The Hawks have added another international recruit to their list with the signing of Conor Nash as an International Category B rookie.
Nash, who lives 30 minutes north of Dublin in Navan, has signed a two year deal and will travel to Melbourne in readiness to begin pre-season training in November.
He said he was looking forward to the challenge and getting started as an AFL player.
“I am fairly close now to becoming a full time player out here in Australia and am looking forward to pre-season,” he told hawthornfc.com.au
He said having played both Gaelic and rugby has helped his development, however there was still a lot to learn about the game.
“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.
The 18-year-old joins fellow Irishman Conor Glass on the Hawks’ list and said having him has been a great support.
“It’s wonderful to have him (Glass) there, you can relate different things from Ireland to him,” Nash said.
“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.”
Conor first came to the attention of recruiters in early 2014 as a 15-year-old playing Gaelic football. He has since played at club, county and school level playing predominantly in the midfield/forward line.
After initially undertaking training and testing in Ireland, Conor travelled to Melbourne on three occasions with his family to visit the club.
A very gifted rugby player, he captained Leinster U18 teams and represented Ireland at U18 level while continuing to complete further AFL training while in Ireland.
Conor has shown great improvement in his AFL skills and athletic development over the past two and a half years and at an impressive 197cm, he will most likely begin his development as a key back.
Hawthorn Recruiting and List Manager Graham Wright said the Irishman is an exciting pick up for the club.
“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,” Wright said.
“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.”
