Benji Floros is determined to prove Canberra can be a breeding ground for elite talent after the emerging fast bowler secured a spot on Queensland's rookie list.
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The Tuggeranong Valley product has signed with the Bulls a year after packing his bags and moving to Brisbane in search of greater opportunity.
The domestic landscape means Canberra-based players are forced to look elsewhere to launch their professional careers, just as Floros' older brother Jason did in Queensland.
Now the youngest of the Floros trio is desperate to make a name for himself after impressing alongside his brothers in club cricket for Wynnum Manly last summer.
That is where Floros will look to press his claim for a Sheffield Shield or one-day call-up after Cricket Australia axed the second XI competition for the 2020-21 campaign.
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Floros played a handful of second XI matches for Queensland last summer. Now he is preparing to enter his second season interstate as an official piece of the Bulls' puzzle having signed a contract which shows the gamble to move north has paid off.
"In Canberra there's not really a pathway to play genuine state cricket professionally," Floros said.
"At the end of the 2018-19 season when I played the final Futures game for the ACT I had a couple of options. It was either to stay in Canberra and play in Sydney, or move to Sydney or move to Brisbane.
"Having family already up here made it a lot easier in the end because I had that support base I could fall back into if I needed it. It's a different lifestyle but I love it.
"I got a lot of messages yesterday, not just from Tuggeranong but the Canberra community. It's not just about one club.
"It's about that whole system down there and showing everyone there is an opportunity to progress in the ACT and move interstate and make a name for yourself, and play professional cricket.
"It's a dream for a lot of people and I'm lucky enough to be able to pursue it now. Hopefully I've got a long career ahead, but I guess only time will tell."
Canberra export Matthew Gilkes has been upgraded from his rookie contract to a full contract with NSW, just as Henry Hunt has done in South Australia where he links up with Nick Winter.
Jason Behrendorff is on track for a return at the start of the season in Western Australia, with Tom Rogers and Mac Wright on the radar in Tasmania. Nathan Lyon holds a Cricket Australia contract.
Alex Ross has lost his South Australian contract, while Aaron Ayre was left out of Victoria's squad.
Floros is Canberra's lone addition to the domestic ranks, although he admits there were dark days during which he thought this day mightn't arrive amid the coronavirus pandemic.
"I wasn't really sure what was going to happen. I was hearing people talking about whether contracts were going to get cut in half or squads were going to get reduced," Floros said.
"Hearing that was a bit shattering in a way, I was thinking I would have to wait until further in the future, more than likely. When I got the call, it was surprising. I was relieved it all fell into place in the end."