Underpinning Andrew Vernon's adult life have been three powerful and stable forces - each one complimenting the other to enhance the overall experience.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Dedicated employee. Loving husband and father. Footballer: Vernon is all three.
On Friday the 32-year-old will finish work for the week at the Sean Hofman Group, where he has been for 15 years - progressing from apprentice electrician to project manager.
Read more:
The following day his two children, Bryon, 14, and Will, 11, will be at Gipps Street to watch their old man play his 300th senior game - all for Kootingal. (His wife, Bianca, will miss the match because of work.)
"Stick, adapt and try and do the best I can," was how Vernon summed up his philosophy on life.
Indeed.
"Definitely," he replied when asked if he had had a fortunate life. "Things have sort of fell in line, I guess."
"Family's a big thing to me," he also said. "Without family you don't get far.
"My kids, they love a bit of sport too. I play the water polo with Byron and I do the soccer with Will. So we're involved in everything together."
Kootingal will recognise Vernon's 300-game milestone before the side's clash against OVA on Saturday.
Verno, as he is also known, made his first-grade debut for the Kougars at age 16.
Last year was the only season he did not play first grade: he played third grade because of his commitments as a Northern Inland Football high-performance coach.
As with his duties as an employee, a husband and father, and a footballer, he has found another outlet to pour his great reserve of passion into.
He coaches NIF's under-10s, with Will part of the organisation's under-11 squad. Vernon sees coaching as a natural progression, and plans to do it long term.
As for his 300th game, the Tamworth High graduate said he was only the third Kougar to achieve the feat.
"For sure," he said of the milestone being very special to him, adding: "It feels like I must be getting old."
"Three hundred from then [age 16] to now is a big achievement," he also said. "Thirty-two's not a bad age to be able to get there."
What's more, the defender hopes he has plenty of football left in him
The milestone is even more important to him because he will achieve it while also helping develop junior talent through NIF. Next year he would like to help mentor Koogtinal's Premier Division sides.
As for living in Kootingal his whole life, he said: "Everything's sort of here, so I've never thought about leaving, to be honest."
