When Andrew Wallace elected to sign with the Boggabri Kangaroos in 2023, he was partially driven by a distant family connection to the club.
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For a period in the 90s, his father, Percy, had also donned a Boggabri jersey. And Wallace, who grew up in Coonamble before relocating to Narrabri as a teenager, considers his old man one of his primary role models.
"Him and my grandfather, still to this day they tell me things that I should be doing on the field," Wallace said.
"And most of the time, they're right."
From Narrabri, Wallace's father moved the family to Sydney for work when he was 18.
He stayed for a few years, and played footy throughout that period, but never felt like it was truly home. A country boy at heart, he knew he would eventually return to the rural landscapes of his childhood.
"I got to about 18, and I just got sick of the city life and moved back home," Wallace said.
"My grandparents are getting on a bit, so I thought I'd come back [to Coonamble] and spend a bit of time with them. My grandfather's still going over there, and he would've been watching today."
Wallace spoke to the Leader in the aftermath of the Kangaroos' maiden first grade victory over the Kootingal-Moonbi Roosters on Saturday.
The 26-year-old halfback was one of the standouts for coach Shane Rampling, whose kicking game and insightful passing set up countless impactful plays for the home side at Jubilee Oval.
It was the second record-setting win Wallace was a part of in his 18 months with Boggabri. The first was his debut in 2023, when they famously beat the North Tamworth Bears for the first time.
"Me and my older brother [Brian] came down here at the start of last year, and he played a couple of games. But he had to coach the young guys back at Coonamble," Wallace said.
"I don't think Boggy had ever beat Norths before that [first round game], it was unreal. Just the town after the game and everyone getting behind it, it was crazy."
Though he hopes to move to Narrabri in the future, where his partner lives, Wallace is more than happy with the Kangaroos, who he said are "one of the best clubs I've played for".
"It's a small community, but everyone gets behind the club," he said.
"It's unreal, all the supporters make sure they get to away games. It's just an unreal atmosphere around here."
