Scott Hurn is a man who finds pleasure in simple pursuits.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
At Field of Dreams 1 on Saturday he will engage in one of those pursuits, when his Cougars shoot for a third-straight premiership - their opponents Outlaws.
As Kevin Costner's character Crash Davis, a catcher, stated in the move Bull Durham, baseball is a "very simple game: you throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball".
Read also:
Hurn has been catching the ball behind home plate for years, and Cougars have been integral to his existence since childhood. He explained how he became the side's catcher: "The catcher was injured, and they go, 'Have you ever played catcher?' And I was like: 'Nup.'
"And my cousin said, 'Get behind the plate and just catch the friggin' ball.'"
When he is not playing baseball or teaching his year 4 class at Tamworth Public School, the 32-year-old loves to head to the coast with his younger brother, Joe, and his cousin, Cougars coach Andrew Ferris, for a spot of fishing and beach time.
With his flowing, sun-kissed hair and tan, he would look right at home porpoising through the ocean. In fact, a criticism he has of Tamworth is its inland location: no beach.
Still, he was never going anywhere else after concluding his studies at the University of New England, his family's roots running deep in Tamworth and at Cougars.
"It would be good to go to the Coast [to live] at some stage," he said. "But while all the family's here, it's good to stick around."
"It's got no beach, but it's a good town," he continued, adding that he has a "real good life".
"All my mates are here, all my friends are here, me baseball's here, family's here - got the whole works, really."
Hurn said Cougars should win the grand final if they played "basic baseball". "I'm pretty confident in our ability: we've got the players to do it. It's just all about clicking - doing our individual jobs."
