Isaac Farmilo is ready to ignite the Adelaide Fire.
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The Workies striker will make his Hockey One League debut when the Fire host a Kookaburras-laden Brisbane Blaze on Sunday in their first home game.
It will be an exciting experience for Farmilo playing against the likes of Matt Swann, Jake Whetton and Daniel Beale, and one he didn't think he'd get.
"It was a bit of a bolt from the blue," he said of the call-up to the Fire squad.
Part of the wider NSW Pride squad, when he missed out on the final squad Farmilo thought his chances of playing in the revamped domestic competition were over especially when after putting his name down on the pick-up roster he hadn't heard anything.
But then on the Friday before the local Tamworth grand final he received a phone call from the Fire asking him would he be interested in playing for them.
"They said you're listed as a midfielder. We're looking for a striker, but we've heard about you," he said.
Needless to say he didn't have to think long about it.
"I thought this would be my last game of the year," he said speaking after Workies' grand final triumph.
"But now I get the chance to play a couple more, and on the big stage and show what I can do."
He has a good idea of what to expect.
Two years ago he played for the Northern Territory in the Australian Hockey League. The predecessor to Hockey One, he described it as one of the "funnest and best" tournaments he has been away to.
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The NT side included current Kookaburra Jeremy Hayward and former Kookaburra Joel Carroll, and was a great learning experience, Farmilo noting that even playing for the Australian under-21s wasn't as quick as the AHL.
It has been a tough start for the Fire, going down to the NSW Pride 2-1 in their opening game and the Tassie Tigers 5-1 last weekend, and won't get any easier with the Blaze sitting alongside the Pride on top of the table on 10 points.
The Pride face the Tigers in Sydney on Saturday with the men playing at 1pm and the women following at 2.30pm.
Tamworth products Alice Arnott and Kate Jenner will line up for the women's side as they look to record their first win, but Ehren Hazell is away with the Australian under-21s in Malaysia for the Sultan of Johor Cup.
The Burras play Japan in their opening game at 7.05pm AEST on Saturday night.
Farmilo's Fire side play at 2.30pm.
