About halfway through the 2013 Football Season I heard through my club Coach at Apia Rod Williams that a Representative from the Big Brother Movement, George Hurley, had been watching me play several times in the Under 16 age group in the NSW Premier League. At that time I knew little about the organisation but after doing some research I realised what an impact they had made on the lives of young people in Australia for many years. I had learnt over the years of playing football not to take anything for granted and continued to work hard in what was my second season at Apia Leichardt. We had a great season finishing as minor premiers and in one of the last games at Rockdale my parents and I had a meeting with George Hurley and he explained the significance of the Football Award which he had recommended me for.

Basically the BBM Movement would fund a trip to train at Colchester United for approximately a month. George had contacts with the club and had previously sent boys over to train in a professional environment to experience life as a professional footballer as well as experience a different culture and country. It was an amazing opportunity and I was extremely excited at the prospect of following in the footsteps of other nominees such as Brett Emerton and Harry Kewell both of whom forged successful careers in the football world. George spoke about the significance of the award and the history of it as well as the BBM Movement itself but until I got the letter confirming my selection I still took nothing for granted.

However, shortly afterwards I received the confirmation letter and after some organisation regarding flights and the accommodation I was off to Colchester United in Essex, England and I left Sydney on the morning of October the 7th, 2013.