Felsch has come off the bench a few times in 2012, including the Central West Rugby Union game against Dubbo Kangaroos a fortnight ago. Then last week he was part of the run on team as hooker against Cowra.

A 19-13 win and the players’ player award for Felsch ensured that he has retained his spot for tomorrow’s game against Dubbo Rhinos at Ashwood Park tomorrow.

“I left Bulldogs in 1997 and went played with Harlequins for three years. I had six or seven years off when the kids were born. Probably four years ago I said to my wife that ‘I’d love to have a run’. I thought I would be lucky to get a spot in third grade,” Felsch said.

“I won a premiership with Ted [coach James Horsburgh] in second grade and the year before we made a grand final and lost that.

“They are a bit short on people who want to put their head in the front row. I used to be a front rower, but then I was playing as a loose forward and number 8, but this year there was an injury to one of our hookers and it’s gone on from there.”

The 37-year-old said he has enjoyed getting back into the top grade, but admitted that it was harder keeping up.

“It was good to get that first game out of the way. I played a bit in Dubbo the week before. I played second grade then Mark Donnelly was crook, so I put a jumper on for firsts. I played 25 minutes, that was all I could get through, and it has stemmed from there,” Felsch said.

“They are a good bunch of young blokes but I think I’m in there to try and steer them a bit. There’s points in them. I said to one of the parents, I think that normally the club is a quick starter, but there are good signs there. Once they get a bit of cohesion, they are used to playing that faster brand of footy.

“That’s the thing that I struggle with, the speed. The skill level between second and first grade isn’t that different, but the speed [is] and the heavier contact.”

After being away from the game for so long, Felsch is now heavily involved with the code again, coaching the Bathurst Bulldogs’ under 13s as well as a school team.

“It’s hard with the kids. I coach the under 13s and they train Wednesday and Friday and I have my training. I don’t train Tuesday but I have Monday, Wednesday, Thursday Friday and Saturday. I have the under 13s game Saturday morning and then our game,” he said. “I just finished coaching Cathedral in the Central West Rugby Sevens competition, we were knocked out by Holy Family, so footy has been a bit time consuming.”

Felsch doesn’t know how long he will stay in first grade, but he is happy to play in whichever grade he is needed.

“I don’t really mind whether I play first grade or third grade. I’m enjoying playing. I enjoyed playing first grade last week,” the prop said.

The Bulldogs take on the Rhinos tomorrow from 3.15pm.

BATHURST BULLDOGS: 1 Aaron Booby, 2 Shannon Felsch, 3 Andrew Donaldson, 4 Lachlan Bull, 5 Dane Fitzpatrick, 6 Mark Donnelly, 7 Josh Booth, 8 Izaak Breen, 9 Tom Hollis, 10 Stephen Locke, 11 Bart Bogart, 12 Scott Johnston, 13 Matt Gibbons, 14 Tyler Cooke, 15 Phil Tonkin.