For as long as he can remember, rugby has been a big part of Jono Morrison's life.
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From the first time he pulled on a Gunnedah Red Devils jersey, the young half-back dreamed of getting to the top.
Now he is one step closer after making the Australian Indigenous rugby sevens squad.
"I trialled for the squad on the Gold Coast a few weeks back and I was lucky enough to get in," Morrison told the Leader.
"We played four games with and against guys from all over Australia and it was a lot of fun.
"It was a bit of a learning curve for me because rugby is played really differently at things like this.
"But I was able to impress enough to make the squad, which is really exciting."
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Selection in the squad means Morrison will line up in the national rugby sevens championships later this year, before representing his country in New Zealand.
"The nationals are in a month's time, so it's not a lot of time to prepare, but I should be OK," Morrison said.
"After that, we head off to New Zealand for the world championships.
"That's going to be really exciting, because we will be going up against teams like America and Canada.
"Honestly, I can't wait."
The Carinya Christian School student said the motivation for trying out for the team had come from his family, who "have always been really supportive".
"My cousin has been through this program as well, so they really pushed me towards it," he said.
"It's a different culture of rugby to what I am used to.
"There's a lot of running and the ball moves so quickly, it's almost like touch footy in some senses. But it is a lot of fun."
As for his future ambitions, Morrison said he would "take my rugby as far as I can".
"I'm not too sure how far I can take rugby, but I'll be keen to push myself as far as possible," he said.
"Hopefully I can start by doing well at these two events and maybe break into Gunnedah's first-grade side next season."