Every now and then, reminders of the past and glimpses of the future come together.
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Lochie Collins will experience the firsthand later today when he steps on to the Dungowan Recreation Ground.
The 29-year-old will arrive with his partner, Sarah, and four-week-old daughter, Tilly in tow. It will be the first time Tilly watches her father play for the Dungowan Cowboys, who will take on old rivals in the Kootingal-Moonbi Roosters.
"[Fatherhood] has given me a different perspective," Collins said.
"As I said to my partner when we left the hospital, you've got to think about other people in the car with you now. Not that I used to drive stupidly, but I've got a big responsibility now."
Collins celebrates his 10th season with the Cowboys this year. In that time, he acknowledged, he has developed a reputation for occasional hot-headedness on the field.
But in the month since he has become a father, he already feels a change in himself.
"I've got to say, it has tamed me down a bit. I've got to control myself a bit better," Collins said.
While his growing family sits on the sidelines today, Collins will also celebrate the 10-year reunion of one of his career highlights with Dungowan: winning the second division premiership against the Roosters in 2014.
"I said to one of the boys the other day that there's moments from the grand final, even our half time speeches, and I wish that there was someone recording it," he said.
"Because you don't fully remember those moments, and you wish that you took it in more back then."
From that grand final-winning team from a decade ago, only Collins and Matt Wilson still lace up the boots.
And though a decade has passed since that day, along with two unsuccessful grand final bids, Collins said it is still one of his most cherished memories with the Cowboys.
"We're only a small club that doesn't pay its players and things like that," he said.
"To win a premiership back then, it probably means a lot more to me than [winning one in] first division [would have]."
Obviously, the most appropriate way for Collins and his teammates to celebrate, in his opinion, is with a victory today.
But against Kootingal-Moonbi, it will not be an easy task.
"Logan Howard, he can score two or three tries on you and their boys like him," Collins said.
"Liam Hatch, we know what he can do. Yum Yum's always strong too ... It's always a hard game against Kooty. It's one that I personally get up out of bed for, I love playing them."
