LONGBOTTOM Maurice

General
CHANCE ENCOUNTER LAUNCHES SEVENS CAREER
He aspired to play professional rugby league [13-a-side] in Australia and was part of the South Sydney Rabbitohs development system, but was told he was too small to make it as a professional footballer. "[A common misconception about me is that] I'm too small to play footy. I have copped that my whole life, and it affected me. I'd hear it and think to myself, 'Maybe I can't do this, maybe they are right'. I came close to quitting a few times because of that." He began working as a carpenter, until a chance encounter launched his sevens career. "I had pretty much given up on being a professional footy player, then my cousin Robert Longbottom asked me in 2017 to play in the Ella 7s tournament, just to play some footy and have a drink and some fun on a weekend. We ended up winning it, I got player of the tournament, then I got picked in the Lloydies [Lloyd McDermott Rugby Development] team. They took me to play in Germany and in the dressing room the coach said to me, 'You're not going anywhere', and I got my sevens contract right there." (news.com.au, 30 Jun 2021)

INDIGENOUS HERITAGE
He comes from the Dharawal Aboriginal people of Australia. "[The Dharawal are] from La Perouse in Sydney. Our totem is the whale. The totem is what we believe we come back as after we pass away. I grew up learning how to hunt fish and animals like goanna, possums. While I know how to hunt fish, I don't eat seafood. People think that because I'm Aboriginal I eat a lot of fish but the smell, the taste, it's not for me. [I hope that] I am a good role model for the next generation of Indigenous athletes." He says watching Cathy Freeman winning gold in the 200m at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney was a key moment of inspiration for him. "I watched that in the lounge room with my mum. That did a lot for our people." (news.com.au, 30 Jun 2021)

OCCUPATION
He is a qualified carpenter and worked in the profession while he was playing junior rugby league [13-a-side] in Sydney, NSW, Australia. "I think I'm the only one with a full trade in the team. My mates are all blown away. They're like me, chippies [carpenters], plumbers, electricians. They say, 'Good on you, keep doing it'. If it wasn't for this, I'd still be chipping away." (foxsports.com.au, 29 May 2019; smh.com.au, 19 Jan 2018)