As far as rollercoaster cricketing journeys go, there would be few as colourful and confused as late-blooming Bulls batsman Glen Batticciotto, who came of age on Monday with an impressive maiden century at the Gabba.
Batticciotto burst onto the scene at the Under-19 World Cup in 2000, where he represented Australia alongside the likes of Michael Clarke, Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson.
While the trio's transition into senior, state and later international cricket was practically seamless, the next stage of Batticciotto's career was a little bit more turbulent.
Batticciotto plied his trade for Brisbane club side Sandgate-Redcliffe, eventually picking up the Peter Burge Medal in 2007-08 for the best player in grade cricket.
Mountains of runs saw him drafted into Queensland's side for the shorter forms of the game last season before he was finally rewarded with a baggy maroon cap last month in Perth.
Batticciotto failed to deliver against Western Australia, but played a stoic hand for his side against Tasmania.
The 28-year-old compiled a measured 101, steering the Bulls to safety from 4-60 and sealing first-innings points.
Batticciotto was understandably a satisfied man after the game.
"It has been a very long and hard road for me, but at the end of the day it's probably made me tougher, I've just wanted it for so much for years and years," he beamed.
"To finally get an opportunity - it's something I've always wanted."
"I'd like to think I took full advantage, I'm obviously a little bit disappointed I didn’t get a real big one, but that's cricket."
Son of a Sicilian father and English mother, Batticciotto dabbled with football during his time in representative wilderness and was at one point playing in the Brisbane Premier League.
Cricket was always Batticciotto's passion though, and he offered no excuses for the delay in delivering on his potential.
"All you've got to blame is yourself really."
"If you get the runs on the board then you're going to get picked eventually, so you can only blame yourself."
"Everyone says that to me (that it must have been hard to not give up on professional cricket), and I don't know why."
"I haven't been too fazed by it all. I've always stuck to my beliefs and feelings that eventually I'd make it."
Batticciotto made batting look easy at times when he combined with Chris Hartley in a match-turning 176-run stand, but said it was a scrap at all times.
"That's the first time I played at the Gabba in a four-day game and I've never had to work so hard for a run before."
"Yesterday the ball was moving around a lot, it was very, very tough - so it was just a case of playing as straight as possible and letting the ball come to you."
"With the sun out today, it did definitely help, there was still movement for the whole day, but not as much."