He just couldn't do it. He couldn't bring himself to play for another rugby club other than Pirates.
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As a result, Andrew Moodie - who won three-straight premierships with Pirates before winning a premiership with North Tamworth last season - has played his first soccer match in 21 years.
The 37-year-old code-hopper scored a goal and received a yellow card playing up front in Moore Creek's 4-0 opening round defeat of Kootingal at Gipps Street on Saturday afternoon. (He pointed out the yellow card with what appeared to be pride.)
It was a memorable Moore Creek debut for Moodie, in what was the Mountain Goats' first-ever Premier Division match.
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He gravitated back to soccer for the first time since playing for OVA's under-16 side after the Central North Rugby Union season was cancelled because of the coronavirus. He had planned to play for Pirates in 2020.
A number of CNRU players have signed with New England Rugby Union clubs this year because the NERU season is going ahead.
I couldn't see myself pulling on another jersey, other than Pirates.
- Andrew Moodie
"I couldn't see myself pulling on another jersey, other than Pirates," Moodie said.
He was "conned in" to playing for Moore Creek by a number of people he knows at the club, including teammate Dean Hoy, he said.
"I was gonna have the year off ... she [playing soccer] was a last-minute decision."
"It was an easy decision in the end," he added. "They just said, 'Come and have a run'. I said, 'Oh well, I've got nothing better to do on a Saturday.'"
Moodie described Saturday's clash as "tough".
"Mate, she's a steep learning curve with a lot of running. She's different, anyway."
Moore Creek led 2-0 at half-time against a Kootingal side who returned to top-flight soccer this year after the revamp of the Premier Division when the Armidale clubs excited Northern Inland Football at the end of last season.
Moore Creek assistant coach Adam Miller said Moodie was "awesome" against Kooty.
"He was really solid, really good ... strong, solid, ran all game," Miller said.
Along with Moodie, Miller praised the performance of midfielder Adam Jones, the veteran Bulls batsman.
The way Moore Creek gelled was the most pleasing aspect of their performance, he said.
"We've been training hard for the last five, six weeks ... the result showed that on the park today," he said.
Miller said "any win's a good win, but having a win straight off the bat is awesome".
"We'll come up against harder teams. But at the moment, we're pleased with the result we got today."
The Mountain Goats are one of five clubs to make the jump from the Tamworth competition to the Premier Division this season.
Along with Kootingal, the other clubs are Gunnedah, South United and Quirindi.
Moore Creek was established last year by a group of friends.
