Walsh's Australian adventure a lesson for today's hopefuls

HAD things worked out differently, Nicholas Walsh would be alongside Tadhg Kennelly offering advice to the host of Irish youngsters about to try their hand in the Australian Football League...

Smith talks

One of the AFL's highest flyers is a chance to pull on the Swifts colours this season, with the club confirming it is in talks with former North Melbourne and Melbourne player Shaun Smith...

Your avatar is almost as huge as your guns Wise.

So back on topic. You'd hope, that almost a decade on, the club are better managing their young chargers.

It's surprising and concerning to read the following text...

Unfortunately, it was that same ambition and drive that ultimately proved to be his undoing. Eager to catch up with the more physically developed Aussies of his age, Walsh pushed his young body to extremes, to the point where it simply couldn't cope with the demands he placed on it.

Osteitis pubis (OP) set in on the Cavan youngster, a condition that can render sufferers incapable of sustained physical activity. In other words, his core muscles couldn't carry the bulk he had managed to build up quite quickly in Australia. With no established cure, the Cavan man's days as a professional athlete were numbered.

"I was taking extra sessions at every opportunity," Walsh recalled. "More kicking and more weights, every chance I got. I thought it would help bring me on quicker and help me improve, but in reality my body broke down from the inside out."

Surprising that they allowed or even encouraged the extra workload. Surely they've learned from such mismanagement.

wow......the Swifts.......wouldn't have thought i'd be reading about them....

Dad used to play for them back in the day.....won a b&f i think......Might have to make a trip back home to see the folks and watch Smith run around (hopefully).

Good on Smitty. The Swifts. He's a good mentor for the kids, I know he gave alot of good advice through his experience whilst down playing at Werribee under McDonald.

Impressive photo too you've posted there Wise.

That is the navy blue we need to get back to.

By the way Wise, looking pretty fit there mate in your avatar. Solarium or tanning cream?

It's a good effort to be running around at 39 at any level I reckon. Especially considering the poor run he had with injuries, particularly early in his career.

I didn't know a great deal about Nick Walsh, but it sounds like he was a bit of a talent that was torched by overwork. I wonder how many other young players this has happened to in the AFL, particularly in the early 00s as the workload got well ahead of the injury management technology at the time.

It's a good effort to be running around at 39 at any level I reckon. Especially considering the poor run he had with injuries, particularly early in his career.

I didn't know a great deal about Nick Walsh, but it sounds like he was a bit of a talent that was torched by overwork. I wonder how many other young players this has happened to in the AFL, particularly in the early 00s as the workload got well ahead of the injury management technology at the time.

Sad thing is that for financial reasons apparently, the MFC isn't involved in recruiting young talent from Ireland. When you think about the impact Jimmy and Sean Wight made in the 80's and '90's.

Sad thing is that for financial reasons apparently, the MFC isn't involved in recruiting young talent from Ireland. When you think about the impact Jimmy and Sean Wight made in the 80's and '90's.

You'd imagine that with Jimmy at the helm we'll return to Ireland when our accounts are healthier. I'd say he'd have some pretty good contacts back home. Send him and Barassi over at the end of next season.