Westmeath's Ray Connellan has jetted out to Australia for trials with St Kilda.

The Athlone clubman will miss the Lake County's Leinster SFC quarter-final against Offaly on June 12 as he seeks to impress the Saints and secure an AFL contract. However, he is expected to return for the remainder of Westmeath's championship campaign.

Connellan, who was part of the extended Ireland squad for last November's International Rules Test against Australia in Croke Park, attended Tadhg Kennelly's Europe Combine in Dublin at the end of last year and attended a further AFL Combine in Florida on the back of that earlier this year.

"There's no young guy growing up who doesn't want to be a pro," he told Midlands 103 after returning from Florida.

"That's why the week was unbelievable with the Academy - you wake up, eat, train, eat, sleep and do it all over again.

"A lot of the recruiters have asked me if I'd be willing to move over to Australia to finish my degree and play some lower league football.

"If I'm going to invest my time I may as well do it properly and do everything I can to get to the top level. At 21 this might be my last shot at it so I'd be pretty keen to do anything to make it happen."

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