Gold Coast cricket star Sean Fitzsimmons has been everywhere, man

THOSE old enough to know who Lucky Starr is should easily relate to the journeys of veteran Gold Coast cricketer Sean Fitzsimmons.

THOSE old enough to know who Lucky Starr is should easily relate to the journeys of veteran Gold Coast cricketer Sean Fitzsimmons.

Starr was an Australian folk and pop singer of the 1960s whose main claim to fame was a hit single titled I’ve Been Everywhere.

In the song, in the space of three minutes or so, Starr rattled off the names of 92 Australian towns and cities.

Fitzsimmons has managed to visit nowhere near that number but it is a credit to the right-handed batsman’s longevity that he is heading into his 13th appearance for Queensland at the Australian Country Championships.

It all started in 2006 in Mandurah (Western Australia) and next month Fitzsimmons will head back across the nation for the carnival at Geraldton, five hours north of Perth.

What is more his parents Ross and Carol will be there to cheer him on – as they have done every year since 2007.

Pictured at their Oxenford home cricketer Sean Fitzsimmons with father Ross, mother Carol and dog Floyd who are all off to the national Country Cricket Championships in Geraldton. Picture MIKE BATTERHAM

It is a strong family bond that the Fitsimmons have, to the extent that Carol has meticulously maintained scorecards of every Sean innings.

“I have done so (kept personal score sheets) ever since Sean was 10,” Carol said.

“It’s better than just sitting there staring at the game and trying to keep a mental record of what’s happening.”

Carol and Ross missed the first of Fitzsimmons’s Country Carnival engagements but have been there for every one since – travelling in their campervan to places such as Bunbury, Geelong, Mt Gambier, the Barossa Valley, Bundaberg and Albury-Wodonga among other destinations.

“We’ll be leaving around December 29 and go to Broken Hill, to South Australia, across the Nullarbor to Kalgoorlie and from there to Geraldton,” Carol said.

“It’s me, Ross and our dog Floyd.”

By and large Ross and Carol have rarely been disappointed in their travels.

Sean has risen to second all-time runs-scorer at the Country titles, behind only the great Darling Downs batsman Brian May and has been named Australian Country cap seven times.

When will it end?

“I’ve been saying every year that this will be the last but I’ve kept performing,” Fitzsimmons said.

“So I’m not going to say this will be my last.”

There are five Gold Coast players in the Queensland Country side – Fitzsimmons (Broadbeach Robina), Sam Winton, Harry Winton and Jimmy Spargo (Queens) and Chris Hall (Burleigh).

THE SEAN FITZSIMMONS TRAVELOGUE

2006 Mandurah

2007 Mildura

2008 Mackay

2009 Barossa Valley

2010 Albury-Wodonga

2011 Bunbury

2012 Geelong

2013 Bundaberg

2014 Canberra

2915 Bendigo

2016 Mt Gambier

2017 Wollongong

2018 Geraldton