When Emma Clifton was offered a dream opportunity to play hockey in the US, she couldn't have imagined what an amazing adventure the next decade would be.
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Now living back in Tamworth - and playing for South United in the local women's first grade competition - the long-time state representative reflects on the last 10 years as some of the best of her life.
Scouted by the College of William and Mary, which is an NCAA Division 1 college based in Williamsburg, it was unlike anything Clifton had experienced before. It wasn't unusual to catch chartered flights to games.
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"It's just amazing," Clifton said of the NCAA program.
"I'd say it is as close to professional as you can get to play hockey.
"The amount of money that they have."
"And just the facilities as well, it's just nothing compared to what you have here."
The flip side of that is it is an intense environment and the training rigorous.
After training in the morning, she would then go to her classes before training again in the afternoon. Unaccustomed to that level of training, even with the NSW and Australian sides she had played with, the work load initially left Clifton burnt out but she came to enjoy it.
The US isn't a noted powerhouse, but the hockey was of a top quality, she said.
Her side was pretty much an international team with players from Holland and New Zealand as well as Australia.
"So the quality was amazing, it was really high," she said. "And I had an Australian coach so it was a really similar playing style to here."
After finishing her degree she then moved into coaching (you can no longer play once you graduate), mentoring a high school team and helping out with the college program, which she enjoyed.
But after 10 years away she was ready to ready to come home so about six months ago she moved back.
"I've got nieces and nephews now and my brothers (Ben and Sam) both live here (they run Transwest Fuels)," she said.
"I wanted to be with my family for a bit before I decide what I want to do with the rest of my life," she said.
For now that is some casual teaching and helping her brothers with some social media and marketing, and getting back into hockey.
She's not the only member of the family donning the red and blue - Sam is the South United men's sides coach, although that is more coincidence the men's and women's clubs aren't affiliated.
"[Coach] Hayden (Lewin) reached out to be and said do you want to have a run and I said yeah no worries but I'm super unfit," she said.
"It's been great. It's such a good club and I've felt really welcome back into Tamworth hockey."
Playing attacking midfield and, a little but up front, on Sunday she helped them overcome Tudor Wests 4-1 to post their first win of the season.
After leading 2-nil their lead was cut back to a goal early in the final quarter, but they responded with two unanswered goals.
"I think the last couple of weeks we've dropped off, probably mainly to do with a bit of fitness," Clifton said.
"Today we really wanted to win. The last few weeks we've been a bit disappointed with the draws and last week we went down to Waratahs 2-1 and I think this week we just really wanted to dig in."
"I think this game was the first time where we really stepped up and held that for the majority of the match."
Olympians also recorded their first win with a 3-1 defeat of Waratahs while Flames and Services drew 0-all.
Meanwhile in the men's action, Sam's South United side continued their winning ways beating Tudor Wests 3-1 while Kiwis accounted for Workies 2-nil.
