, Tony, Edward and Lauren, for their support during this process and we look forward to welcoming Conor to the club in a full-time capacity next month."
Nash is joined by compatriot Conor Glass on the team and he says having someone who he can talk to has helped the transition.
"It’s wonderful to have him (Glass) there, you can relate different things from Ireland to him," Nash added.
"To have him go before me I’ve been able to see the path before me, the process it takes and how long it takes. I’ve been following his footsteps for the last while."
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