‘A strong gossip column is (a newspaper’s) sex gland’: Looking back over 10 years of scandals revealed by Page 13
On the 10th anniversary of Melbourne’s juiciest gossip column, the Herald Sun’s Page 13, we look back on the sporting, political, society and other scandals reporter Alice Coster has uncovered — from Geoff Bainbridge’s “extortion” video to De Goey’s bender.
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From discovering ice-piping Grill’d co-founder Geoff Bainbridge “extortion” video was all a puff of smoke. To sit down tell-alls with scorned WAGS like Abbie Gilmore, who revealed her partner Jake Stringer cheated on her while she was pregnant and gambled away their life savings. Or further offshore with tales from tourist hotspots like Collingwood’s Jordan De Goey’s Bali bender, jailed Melbourne nightclub promoters cocaine drug bust, or Essendon premiership star Ricky Olarenshaw’s brothel sex raids.
It’s safe to say Page 13 has had a big ten years.
Because news isn’t always black and white. The shades of grey tell the real story.
Former New York Post editor Roger Wood once said, “if a newspaper with its multiple parts can resemble a living being, a strong gossip column is its sex gland.”
The column was birthed with a Jerry Maguire-like mission statement from then Herald Sun editor Damon Johnston.
Its job was to become a must read covering the elites and powerbrokers who run our city, reveal the untold stories of Melbourne’s boardroom, locker rooms, nightclubs and hot spots. Where big business meets big sport and make some of our most important figures uncomfortable.
While there is often a groan on the other end of the phone on a Friday when Page 13 comes calling, 10 years on Melbourne’s movers, shakers and moneymakers are still picking up.
A footy story currently doing the rounds about a former player and club official whose marriage has broken down after an AFLW player boarding at their house got a little too er, friendly with the wife, has shades of the drama that unfolded with Brian Lake some years back.
The fallen footy star spoke exclusively to Page 13 about the pain and shame that saw him jailed in Japan. Melbourne’s religion is footy and it has always been a ripe source of content, from dicki-leaks infamous AFL Google drive, to high profile splits from Nathan and Tania Buckley, the Billy Brownless and Garry Lyon fallout, to Geelong’s Gary Rohan’s shenanigans in the Covid hub bubble.
Talking of the pandemic who can forget Covid conspiracist Eve Black’s exotic swingers party side hustle.
There was almost a weekly segment called Wayne’s World given The Duck’s antics off the field. Page 13 has lost count of how many of his ex girlfriends have “opened up” after their time with the former North Melbourne star, but he didn’t mind when one talked of his, er, “exquisite package.”
Looking back at some early issues, the column may have been cancelled itself!
Former Block star and Penthouse model Suzi Taylor revealing her breasts on a boat in the Docklands after a boozy post races bender comes to mind, or a tell-all with Gabi Grecko, the second wife of the late, not so great, Geoffrey Edelsten.
The Doc, like many of the huge egos that have felt the pinch from Page 13, was mercurial at best. Sometimes he would waffle on, like the time he told us he had gone to bed after his lavish Crown wedding to then Brynne “Flash” Gordon and not consummating their marriage, other times it would be to growl his legal eagles were coming.
Tick tick tock had luxury watchmakers James “Mr Kennedy” and his wife Jaimee on the clock after revealing mass sackings and legal issues inside the jewellery empire.
And then came the tips.
Tips from the anonymous to well-honed contacts from Page 13’s little black book, you know who you are, are the fuel that feeds it.
A tip led Page 13 to a police raid on notorious Melbourne brothel Gotham City.
Never afraid of a touch of the irreverent or cheeky, a policeman mistakenly thought we were arriving for a shift as one of the sex workers during the early-morning brothel bust.
Another tip led a now infamous photo of jockey of the moment Jamie Kah in a “white powder” scandal that saw her face a tribunal. Or the CEO’s Christmas party pep up where he said he “takes drugs … just not at work events.” Ho ho ho.
There have been plenty of anonymous guess who’s, because well, we don’t want to be sued. From the Toorak tales about the husbands who came back with more than they expected after a skiing boy’s trip and gave their wives an STD. To the ex footballer turned TV commentator getting up to some hanky panky with a colleague in the carpark after the shift.
There have been the moving interviews, some now departed. No one was better than the late Godfather of music Michael Gudinski for some rolled gold quotes.
Others like former Carlton prez John Elliott were a bit more gruff. Pig’s arse.
And up-market trucker Lindsay Fox and his parties of all parties has always been a favourite and we would do anything for Jeanne Pratt.
Page 13 was first with the news about details around former St Kevin’s boy Damien Carew’s arrest in Monaco and we were there to reveal AFP raids into the offices of Geelong entrepreneur David Collard who still has people hanging. The Peninsula Grammar richlister family mum with a bumper sticker that read “fat people s*** me” is also right up there along with Dan Andrews getting the boot from Moonah Links golf club.
A decade on and we are still kicking, so keep up the tips. Because Page 13 gets the goss and other news sites follow what becomes front page news.
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