St Peter’s Henry Nelligan is likened to Lions ball-magnet Lachie Neale but remains modest and focused
A St Peter’s young gun said to play similar to Brisbane star Lachie Neale after winning the college football best and fairest medal this month is determined to remain humble.
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Henry Nelligan’s college football coach likens the rising star to gun Brisbane midfielder and ex-St Peter’s scholar Lachie Neale.
But Nelligan, who is in Year 12 at St Peter’s, refuses to let the grand declaration get to his head – despite last month claiming the first XVIII college football Gosse Medal as the competition’s best and fairest.
The 17-year-old, who is also a key member of Norwood’s under-18 side having kicked five goals from eight games this season, says he is “humbled” by the medal win.
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“I’m pretty overwhelmed – it’s been an awesome season this year,” says Nelligan, who is also a member of the SANFL under-17 futures team.
“I’m just proud of the boys,”
“The most important thing is playing as a team, and it’s only one little award so I don’t think too much about it.
“Obviously with Sam (Elliott) coming in as coach, he’s had a great influence on us boys and we’ve really enjoyed this season, playing to our strengths.”
Nelligan is the only boy in a family with five sisters and grew up on a 5000ha crop and sheep farm 10km south of Cummins, on the Eyre Peninsula.
He remembers spending plenty of time kicking the football with his father, Grant, at home before moving to Adelaide and becoming a boarder at St Peter’s four years ago.
“I grew quite close with my dad, being the only boy and I used to love kicking the footy with him.
“I enjoyed growing up in the country, it was a good environment to be brought up in.”
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Nelligan is too young to be eligible for this year’s AFL draft but will continue playing at Norwood with the aim of earning a reserves and league debut.
He also hopes to study engineering at university next year.
“I’ll play for Norwood’s under-18s again next year and see what happens from there but I don’t have too much expectations,” he says.
St Peter’s coach Sam Elliott says Nelligan has been an asset to the team this year and hopes to watch him play at AFL level one day.
“Henry is a similar size to Lachie (Neale) – he’s very good at winning the ball in congestion,” Elliott says.
“His work rate is also consistent with and without the football.”