NEWCASTLE cricketer Aidan Cahill had always intended to move away this summer, but not necessarily to South Australia.
Now the City all-rounder will be packing his bags for Adelaide, rather than original destination Sydney, after being named in the Redbacks squad for 2022-23.
Fresh from representing Australia at the under-19 World Cup, Cahill is pleased to be taking the next step in his sporting career.
"I'm happy with it [relocating]. I was going to be moving to Sydney anyway, so this is just further away," Cahill told the Newcastle Herald on Tuesday.
"I'd deferred my uni course for a year and I was going to move down there [Sydney] and figure everything out, but I don't have to do that anymore. I'll be figuring it all out in Adelaide."
Cahill was one of nine changes revealed in South Australia's contract list on Tuesday, including the retirement of former Western Suburbs first-grader and one-Test bowler Joe Mennie.
The 19-year-old rookie, due to arrive in Adelaide later this month, says it was "hard to turn down" a chance to join the Redbacks.
"Getting to train most days with professional cricketers and just being around that environment, it's hard to get any worse," he said.
"I'm just really looking forward to the whole thing."
Cahill says the prospect of making his first-class debut in the Sheffield Shield or One-Day Cup was an exciting one.
"It would be pretty big for me," he said.
"I think everyone who plays cricket, from that young age even, kind of looks at it and goes 'I'd love to do that one day'. It would be pretty cool if I could get there."
Cahill has yet to link with a club side in the West End Premier Competition, where the likes of Kent county cricketer Grant Stewart and former NSW Country representative Mark Littlewood previously plied their trade.
He toured the West Indies earlier this year.
Cahill admits the international tournament was an "unreal" experience with Australia beaten by eventual under-19 World Cup champions India in the semi, but overcoming Afghanistan to finish third.
"I look back and think 'did that actually happen?'," he said.
Cahill, born in South Africa and migrating to Australia aged 10, made his first-grade debut for City in 2018-19 shortly after relocating to Newcastle from Grafton.
He took five-wicket hauls on three occasions in 2020-21, en route to 37 wickets that season. He also scored a half-century.
Cahill helped Newcastle claim back-to-back titles at the NSW Country Championships, featuring 4-26 in February's final win over ACT Southern Districts at Bradman Oval. He's also represented Newcastle in the T20 Regional Bash play-offs at the SCG.
Wallsend's Jason Sangha was again part of the NSW squad last season, including a century as captain in the last Shield round, while Upper Hunter product Riley Ayre debuted for the Blues in March.
Meanwhile, Hunter-bred Maisy Gibson (Tasmania) and former City player Anika Learoyd (NSW) have both been named in WNCL squads released this week. Corinne Hall (Tasmania) retired from the professional ranks after the Tigers' title win last season while Sam Bates played for Victoria in 2021-22.
