What started as a tongue-in-cheek conversation for Devon Hamley eventually ended in his choosing to uproot and relocate his entire life interstate.
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The 27-year-old visited Tamworth for the first time in mid-2023. He and his partner, Sophia (who grew up in town but was at the time based in Sydney for work), came so he could meet her parents.
"We were like 'Oh, maybe we should move here' as a joke," Hamley said.
"Then it ended up happening."
![Devon Hamley has already found himself a community within the Redbacks. Picture by Zac Lowe. Devon Hamley has already found himself a community within the Redbacks. Picture by Zac Lowe.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ijfQKXbsEKgSKGW5xB5NiF/dfa27167-09a4-4763-bbf5-0472ecc8afa8.jpg/r0_169_4000_2418_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The former Gold Coast resident said he was "looking to go rural" regardless. In part, it was because he had never felt truly at ease in a metropolitan setting.
But, Hamley said, another part of him wanted to move to the country to reflect his childhood, which had been spent on a farm just outside of Durban, on South Africa's eastern coast.
The bulk of his preteen years took place there, before his family moved to Queensland when he was 13.
"I knew a lot of people that had done it, a lot of people leave South Africa and go overseas," Hamley said.
"We travelled around a fair bit in South Africa too, so coming here was [not daunting]."
Culturally, South Africa and Australia share several similarities which made his transition easier.
One such shared trait was both countries' love of sport, which was instilled in Hamley by his father. The young man played hockey, cricket, and rugby union growing up, and he still indulges in the latter two.
In fact, when he landed in Tamworth in September, one of his first decisions was to join the North Tamworth Cricket Club.
"It's the best way to meet people, to get straight into a team," Hamley said.
![Hamley steams in against South Tamworth in the Redbacks' last game of 2023. Picture by Zac Lowe. Hamley steams in against South Tamworth in the Redbacks' last game of 2023. Picture by Zac Lowe.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ijfQKXbsEKgSKGW5xB5NiF/1324b85a-2aa8-4801-ac53-a007b9ddeb15.JPG/r841_1002_3433_2765_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"Sophia's cousins, Henry, Jock, and Toby [Smith] all play here. So I didn't really have any other option (laughs)."
The pace bowler has been a welcome addition to the Redbacks' already formidable battery. He quickly became known for an energy and intensity on the field which was reminiscent of another South African speedster: Dale Steyn.
"Dale Steyn and Brett Lee were my two [idols]," Hamley said.
"Pretty much everything I do is like that, there's no point half-arsing it. You may as well get stuck in."
While he hasn't had many opportunities to bowl for North Tamworth, Hamley has impressed when he has been tossed the ball.
A bowling average of 19.3 shows that he has performed well when given the chance, but he feels as though he is yet to find his best.
"I'm probably a little bit underdone as well," Hamley said.
"I've travelled away a fair bit. I did a good preseason, then went away and missed a fair bit of time. That makes it difficult."
For all intents and purposes, Hamley considers himself Australian. But a piece of his heart remains in South Africa.
It is why he will always barrack for the Proteas, and it is why he chose to pursue a career as an environmental scientist (which is how he and Sophia met - she worked at his old firm).
But now, having settled in Tamworth and found a community here, Hamley expects to stay for the foreseeable future.
"Moving here's been great," he said.
"Small town, fit straight in with a good bunch of boys, meeting people's been easy. It's been good."