Rhyce Kliendienst | Mornington skipper knows what he wants in life

At a time when scores of farmers across NSW face an uncertain future, Kliendienst's family - who run a longstanding beef cattle farm outside Taree - are eyeing the purchase of a nearby property.

Kliendienst, 22, aims to purchase the property with his two older brothers, Joel and Wade, who, along with their mother, run the existing farm.

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"And then I'll probably do farming and mining and play cricket," he said, admitting: "There's a lot going on, but I'm happy about that. I'd rather be flat out off my feet than sitting a home twiddling my thumbs.

"I like keeping busy. There's no point sitting around waiting for things to come to you. You've gotta make 'em [happen] yourself."

Regarding the drought, Kliendienst said his family were "hanging on, just" - aided by their farm being located by a river. Having a second farm, he said, would boost sustainability during tough times. "Once we get this place [the new farm], we'll sort of knock back on the feed."

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Kliendienst arrived in Gunnedah early last year after securing his first job in the mining sector. He works as an operator at an open-cut coal mine.

The allrounder said he was "probably 16" when he made his first-grade debut, at Wingham Cricket Club. He played junior rep cricket.

On becoming Mornington captain, he said: "You know, this is my second year in first grade in this area, and I just thought I'd take the reins this year and give it a crack."

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Kliendienst believes that winless Mornington have been building nicely over the opening two rounds this season, and he is confident they will push Court House hard when their two-day clash commences at Wolseley Oval on Saturday. "This weekend we'll be nearly at full strength ... we'll go close to beating Court House," he said.