Like many country kids Brody Tickle played every sport he could growing up. But soccer was the one that stuck.
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Fast forward a few years and the 24-year old is playing a leading role as Quirindi FC make the transition from the local Tamworth competition to hopefully a premier league force.
The first grade vice-captain, Tickle is among a core of five or six players that were involved in the club's first grade title triumph in 2018.
The best moment he has experienced in the royal blue and white, on Saturday he was part of another special moment for the club as they beat Kootingal 1-nil to notch their maiden win the new competition.
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"It was really good. It was our first first grade premier league win, so it was something great for the club," Tickle said.
It almost didn't happen, the match-winner coming after a scramble in the box from a free kick with only a few minutes to play.
Tickle described seeing the ball go in the back of the net as a "relief", after a number of near misses.
Captain-coach Steve Sharp made the comment that they were "wasteful" in front of goal especially in the first half.
He thought they probably should have been up 3-nil by half-time. Instead it was 0-all.
"We just kept chipping away and chipping away," Sharp said.
"At the end of the day we just knew if we kept playing and stuck to our structure, we knew it would come."
Eventually it did.
Tickle, who works as a personal trainer at Plains Fitness, said the win was a good launching pad for them.
"I think our season really started on Saturday," he said.
"The first two weeks weren't the best but if we can use Saturday as the platform and move forward from there it would be really good."
The first couple of games they were just finding their feet.
"It's all different trying to get used to a new league and new clubs that we're playing against," he said.
"And we had a few players out for the first two weeks."
"It will be nice to have our full squad back together and hopefully we can pull it all together and start playing really well."
They had a couple of players return last Saturday and should have a couple more back for their clash against the unbeaten and in-form Tamworth FC this coming Saturday.
The litmus test, Tickle is looking forward to it.
"That's going to be the telling point of where we are at so far," he said.
"I think they're one of the benchmark teams this season and it will be good to face them. I've never played against them so I'm always up for a challenge."
