Jono Dunlop: Magpies centre embraces family life, the Magpies cause and Tamworth living

Speaking to the Leader on Friday morning, the Tamworth Magpies centre revealed that his wife, Georgie - whom he hung out with at school in Tamworth before dating at university in Newcastle and then marrying in Tamworth - would give birth on Monday.

The planned caesarean section at Tamworth Hospital is the result of a calculated plan that was designed to make Dunlop and his wife worthwhile members of Tamworth society and provide them with an ideal environment to raise a family.

Two-year-old Leah will soon have a little sister. While Dunlop - a civil engineer at the Tamworth Regional Council, and Georgie - a general-practice nurse, will soon have another reason to celebrate their union and life.

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But before that happens, Dunlop has a rugby match to play.

On Saturday afternoon at Rugby Park, the 28-year-old will line up at inside centre in a trial against Sydney club Brothers. The Magpies' first match of the season will be Dunlop's last for some time.

Rugby may be the game played in heaven. But on Earth family comes first - or at least it does for Dunlop, who was in the running to be named one of the side's two captains this year.

"I would like to see one of the other guys stepping up and take a captaincy role," he said, "and I would assist them in the back half of the season - if that's the way it kind of plays out."

After the birth of his second child, Dunlop said it would be "all hands on deck".

"I've got another little one [Leah] ... so you can imagine that it's probably gonna be something that's gonna chew a bit of time for a bit, until we can wrap our heads around what life looks like with two kids."

Indeed.

He continued: "If we have an easy baby, I'll hopefully get more of the season in than I'm planning. But I'm not sure. I'll try and stay involved [with the club] where I can."

Dunlop was raised in Gunnedah and Wee Waa and went to high school in Tamworth. While attending Carinya Christian School, he and Georgie were in the same friends group. But sparks flew when they were studying at University of Newcastle.

"Because we kind of knew each other quite well, the relationship kind of went ahead in leaps and bounds," Dunlop said.

Georgie was pregnant when they relocated to Tamworth in November 2019. They were married in 2015.

"We wanted to have kids and we wanted to bring them up with the country lifestyle," Dunlop said.

"So we like Tamworth, we like the people in Tamworth - we think it's got a lot going for it in terms of schools and lifestyle and that sort of stuff."

The couple also wanted to "have a positive impact [on society] with some of the skills" they had obtained, Dunlop added.

His rugby skills were primarily obtained at Carinya Christian School and the Hamilton Hawks in Newcastle.

"He's a very smart player," Magpies coach Andrew Jack said of Dunlop.

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