The veteran is gearing up for his third season in the green and this year, however, his relationship with the club dates all the way back to 2009.

Nelson was just a young pup then, eager to learn the ropes from his older teammates at Shoalhaven. Unfortunately, it was an opportunity that only lasted one season, as the club folded soon after.

Nelson had a stint in Kiama and then played for other clubs in the Shoalhaven, and he was delighted to see the club re-emerge ahead of the 2023 Community League season. The father-of-three also returned to Shoalhaven last year, playing a key role as they won the championship/premiership double.

It saw them gain promotion to this year's District League, with the 35-year-old showing no hesitation in inking a fresh extension with Shoalhaven this week.

"I was in the team back in 2009 and I was one of the younger boys back then, so I looked up to the older guys. And now I guess it's the other way around," Nelson told Australian Community Media

"We were in District League too back then, and we had a fairly successful year, but it was hard to keep the juniors back then. So a lot of them went on to play for clubs like Albion Park and Cringila. But last year was Shoalhaven's first year back, and I was back with them as soon as I could.

"It's a shame that they folded and couldn't stay alive to have a Shoalhaven team in the Illawarra. But at the same time, it was great to have been there when we tried in 2009, and awesome now to be part of it and hopefully be part of that next step of being successful in the District League.

"We seem to have the depth this time around. It's awesome for the area. I've got young kids now myself, so it's one of those things that's more of a long-term goal for us hopefully.

"It's a long-term plan for our juniors to come through the club and give them a pathway into the Illawarra."

Shoalhaven head coach Nathan Aldridge has wasted no time putting together his squad for their next campaign, with a bulk of their 2023 squad re-signing.

Last year's players' player Brendan Killett headlines the list of players to ink extensions, alongside Logan Connell, Sam Parkinson, James McDonald, Sam Baxter and Matthew White. Midfielder James Eldred - who previously played for Premier League clubs Wollongong Olympic and Cringila - will also remain at Shoalhaven.

"There's a really good vibe around the club. Nathan brings success and confidence to the boys, so everyone is feeling really good. We had a fairly successful year last year and we're hoping to take that into this year," Nelson said.

"We've kept a lot of the squad from last year and gained a lot of new, younger lads. So everyone is pretty confident. It's going to be hard, but we're looking forward to it. There's a great team vibe and a togetherness within the group.

"Our leader Nathan is a really good coach and a really good motivator. He can make a team bond really well, as last year showed. We bonded really well and we were successful.

"We should be able to take that into the District League and hopefully be really competitive."