Jarrett's story begins in the small town of Biloela, Central Queensland, where he grew up and would later leave to join the Air Force at age 16. Ian Healy, the former Australian Test keeper, was a Biloela High captain when Jarrett started year 8.

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In his 20-year Air Force career, he worked as an armament fitter and an avionics technician. But an inspirational encounter that changed the course of his life occurred outside the military.

While in the Air Force, he did a TAFE course in sports conditioning and training. It was the teacher of the dietitian component of the course who inspired him to become who he is today: a 54-year-old dietitian with two Tamworth clinics and outreach clinics in Gunnedah and Manilla.

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He studied dietetics as a mature-age student at the University of Newcastle, and moved to Tamworth in 2002 and worked at Tamworth Hospital.

"There wasn't a lot of call for bombs and bullets in Qantas," he joked, "so I needed to work out what I was going to do for the rest of my life after I'd done my Air Force run."

Jarrett continued: "TAFE have got a bit of a slogan - they say: 'Changing life through learning'. To me, I'm a great example of that."

The married father of three's life took another turn this year when he was appointed coach of the Kootingal and District Football Club's Premier Division side - his first senior mentoring role, in the club's debut top-flight season.

He had previously coached junior sides at the club, while also mentoring and managing juniors at Northern Inland Football.

His three children - Brendan, 14, Emma, 13, and Liam, 10 - play or have played for the Kougars. His wife, Tania, is a radiographer at Tamworth Hospital.

Jarrett is in a good place in life. "I'm happy to help people all day long, which is what I do."

On Saturday, Kootingal will search for win No 3 when they play South United at Gipps Street.