Time On: Wayne Carey making special guest appearance at opening of Geelong strip club
Patrons of After Dark Gentleman’s Club will be a bunch of lucky ducks this Saturday night, with a glass of champagne on arrival and the chance to rub shoulders with Wayne Carey.
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Wayne Carey is heading to Geelong to help usher in the new and improved local strip joint.
Carey is doing a meet and greet on Saturday night at the After Dark Gentleman’s Club with the venue promoting his appearance on its Instagram page.
“Come join him for some free champagne with our ladies,” it reads.
Carey said he’s not being paid for the appearance and insisted these venues “can be quite classy”.
But we hear there may be a five figure sum attached to the appearance.
“I like Geelong, I think it’s a thriving little place,” Carey said on his podcast The Truth Hurts.
“Strip joints are a part of a lot of towns, they employ a lot of people.
“It’s come across my desk it’s been renovated and the opening is this Saturday night and I’m going to have to go have a look. Give a little bit back to the community. I’m going to poke my head in for about seven hours.”
Former footy great Warwick Capper recently became co-owner of Oakleigh-based brothel, Westminster Secrets.
‘Two cooked units’: Fev, Cousins reminisce
Brendan Fevola and Ben Cousins have opened up on their special bond, which they formed during a random night at Crown.
The former footy stars stayed up all night chatting and Fevola spoke about how he had checked in on Cousins’ welfare ever since.
Cousins has turned his life around after a chequered past, including substance abuse and stints behind bars.
“Life is good at the moment, busy working and happy,’’ Cousins told Fevola on his Fox FM breakfast show on Wednesday morning.
“Unfortunately, when I think about it now, I do wish that it didn’t have to run its course the way it did. It wasn’t through lack of wanting to turn it around at times, but it’s just a complicated thing. But I do remember that night (at Crown) fondly. We’ve always had a good time when we’ve caught up, but I wasn’t going too well at that time.”
Fevola said: “I’ve never told this story in public. I’ve never been worried about anyone, we cruise along. There was a night after one of my best mate’s engagement party, (former Richmond captain) Chris Newman, and you were down from Perth, and we were at Crown (casino). I was not there with Ben, but I was going upstairs to stay at Crown, and Ben hopped in the lift.
“I was like, ‘G’day mate, how are you going?’, and something had happened with your rental car, and you couldn’t get to the airport, you’d missed your plane, and you said, ‘can I stay with you tonight?’
“So, we went up to our room on the 33rd floor. You had a couple of phones, you kept taking the battery out, and then you’re charging the phone. I’m like, ‘Are you all right mate?’ and he’s like, ‘I just don’t know.’
“And we sat there all night, and I didn’t go to sleep because I was a bit worried about Ben.
“And we sat and chatted for about seven hours until you left the next morning. We got in deep to some stuff. And I couldn’t believe how worried I was about you. You worried about me. Two cooked units sitting there, chewing the fat, talking about life.”
Cousins is in Melbourne to appear on The Front Bar Wednesday night.
Cornes bristles at ‘empowering trolls’ jibe
Polarising commentator Kane Cornes has bristled at suggestions from colleague Caroline Wilson that his criticism of North Melbourne president Dr Sonja Hood had inadvertently empowered social media trolls.
Cornes said it was unfair for Wilson to drag him into the conversation about how gender-based and misogynistic trolling of Hood had forced her to delete her X account, as revealed by the Herald Sun on Thursday.
“It’s unfair to link me with that,” Cornes said on Footy Classified.
“Nothing I said had anything to do with the issues. I shouldn’t be asked the question.”
He earlier said: “Is it unfair of you to ask that question of me? You bring it up again and people will have that view of me.
“Why bring it up?”
Wilson had asked Cornes if he felt any guilt for how it had played out.
“Now, Kane, I know that you don’t have a sexist bone in your body,” she said.
“And I know that Sonja Hood has gone out of her way to say that this decision, has got nothing to do with your comments on her social media in recent weeks. But do you worry, as I sometimes do when I make strong comments about people, that you inadvertently sometimes empower the trolls?”
Cornes responded: “I don’t think gender has got anything to do with it.
“If you want to check Hutchy’s (Craig Hutchison) social media or Lloydo’s (Matthew Lloyd) social media on a Tuesday morning, that is just Twitter.
“Unfortunately, if you want to be involved in this game and you want to hold that position, you are going to cop significant backlash. I don’t think gender has got anything to do with it. I’m happy to show you my Twitter timeline each and every day.”
He added: “I’m surprised she wouldn’t have been aware that that is Twitter.
“Unfortunately, as sad as it is, that is the feedback you get from the looneys out there. That’s just it.
“I was sad she had to go off it as well. I would have thought she would have understood that is unfortunately the feedback you get on there. Everyone gets it. I personally don’t think it has anything to do with gender.”
Quarters’ ‘ricegate’ response to Dunstall honour
Broadcaster Stephen Quartermain cheekily revisited one of the most famous off-field moments of Jason Dunstall’s career after the announcement that he’s been elevated to legend status in the Australian Hall of Fame.
While commentating for Triple M together in 2009, Quartermain and Dunstall were part of footy’s biggest live commentary box explosion dubbed ‘ricegate’ when the Hawthorn great tipped a tray of fried rice over the head of Channel 10 sports presenter Quartermain during a tense pre-game conversation about the Hawks at Marvel Stadium.
Quartermain had questioned Hawthorn’s then-club director Dunstall about the status of injured star Trent Croad.
The pair exchanged a few unpleasant remarks and then the rice went flying.
An incensed Quartermain fired back: “Get out of the box. I will not work with someone like that. Get out of the box right now. Go on, nick off. He’s just thrown a whole tray of food on me.”
This is excellent news!
— Stephen Quartermain (@Quartermain10) April 15, 2024
Congratulations Chief 🚠https://t.co/WPWw9yLPd8
Dunstall was forced to apologise through gritted teeth and the pair quickly made peace.
On Monday Quartermain posted congratulations to Dunstall on social media platform X and had a bit of fun by adding an emoji of a bowl of rice.
“This is excellent news! Congratulations Chief,’’ Quartermain wrote. He also texted Dunstall on the achievement. It’s a big year for Dunstall who will turn 60 in August.
Hawkins reveals next footy destination
Geelong star Tom Hawkins has hinted that he will play for Old Melburnians at some stage after he retires.
Hawkins, who just notched a remarkable 350th match, attended the OM’s season launch on Saturday at Elsternwick Park Oval and spoke alongside his dad Jack.
“I’ve actually got a contract I’ve signed for the Finley Footy Club, it was actually 2021 but I need to update that one to 2025 or 2026 who knows,’’ Tom said.
“I definitely would like to play here when I’m done … it’s not going to be a cashy tour like some of the others. I owe a great deal to the football communities I was involved with … it’s almost like a bit of a duty so I’d love to (play) one day.”
The comments delighted all who turned out for the lunch, particularly panel host and former Old Melburnian, Channel 9’s Tom Morris, and new vice-president Jo Stuckey.
Marketing guru Stuckey is the first female vice-president of the OMs and has got off to a successful start with the side upsetting reigning premiers Collegians.
On the day, prolific goalkicker and farmhand Hawkins was presented with a big tomahawk steak by Provenir Meat.
Protecting the head or Brownlow?
David King hasn’t held back on his disappointment that Port Adelaide star Zak Butters escaped suspension, claiming it was a decision to “protect the Brownlow”.
King said Butters’ hit to the head of Fremantle’s Bailey Banfield in a ground-ball contest warranted a ban, and the one-week given to Adelaide’s Matt Crouch for a similar collision, was far too lenient.
“I want to know if we’re protecting the head or we’re protecting the Brownlow, because we have talked about this until we’re blue in the face,” King said on Fox Footy’s First Crack on Sunday night.
“The duty of care discussion comes up … I’ve sat and listened to (the AFL’s) Laura Kane and Stephen Meade in the pre-season period say: ‘we’re taking a tougher stance on any head contact’.
“We have to protect players who play our game. If you choose to come into a contest in a reckless fashion and make contact with the head, expect to go (be banned).”
King said the actions of Crouch on Carlton’s Jack Carroll had the potential for serious consequences.
“Look at that (referencing the Crouch incident). You’re telling me that’s one week? That’s got spinal injury written all over it. Look at that! That is the exact action that puts people in wheelchairs,” King said.
“And people say: ‘you’re being too dramatic’. We are still waiting for someone to be carried from the field to never walk again before we take this seriously.”
He added: “I’m over it, I really am … I think if it was Jimmy Webster he gets four weeks.
“But because it’s Zak Butters and he’s in contention for all the major awards and he’s a star-factor player, we go in a different mode. We find ourselves making excuses: ‘oh, he got a hand on the ball’.
“To me, you’re either taking a stance and you’re protecting the welfare of all players — not just the one (star player) — all players, or you’re not, and I’m disappointed that after all the progress we made in the previous 18 months, we’ve given it all back at Round 5.
“If you attack the contest at that speed — and we marvel at these players, I take my hat off to all of them, I think they’re incredibly brave — at some point, we have to think about Banfield, not Butters.
“It’s not about the Brownlow … I think if he was a lesser name player that he would’ve got suspended.”
Browne not looking back
A media return by former Channel 7 chief footy reporter Tom Browne looks to be more unlikely than ever.
The former top newshound has cemented his move to the Harbour City after purchasing a plush abode in the trendy suburb of Rose Bay, according to real estate spies.
After relocating following last year’s grand final, Browne has been loving his new job with MA Financial Group, owned by Sydney chairman Andrew Pridham.
After months of looking for a home, Browne, wife Tara and their two children look set to begin their new chapter around June.
Despite speculation, largely from some in the media, it seems Browne is not missing his former agenda setting life at all.
Mick goes whack!
Coaching legend Mick Malthouse didn’t hold back when talking about rising Western Bulldogs star Ryley Sanders who was subbed out of the game during the club’s loss to Essendon on Friday night.
After it emerged Sanders threw a water bottle and was clearly unhappy about the move, Malthouse said he’d “kick his backside so hard his toes would curl up”.
“He wouldn’t play next week (if I was coach), I’ll give you the tip,” Malthouse said on ABC Sport.
“No, no way. He’s got to learn.”
He added: “He (Sanders) could be (pick) number 106 or he could be last year’s Brownlow medallist, you have got to be part of a team and cop what you cop from the coach, no matter how disappointed you are, walk off and pat your teammates on the back … not be part of a problem on the bench.”
Jezza’s true sporting love
Jeremy Cameron is a huge fan of golf, in fact the in-form Geelong star thinks it’s the best game in the world.
“It’s probably funny saying that because I’m a footy player but I love my golf so much,’’ he told Fox Footy’s Sarah Jones after the game on Sunday.
“I love watching it and it’s pleasing that we’ve got Monday off because I’ll probably do an all-nighter tonight.”
Darcy, Cornes bury hatchet
Luke Darcy and Kane Cornes made headlines all week and there’s no lingering bad blood between the pair.
The commentators ran into each other at the gym two days after their tense radio exchange and had an amicable chat.
“Recasting back, the point I was trying to make didn’t perhaps articulate the way that I intended it to,” Darcy admitted on Triple M’s Friday Huddle.
“The current players are subjected to this world of social media and Twitter which is a toxic environment, more than anyone else. We saw the North Melbourne president Sonja Hood this week, who I don’t know and never met, but she seems like an articulate person, as an example has taken herself of the platform because of that. It feels to me that to get your point across there’s some escalation in that. I think that causes some harm. Did I say that as well as I’d hoped, probably not.
“The next day or the day after I’m in the gym … credit to him (Kane) he came over and we had a great exchange. My point wasn’t made particularly well, but that’s life.”
Alex and Mia Fevola’s big Flemington reveal
Mother-daughter duo Alex and Mia Fevola are racing into Flemington’s VIP Birdcage over the Melbourne Cup Carnival with a new business venture.
Pies star and wife share adorable pregnancy announcement
Collingwood premiership defender Jeremy Howe and his wife Kahlia are expecting their second child and have announced the news in a cute social media video.