Playing ruck or lock at pace

David Sibley

The young Angus Houston, aged 16, middle back row, as a member of the Strathallan School’s First XV in 1963.

The first thing you notice about the Chief of the Defence Force is his height – 196cm [6 feet, 5 inches].

He’s the perfect size for an Australian football ruckman cum full forward or a rugby lock being propelled into the sky in a rugby line-out a la John Eales.

He also wouldn’t look out of place in a cricket eleven, opening the bowling with a spell of fiery pace.

Naturally, he’s played Australian football, rugby and cricket and happily describes himself as a passionate supporter of the Wallabies, the Sydney Swans and the Australian cricket team.

But as a young helicopter pilot in the 1970s, always being deployed, choices had to be made. Despite his love for sport, the would-be Wallaby had to hang up his boots in favour of the flying suit.

“I was a second rower – where else could I play – and I played for a while but when I started flying, the business of contact sport and flying fitness; the two weren’t really compatible,” he says.

Sadly, he could not make a regular commitment to his team.

“When a game came up, I had to say, ‘sorry, fellas, I’ve got to go for six weeks to Papua New Guinea’ or ‘I have to go for three weeks to Western Australia to work with the Special Air Service’,” he says.

Before he enlisted in 1970, the CDF played Australian football – it was just part of life in rural Western Australia.

“We used to play every weekend. We would stop work at midday on Saturday and go off to play Aussie rules for the local team. I might add we won a premiership.”

Once in the Air Force, he joined RAAF Base Pearce’s cricket team, opening the bowling as a right-hand quick every weekend.

Again, Service life saved opening batsmen from being terrorised by the odd bouncer or two.

“When I got to Canberra and started flying choppers, I played but it was a once in a while,” he says.

Fortunately, as CDF, he can swap cricket stories, off and on the pitch, with Secretary of Defence Ric Smith, who is also a passionate cricket fan and former player.

You just never know, with two cricket enthusiasts at the head of Defence, the Press Gallery might find themselves challenged for a game.

“For sure,” the CDF says with a smile, “who knows?”

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