TWO years ago Matt Beattie was the soccer young gun that Western NSW FC coaching staff were raving about, but now when he's mentioned for his attacking prowess it's as a rugby league player.
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The soccer convert was one of the finds of the inaugural Peter McDonald Premiership season as he fast made himself a home in the centres at St Pat's.
Beattie went from finding the back of the net for Bathurst '75 in its return to the Western Premier League competition to scoring tries and booting goals for the Saints.
He was named St Pat's rookie of the year for 2022 and finished as the seventh leading point scorer across the entire Peter McDonald Premiership.
It's a switch in codes the now 20-year-old is happy he made.
"A lot of my mates played footy. I always liked it, as a junior I played footy, but then I made the New South Wales soccer side and I thought I'd stick with that," Beattie said.
"But then I got sick of soccer and came over to play footy.
"It was always the goal to play first grade, but I didn't think it would happen in my first year, let alone after a couple of games.
"I thought it would be a season or two away. It had probably been four of five years since I played in juniors when I came back."
When Beattie, also a talented cricketer, played junior league he'd line up at fullback or in the centres.
Though he says he aspires to wear the number one jumper in the future, at the moment Beattie is happy to fill whatever role he is given by Saints captain-coach Zac Merritt.
That's currently a spot on the wing. This Sunday he hopes it will be outside star centre Jackson Brien, but he'll be just as happy if he's deployed on the same side as former Bathurst Panther Kevin Murray.
"I'm just happy to help out and play wherever I can to help the team out really. I don't mind the wing, obviously I prefer the centres, but I'm still learning so I'm happy to do my time on the wing," he said.
"I'm hoping to go on Jacko's side again this weekend. With Jacko on the inside of me, I've got full confidence in him because he's such a good player, but even Kev as well, he's up there.
"I can't go wrong, wherever I get put it's a good spot."
When Beattie was part of the Western NSW FC line-up in the National Premier Leagues competition, playing in Mudgee meant he was competing on home turf.
But this Sunday when he ventures to Glen Willow Sporting Complex Beattie will be in enemy territory.
His Saints will do battle with the only undefeated side in the Peter McDonald Premiership - the Mudgee Dragons.
Last season Beattie was on the scoresheet in both the Saints' games against the Dragons, but they were fixtures his side lost 12-8 and 20-14.
However, St Pat's did win a 6-4 nail-biter over Mudgee in the pre-season knockout earlier this year and that gives Beattie confidence.
"When I came Pat's I knew that Mudgee have always been a strong side, but we are starting to click as a team as well, so I feel like we'll be travelling over there with a win definitely on our minds, it's very doable," he said.
"No-one's beat them this season, but we beat them in the knockout however so we'll take confidence out of that into this weekend.
"I think we're clicking and we've got the team this year that if we're on, we'll go very far into the finals."
The Saints head into the match on the back of a 42-12 win over Orange CYMS and while Mudgee is a much tougher prospect, the challenge is one Beattie is looking forward to.
The winger said Merritt hasn't put pressure on his Saints to win, but that is naturally what all those in blue and white aspire to do.
"He [Zac] hasn't put any pressure on us purely because he knows what we have got, the team we have is good enough to beat anybody," Beattie said.
"It will be good coming up against Mudgee, it will be a good challenge. I do feel like the pressure is all on Mudgee, but there's still, I guess, pressure on us to perform well, perform to our standard.
"Group 11 sides have been strong, they are the benchmark really of where we need to be, but Mudgee they are a benchmark as well, that's where we want to be."
Kick off in Sunday's match at Glen Willow is at 2pm
- ST PAT'S: 1 Ash Cosgrove, 2 Matt Beattie, 3 Kevin Murray, 4 Jackson Brien, 5 Call Naden, 6 Noah Griffiths, 7 Willie Wright, 8 Luke Single, 9 Hayden Bolam, 10 Zac Merritt, 11 Caleb Wardman, 12 Cooper Akroyd, 13 Aaron Mawhinney, 14 Ryan Small, 15 Haze Reweti, 16 Josh Hanrahan, 17 Cooper Earsman.
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