Troy Schutt on cusp of a great adventure

It was the decision of his parents, Glenn and Jordana, to uproot their one-child family more than a decade ago, and move from outback Northern Territory to Tamworth, that provided their now 18-year-old son with excellent opportunities he did not squander.

And so, in the near future the Farrer graduate will drive to the coast for the start of his architectural degree at the University of Newcastle.

"I guess they thought that for me, especially, there would be better opportunities going down to where we are now," he said of his folks, who have advanced to managerial positions in their careers, and the move from Batchelor to Tamworth.

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"Now that I think about it, I'm definitely happy," he continued. "Because if we were stuck where we were, I don't think I'd be where I am now."

Schutt was speaking after his North Companions lost 2-1 to Hillvue at Gipps Street.

The teen is currently on a gap year, working full-time at Bunnings to save money for uni. He has a network of mates - most from his Farrer days - who are already living in Newcastle.

"I've got so many opportunities, I feel like, in Newcastle," he said. "Tamworth is great for what it is, but I want to go to a bigger place."

"I think I took the right decision to have a gap year this year," he added, "purely because I wanna be more financially stable than some of my mates, I'd have to say."

On Saturday, Northies lost for the sixth time in 13 matches this year. They drew level with Hillvue, a 1-1, when Louis Johnson found himself unmarked on the right flank and beat the keeper with a sweetly struck, angled shot in the second half, before Mitch Sinclair scored the winner for Rovers.

Schutt, who missed eight weeks of the season with a hamstring injury, said: "It's been tough this year, especially for Northies," adding that the side had struggled with injuries.

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