As of last week, the Benalla teen achieved that very dream - and remarkably it is four years ahead of schedule.
The 18-year-old has been earmarked as a future Australian player and is one of eight players to earn selection in the new tier-three Pathway Jackaroos squad.
After he was nominated by Victorian senior team coach Ian Ewing, Cromie was told the good news on Friday morning, receiving the fateful text message from Australian coach Steve Glasson.
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But there was a slight catch - Cromie would have to keep the news secret for up to three agonising hours.
“Because of their code of conduct I couldn’t tell anyone for a couple hours,” Cromie said.
“I was pretty excited when mum and dad came home from work so I could tell someone.”
After reaching his ultimate goal well ahead of schedule, Cromie said he would now shift his focus to moving up the levels within the Australian squad.
And though he doesn’t yet have a concrete idea of what comes next – with more information on the program’s curriculum to come in the weeks ahead – Cromie has been in contact with a high-performance coach, nutritionist and psychologist through the Australian Institute of Sport.
“It gets pretty full-on now,” Cromie said.
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Though Covid-19 delayed the start of pennant season, Cromie has now resumed competing with Yarrawonga, where he recently won the club's singles championship.
And in a rare family feat, Cromie combined with his father Tim and younger brother Kobi to claim the regional triples title.
It's been a massive few months for the teen, who also recently graduated from FCJ College.
This week Cromie is contesting the Victorian under-18 championships in Warrnambool, with the teen still eligible to play his final championships before moving to open age since the event was delayed.
Cromie thanked the Young Sportsperson Trust, his sponsor Drake’s Pride, and his mum and dad, Peta and Tim for all their support.
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