Bailey Dickinson relinquished a promising cricketing career to play NRL but after giving football away to help his father Stuart with his greyhounds is in with a great chance of having a starter in Friday week's TAB Million Dollar Chase final.
The Dickinsons' greyhound Cawborne Marty, who was second fastest placegetter in last Saturday night's Chase Preludes at Wentworth Park, has drawn suitably in box seven in Friday night's opening semi and if he wins will be chasing the $1 million winner's cheque on October 16.
"I was opening batsman for Australia's under 16 test cricket team until I switched to rugby league and played three seasons as a front-row forward with the St George Dragons,'' Dickinson, still only 20, said.
"With the Dragons I played in their Holden Cup and Jersey Flegg sides but greyhounds have always been my first love.
"When I was growing up my dad was always breeding and owning greyhounds so I was constantly giving him a hand.
"But eight months ago I got really serious about assisting with the dogs because while JODIE Lord has trained most of my father's greyhounds, he now has 20 in the racing kennels and another 60 brood bitches and puppies on our adjoining property.
"Dad owns the JODIE Lord-trained Cawborne Footrot, who has drawn box one in Friday's second Million Dollar Chase semi, while I'm happy with Cawborne Marty, the dog we train, being drawn on the outside in his race.
"When Cawborne Marty made the pace to the home turn before being beaten a head in the second quickest Chase heat last Saturday, he raced very wide.
"He got so far off the track he almost finished up in the car-park so if he begins as well as he has been jumping lately his wide draw should suit him perfectly this week.
"Considering he turned three in March and is among the oldest dogs in the series, Cawborne Marty has been a wonderful dog and is just $700 short of earning us $100,000 in prizemoney.
"Our other dog Cawborne Footrot nearly broke the Dapto 600m record at his last start and from box one this week he should run a great race too.''
With the eight semi-final winners going into the October 16 Million Dollar Chase final, the Dickinsons could easily have two cracks at the world's richest race.
It's unlikely then that Bailey Dickinson will have any regrets after his drastic career changes.
