Jeremy Bird had to leave Tamworth to realise he should never have left.
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But the lure of a shiny new job in Sydney, and the chance to make something of himself there, was an irresistible combination for the then 19-year-old.
It was 1999. John Howard was prime minister, the Storm beat the Dragons in the NRL grand final, Lou Bega's Mambo No. 5 was the country's most successful single that year, and a young man dreaming big moved anonymously throughout Sydney - missing his family and his friends and the country lifestyle.
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At age 20, Bird - who left Tamworth High in year 10 - was part of PFD Food Service's management team.
It did not work out, and he returned home in 2001.
"With the management role I had in Sydney, I had about 30-40 guys under me, at a real young age, 20-21, and I just didn't handle that pressure. Plus not having the family around [was an issue].
"I'm glad that I made the move back home. I'm happier now. I've got four children - I'm not looking back."
Comforted by Tamworth's warm embrace, Bird resumed playing baseball. And on Saturday, at age 40, he will lead Outlaws into the grand final against Cougars at Field of Dreams 1.
The player-coach will be joined in Outlaws' lineup by his younger brothers, Kristoffer and Keegan.
It will be the first time they have played in a grand final together, as they attempt to stop Cougars winning a third-straight title - and atone, somewhat, for their loss in last year's finale.
Bird now works in the freight industry and is married to Carla, whom he fell for "very quickly" in early 2002 after they met for the first time (they welcomed their first child at the end of 2002).
He described his relationship with his brothers as "unreal". (Kristoffer is 34 and Keegan is 30).
And he wants Cougars - his former club - to know this ahead of Saturday's showdown: "I don't think we'll need luck [to win] ... We're gonna take that confidence and momentum in the GF, and I think we'll go a long way this year - it will be good."
