It is 2003 at a sponsor’s function for the World Cup in South Africa and a fired-up Brett Lee bowls six consecutive bouncers at John Townsend’s head. He doesn’t see them coming. Townsend then realises his bubbling ambition to be called up for the Australian cricket team is probably not going to materialise. The disappointment was on a par with watching Claremont lose the 1972 WANFL grand final on a wet and miserable afternoon at Subiaco Oval. Tough, isn’t it?
Yet in nine years covering cricket and football for The West Australian, there have been far more highs than lows, including five Ashes series, three World Cups and a host of international matches. Townsend is inspired to search for sport’s inner meaning by the mantra posted on change room walls around the world: "There is no I in TEAM", with his inner sub-editor suggesting "There is no B, C, D etc, either." And he has only once been assaulted by a disgruntled subject.
