He’s dabbled in all four football codes, but Wallabies hopeful Jesse Mogg looks to have made the right choice.
Mogg is one of 11 Brumbies attending a two-day Wallabies logistics camp in Sydney ahead of the three-Test series against the British and Irish Lions in June.
Perhaps the ultimate code hopper, the boom fullback has exploded onto the Super Rugby scene in the past two seasons after sampling every football code.
“I’ve done a bit of everything. I started off in soccer originally, did AFL for two years and then moved into rugby when I went to high school,” Mogg told AAP.
“I had one year of rugby league in 2009 when I played Toyota Cup for the Brisbane Broncos, I played about 14 games for them.
“I enjoyed my time there but I thought my game was best suited to rugby.”
With incumbent Wallabies fullback Berrick Barnes currently injured, Mogg has the chance to press for selection against the Lions.
After making an initial mark on Super Rugby last year, the Brisbane-born flyer has stepped up another notch in 2013.
“The biggest thing last year that let me down was my consistency, I’d have one or two good games and have an off game for one or two,” Mogg said.
“This year I’m really working hard on playing well every single game.”
Mogg viewed moving to Canberra on an academy deal in 2009 as a gamble and probably his last chance of breaking into professional rugby.
“After two years I was leaning towards packing up and heading back to Brisbane to play club rugby and calling it quits (in Canberra) until (newly-appointed Brumbies coach) Jake (White) came to one of the local games.
“He decided to give me a rookie deal last year and gave me a shot at playing Super Rugby.”
Mogg is one of six Brumbies still to play Test rugby at the logistics camp.
The full Brumbies contingent of 11 is a far cry from the meagre tally of just two representatives on the Wallabies 2011 Spring tour.
“It’s really good for the guys and probably a good reward for the amount of work they put in the last couple of years,” Brumbies captain Ben Mowen told AAP.
Mowen has enjoyed an exceptional season for the ladder-leading Brumbies and has shot into Test contention after acting on advice from Wallabies coach Robbie Deans.
“The feedback from Robbie was I needed to go and work on leg drive, the ability to win those contact areas and I’m very happy with the way I’ve taken that part of my game forward this year,” Mowen said.
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