![FACEBOOK MOMENT: Gunnedah FC mainstay Zac Crowhurst and his girlfriend, Kayla Smith. FACEBOOK MOMENT: Gunnedah FC mainstay Zac Crowhurst and his girlfriend, Kayla Smith.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/KUhQizDbwW8WqAyPP4x5yp/faf8b8cd-1249-43a4-9015-5ba92c81aecc.jpg/r0_0_960_720_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Zac Crowhurst was a toddler when his parents, Michael and Greta, moved from Sydney to Gunnedah in search of a better life. They found it.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Now aged 26, Crowhurst is laying the foundation for his own successful life: he bought a house with his girlfriend, Kayla Smith, and is an electrician at Whitehaven Coal's underground mine at the Gunnedah Basin.
Read more:
What the Gunnedah FC winger-striker also has is a supportive partner: it is Smith's thumbs-up for his new flowing locks that helps him endure the relentless sledges he receives about his hair.
"I cop a heap of stick, especially from opposing players," he said. "It's always their first jab.
"But I work in an underground coal mine, with long hair. I have copped way worse underground than any soccer player could ever give to me. So I take it [the on-field stirring] pretty easily."
Crowhurst did his electrical apprenticeship through his father, who owns MGC Electrical. Taking over the family business one day, he said, was "always on the table" - but not in the near future.
"I'm pretty content at the moment," he said. "Yeah, I can't complain at all. Hopefully things stay this way."
With three rounds remaining before the finals, Gunnedah are a point adrift of fourth-placed Moore Creek, whom they host on Saturday.
![FLASHBACK: Crowhurst in action this year. FLASHBACK: Crowhurst in action this year.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/KUhQizDbwW8WqAyPP4x5yp/724b3ebd-5d23-44f4-bd8f-ef4ccc234d93.jpg/r0_0_779_677_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Both Gunnedah and Crowhurst are searching for their best form.
"I started the season pretty strong," he said. "But the last few games, I haven't been playing very well. So, I'm looking to turn that around a bit."
Gunnedah FC coach Andy Cygan said Crowhurst had been "a great player for the club" since their foundation year.