INSPIRED by the achievements of former teammate Burt Cockley, Newcastle fast bowler Michael Hogan will pursue his dream of playing first-class cricket in Western Australia next season.The 28-year-old signed a two-year contract with the Warriors and is scheduled to have his first training session on Tuesday morning.Cockley, 23, was selected to make his debut for Australia A against Pakistan A in Townsville today but was ruled out with a torn gluteus maximus muscle.The two sides will play two four-day matches at Riverway Stadium, and Cockley is confident he will be fit for the second match starting next Friday.Cockley's rise has been rapid, and his selection in the NSW team at the end of the 2006-07 season influenced Hogan's decision to return to Sydney club Northern District last year."When Burt was getting picked last year I thought I was a chance because I was at the same level he was in Newcastle," Hogan said."Geisey [Newcastle coach Greg Geise] was always blowing my trumpet as well, and when a bloke like him who has been there and done it says things like that, you tend to listen."Cockley was playing for Waratah-Mayfield before moving to Randwick-Petersham two years ago.He made the NSW Sheffield Shield side at the end of his first season in Sydney and has taken 29 wickets in eight first-class matches at an average of 24.79.Hogan played for Northern District in 2005-06 after two seasons of grade cricket in Newcastle but returned to Merewether for the next two years and gained selection in the Australian Country XI.He took 53 wickets in Sydney last season at an average of just over 16, which caught the eye of several states.Tasmanian coach Tim Coyle ran an eye over Hogan at a net session in Newcastle when the Tigers were playing NSW in a Shield match at No.1 Sportsground this year.NSW were also interested in Hogan after he played five Second XI matches for them last season, but they did not offer him a contract.Warriors coach Tom Moody offered Hogan and former Cardiff-Boolaroo quick Adam Maher contracts after a net session at the WACA ground, but Maher signed with Tasmania for two years.Hogan said his friends, family and girlfriend were hard to leave behind, but it was an opportunity too good to refuse."I was sort of weighing it up a bit, but then I thought if you didn't do it you would be forever thinking 'what if'," Hogan said. "They haven't really given too much away at this stage about where I fit into their plans."Hogan agreed it would be strange for a state side to sign a 28-year-old just to play grade cricket in Perth, so he is hoping to make his first-class debut this season.He is yet to decide which club side he will play with in Perth, but there is a good chance he will join former Belmont and NSW fast bowler Jamie Heath at Fremantle.The new coach at Fremantle this season is former Test opening batsman Geoff Marsh. His sons, Shaun and Mitchell, both play for the club and are contracted to the Warriors.