Tom Elliott’s horrified dad, John Elliott, staged an intervention to stop him quitting Carlton
3AW’s Tom Elliott has revealed his footy loving dad, John, staged an intervention to stop him quitting Carlton as a supporter in a show of tough love.
Fiona Byrne
Don't miss out on the headlines from Fiona Byrne. Followed categories will be added to My News.
3AW’s tough talking Drive host Tom Elliott has revealed his father staged an “intervention” to save him as a supporter of the Carlton Football Club after he was led astray by a rival code in his youth.
Football was serious business for the Elliotts.
“In 1983, 40 years ago, my dad (John Elliott) was invited to become the president of the Carlton Football Club and my grandfather, his father, said ‘John, this is the most important job you will ever have’,” Elliott said at the Love Letter to Footy luncheon.
“Now, dad was president of the Liberal Party and he ran the second biggest company in Australia, but none of that mattered.”
In 1978, aged 10, Elliott horrified his famous father by deciding to play soccer.
“He cajoled me, he threatened me, he said I could go and find my own place to live … I was 10-years-old,” he recounted.
“And then, eventually, when none of these tactics worked he staged what we now call an intervention.
“One day he just drove in, without any warning, to my grandfather’s house and there was my grandfather and two uncles, Ross and Richard, and said they are just going to have a chat with you.”
What followed was a non-negotiable explanation of why football was a better game than soccer and why his allegiance would return to Carlton.
It was tough love motivated by the passion and conviction bred by footy clubs.
Elliott was wearing his love of the Blues on his chest, sporting a Carlton jumper, at the Love Letter To Football luncheon at Marvel Stadium on Thursday with the event hosted by 3AW’s Ross Stevenson and raising funds for Rule Prostate Cancer.
Others telling of their love of footy included Jason Kimberley and Nicole Livingstone.
‘Goodbye now’: Listen to 3AW’s Philip Brady announce his retirement
The beloved radio identity has hung up his microphone after more than 30 years at the station, saying “it’s time to move over and give the younger guys a go”. Listen to his announce his retirement.
‘A lot of people’s hero’: Sons tell of John Farnham’s fighting spirit
As John Farnham continues to heal after his battle with mouth cancer, his sons have revealed why the rock legend is “stubborn in all the right ways” and a hero to so many as he pushes forward.