FORMER DERRY MINOR Conor Glass was driving when he first got the news that he would be making his AFL debut for Hawthorn last month.
He suspects that his recruitment manager already knew before the call came through from his manager, but irrespective of how the news filtered down to him, Glass was thrilled to get his chance.
His parents Cathal and Claire, and brother Cahir, happened to be in Australia at the time, meaning they could watch their boy donning the number 44 jersey as he made the step-up from rookie to senior.
Glass relocated to Australia over a year ago to embark on his AFL adventure. And after absorbing the initial shock of making the match-day squad, he was ready to embrace the challenge that lay before him.
“I was very happy,” he told The42. “You visualise it before the game and everything with the plan and (I) really enjoyed it. I wasn’t actually nervous before it, I just took it as another game. I went in confident, and it paid off.”
As debuts go, Glass was a sensation in the Hawks’ 100-48 victory over Fremantle. The 19-year-old completed a team-high 93% of his 15 disposals, made eight intercepts and collected five marks in his off-the-bench appearance.
His performance warranted another spin with the seniors in their subsequent game against the Sydney Swans, which they also won 72-66.
Following his debut game, the Hawthorn players were pictured gathering around Glass in the dressing-room and signing the club’s official song. To an outsider, it appeared to be a gesture that was arranged in honour of their teammate’s fine display.
That wasn’t exactly how it went down, but Glass appreciated the moment all the same.
It’s good fun but it’s obviously a lot different compared to back home. It’s a bit of a ritual out here for a player to make their debut and the first game they win, they go into the circle and they sing the team song, so that happens to everybody.”
“It’s kind of weird but you just have to absorb it and look at the positive side of it.”
Hawthorn fans were suitably impressed with the Derry man’s silky skills against Fremantle, and they took to social media in their droves to post messages of praise.
Glass has enjoyed getting to know the local fanbase, even if communication has been difficult at times.
I’ve talked to them a lot, but I don’t think they understand me too well. They ask a lot of questions, and pretty much all of them say, ‘Just say a few words,’ and then there’s that awkward silence and you don’t know what to say. They put you on the spot, but they seem to love the Irish.”
“Mum and Dad have noticed, and other friends have noticed, that I’ve slowed down (in my speech), especially when I get interviewed on the Hawks TV and they think I’ve put on a bit of an accent. I don’t think I have, I don’t think I’ll ever lose the South Derry accent.”
Hawthorn first expressed an interest in both Glass and Conor Nash from Meath since the pair were 15. Over the passing years, the club helped nurture their footie skills in Ireland before bringing them both Down Under.
Away from that, Glass was flourishing in the underage ranks of gaelic football. He won a Hogan Cup medal as a fourth year student in 2013, and was also on successful MacRory Cup teams.
Captaining the Derry minors to an Ulster title in 2015, as well as an All-Ireland semi-final appearance, was his crowning achievement, and he relished every step along the way.
But from the early days of his contact with Hawthorn, Glass was keen to avail of whatever offer they were willing to extend to him.
“As a 15-year-old, pretty much all you want to do is play football, whether that’s Gaelic or AFL. Pretty much every boy’s young dream is to be a professional footballer.
“My family backed me from pretty much the first day. The contract wasn’t on the table straight away, I had to do a lot of work to get here, I enjoyed the game, had a good bit of craic and thankfully it’s paid off. I’m enjoying myself out here now.”
Aussie Rules undoubtedly offers budding GAA talents the chance to develop their athletic abilities in a professional sporting environment, but it has its detractors in Ireland too.
Writing in his column for the Irish Independent during the summer, Kerry legend Tomás Ó’Sé said:
“I want the best young Kerry players to stay at home. To follow their dreams here, not on the far side of the planet. And I happen to think we are being taken advantage of here. Especially in Kerry where the success of three consecutive All-Ireland winning minor teams means there are rich pickings to be had in the county.
“When you think of the time and effort put into those players by club coaches, by parents, by the county board, it’s just plain wrong that someone can swoop down from outside and take them away.”
He also criticised his former team-mate Tadhg Kenneally for his role as the Official Talent Coordinator for the AFL.
The article triggered a divisive reaction, and former Kerry minor Mark O’Connor, who is currently playing with Geelong, refuted Ó’Sé’s comments on Twitter.
Glass respects where the critics are coming from but says that accepting the invitation to play in the AFL, was something he could never decline.
“They have the best intentions, whether it be for club or county. Everyone has the right to their own opinion, but I think it just comes down to the individual.
The family were happy with me to go and if I didn’t want to go, I wouldn’t have went. All the boys out here, I’ve been speaking to them all and we’re all pretty close. No-one has any regrets of coming out here.
“I read an article about my teacher back in school the other day. One of his regrets was not coming out to Australia when he was 18. He came out here when he was 23 and that was his only regret from a very good career back home.
It’s a no-brainer for any 18-year-old back home. It’s an unbelievable lifestyle and you’d be stupid not to give it a crack.”
Glass had various adjustments to work through when he first touched down in Australia. The hot weather was obviously something he had to acclimatise to, although luckily for Glass, he doesn’t ‘burn too badly.’
Learning to train as regularly as a professional athlete also posed challenges for the 19-year-old. To make the transition a bit smoother during the early pre-season days, both Glass and Nash ate as much food as possible after training before falling asleep on the sofa.
“We got through pre-season fine and the season fine,” Glass explains. “I did 100% of my first pre-season, which is pretty much unheard of and haven’t missed a game this season.”
Aussie Rules is a sport that is characterised by intense physical exchanges, but Glass is thriving in that aspect of the game based on this bone-crunching tackle that he put in against Richmond earlier this season.
But while Glass is immersing himself in this new life of a professional athlete, he also has one eye on the future.
Having an alternative life plan is not something that Glass is expected to burden himself with at this time in his sporting career, but he knows the importance of preparing for the worst.
“It’s not compulsory to study, it’s just mine and Conor’s decision. Studying online is obviously easier for us because we can go home during the off-season, so we can study at home as well. It’s pretty much a no-brainer.
Other boys told me to keep studying because you never know, your AFL career could last 10 days or it could last 10 years, so studying is a no-brainer.”
Glass continues to keep abreast of what’s happening at home, and he’s well informed of his club Watty Graham’s Glen progression into the quarter-finals of the Derry senior reserve football championship.
Given the potential he showed during his days as a minor, the inter-county team would surely welcome him back into the fold should he ever decide to come home.
That of course remains a burning ambition for Glass, but he’s putting that on ice for now.
“Growing up, that was always my dream. It’s a different perspective now since I’m here. I could have a 10-year career and what I’ll do in 10 years will be different to how I think now.
“At the minute, I want to come back and play for Derry, but 10 years down the line I don’t know. I’ll have different thoughts so I’ll just wait and see and hope for the best.”
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