Mitch Bowen was almost lost to the football wilderness.
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After breaking his wrist playing with Dungowan during the 2021 season and then having some complications from that, the 22-year-old had lost that "spark" for football.
"I wasn't going to play footy again," he said.
But then he got a text message from Tamworth Magpies second grade co-coach Brett Robinson.
"Robbo", as he referred to him, had coached him when he played juniors at the club.
"[He] said 'I'd love you to come back'," he said.
He also works with women's co-coach Ben Watts, and he had been trying to convince him to lace up the boots.
And so he decided to pull out the black and white jumper again.
"I enjoyed my rugby at Magpies so I thought why not give it another go," he said.
He's glad he did.
"Ever since that first training session I've loved being back," he said.
"They've got a great culture there.
"At training we're committed. I like going to training, I come home and I'm satisfied."
"The coaches are great, the social life's great, everyone backs each other."
After playing second grade the first couple of games, he was promoted to start at fullback for their clash with Barbarians two weeks ago.
Producing a man-of-the-match performance, he has been named again at 15 for their game against Robb College in Armidale on Saturday.
Born and bred in Tamworth, before the injury football had been a big part Bowen's life.
Through school at Farrer he juggled league and union, playing for both the First XIII (league) and First XV (union) at one stage or another.
Post-school he initially gravitated towards league and the Cowboys, who he had played under 18s with and was where many of his friends were heading.
But, after COVID wiped out the 2020 season, the wrist injury saw his 2021 season over before it had really begun.
Breaking it in "a couple of places" he had to get plates and screws put in.
"Then something happened with my hand again and I had to go back in there and get it all fixed up," he said.
Thankfully, it is all good now.
Good is also a pretty apt way to describe Bowen's life at the moment.
He's enjoying his footy with the Magpies and his work as an apprentice fitter and machinist with the council.
In the job for about four months - prior to that he was working for them as a plumber - every day he is "doing something different". He also gets to travel around.
"Pretty much everywhere around the council area, whatever breaks down we fix," he said.
The Magpies head to Armidale still searching for their first win but with a renewed belief off the back of their 17-all draw with Barbarians.
As prop Harry Mills commented post match it felt like a win for them.
In the other game Armidale host Barbarians in their annual Charity Shield game.
