IT might have been unexpectedly thrust on him but Billy Urquhart enjoyed a dream starting debut for Tamworth on Saturday.
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Not only did the Magpies pick up a much-needed win but he picked up the three best and fairest points.
The 18-year-old was a late inclusion at half-back after Nick Humphries was ruled out with an infection in his elbow.
He only found out himself as he was getting ready to play second grade.
“20 minutes before I was supposed to kick off for second grade I got the call-up,” he said.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled with it.”
The points were a bonus and certainly a surprise.
But he was just happy enough to be out there.
Stepping up from the colts, he never envisaged making his first grade debut so early in the season.
“I thought I’d go all right this season but not as good as this,” he said.
“Hopefully I can keep at this pace.”
He certainly impressed Magpies co-coach Mark Daly.
“He definitely services well,” Daly said.
“And he’s a young guy and very enthusiastic and everywhere around the field.”
The latter was one of the biggest challenges for Urquhart.
“It’s heaps faster, nothing compared to the old 18s,” he said.
The other was “talking to the more experienced boys and telling them what to do”.
He is still learning the trade too.
“I’ve never really played half-back before,” he said.
“It’s only this season I moved to half-back.”
He was a five-eighth all through his junior days.
It was only really forced chance that he had a run at nine.
“I ran on for an injury at half-back and that was how it started,” he said.
Not that he’s complaining.
“I like it,” he said.
“I like being in there, and tackling.”
He is starting to feel a lot more comfortable there.
“Passing from the ground is a lot different to on the run,” he said.
“It’s just little things like that I’ve got to get used to.
“But I’m getting the hang of it.”
The 27-10 win over Scone keeps the Magpies in the hunt for the top five but it was still patchy.
“We’ve just got to keep on going,” Urquhart said.
“We seem to switch off towards the end of halves.”
They’ll need to be on their game for the 80 on Saturday heading out to Narrabri to tackle the defending champions.
