The Source: Tippa’s generous gesture to Demetriou’s son
The son of former AFL boss Andrew Demetriou has taken away a priceless souvenir from Essendon cult hero Anthony McDonald-Tipingwuti after the Bombers’ cliffhanger win against Richmond.
The Source
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Putting the squeeze on Victoria’s movers, shakers and headline makers.
His father blessed the 2011 AFL Grand Final with the gift that kept giving: a performance by the late great Meat Loaf. So, of course, it was time for the game to give back.
“Tippa, can we have your boots?” a hand-drawn sign, held by a young man, most notably the son of the former AFL boss Andrew Demetriou, quietly implored.
Sacha Demetriou, and his school friend Billy White, asked Bombers cult hero Anthony McDonald-Tipingwuti to gift them his footwear after a cliffhanger win against the Tiges at the weekend.
Sure enough, McDonald-Tipingwuti obliged their request; one boot for each kid.
Andrew Demetriou said the mates will split the boots, adding: “(Sacha) was very excited. It made his day.”
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Former Melbourne radio star regrets ‘shock value’ of shows
Former radio star Jules Lund says he regrets the “highly offensive and inappropriate” content he concocted on air for “shock value.”
The TV and radio broadcaster worked on various programs and networks alongside co-hosts including Fifi Box, Merrick Watts, Sophie Monk and Emma Freedman.
But Lund, the founder and boss at Tribe, an influencer marketing platform, told Luke Darcy’s Empowering leaders podcast: “I was getting paid a lot of money for shock value, and … in that moment, destabilising. It’s just highly offensive and inappropriate.
“The biggest journey for me is unlearning everything up until that point, which is, ‘Where is that actual line?’ We were paid well. I was affirmed, and being sleazy, offensive; all of these themes, a bit sexist, a bit racist, right up until that line where they can’t put a finger on it.
“Even if people hated listening to you saying that, it was still seen as compelling,” Lund added, “which is the point of radio.”
Asked by Darcy if he regretted that period of his career, Lund said he was “not comfortable with any of it”.
“I’ve got a 13-year-old and a 10 year old, both girls,” he said.
“Our generation as parents right now … it’s the toughest 180 any generation has had to do in such a short amount of time in terms of how the world is evolving to what is, and is not, appropriate.”
He mused: “Do you remember the jokes we used to make in primary school? It was blonde jokes, Irish jokes, Aboriginal jokes, people with mental disabilities. That was called humour.”
Pity the ADF security guarding Acting PM Richard Marles this weekend
Pity the poor Australian Federal Police officers on security detail for the Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles on Sunday.
He’s running a half marathon on the Great Ocean Road, and he must be closely protected at all times.
Three officers will run the 23km course beside him; some of them, in recent months, have found themselves dutifully compelled to do training runs with Marles for this event.
Marles is hopeful that “me and my three good friends can make the distance in one piece”.
If he finishes, it may be the longest run undertaken by an acting or serving PM. Former PM Tony Abbott did plenty of full marathons, but it seems he did not run them while serving as PM.
And beware, those of you on social media. Marles, like any self-respecting politician, is shamelessly fond of posting selfies – especially on finishing a race.
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Former Lib Kevin Andrews’ memory fail over the dark arts
Over 30 years in federal parliament, former Liberal MP for Menzies, Kevin Andrews, learned a few things about intra political party politics.
It’s no surprise then that he keeps busy by writing for a conservative newspaper, the Epoch Times, about the Liberal Party’s valiant efforts to blow itself up at both state and federal levels.
This week, he wrote about the Moira Deeming smoke bombs, arguing that the party must return to the “broad church” described by former prime minister John Howard.
Yet many Liberal insiders are fixated on another of Andrews’ recent offerings.
Listing what the Liberal Party needed to do to rebuild, he wrote: “(T)hese changes should ensure that proper internal processes are followed. Too often, for example, have factional operatives on State Administrative Committees manipulated the rules to delay or avoid preselections”.
The problem? In 2018, Liberal Party preselection battles for sitting members were abandoned, thought to be chiefly because Andrews was expected to lose against the upcoming (and now elected) candidate Keith Wolohan.
To paraphrase close observers from the time, “factional operatives” were said to have “manipulated the rules”.
Not so little bag of powder turned away from Nadia Bartel show
“What’s with their ludicrously capacious bag,” remarked a fashion insider following controversial social media influencer Deni Todorovic’s refusal of entry into Nadia Bartel’s Henne runway for Australian Fashion Week.
Whispers from the runway in Sydney now say Todorovic had planned to pull a stunt at Bartel’s clothing brand’s runway, if they had been allowed in.
The wagging tongues say the non-binary advocate had a bag of flour in their “ludicrously capacious bag”, thought to be a designer knock-off, and were planning to throw it across the runway during the show to make a statement about drugs in the fashion industry.
Such high drama!
Security were on heightened alert for Todorovic before the show, talking to them once they arrived and turning them away from attending, saying they did not have an invitation.
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Eyebrows raised (or not) at Botox for Mother’s Day
Stony-faced silence greeted some kids from Sandringham Primary School when they proudly presented their gifts from the school stall on Mother’s Day.
Eyebrows were permanently raised — or were they? — when a Botox gift voucher was found among the goodies.
I love you, Mum, went the message. But you’re wrinkly.
School principal Louise Neave offered a deadpan response when contacted about the unexpected offer.
“A Mother’s Day package was developed by the Parent Association for inclusion on the stall last week, with inclusions for future Mother’s Day packages to be discussed with the Parent Association,” she said.
Supermodel firming for hit Melbourne play
Speculation is mounting over Australian model Gemma Ward’s next move — specifically, a theatre show in Melbourne.
Perth-born Ward, who has walked for Prada, Jean Paul Gaultier and Chanel, said as much — that she will take part in a play here — in an aside at Australian Fashion Week.
With more casting announcements due for the celebrity-veering West End hit 2:22 A Ghost Story, which opens at Her Majesty’s Theatre on July 25, the supernatural thriller looks like it might be Ward’s next gig.
Producers had no comment, but TV and film star Daniel Macpherson, the first actor to be officially announced for the spooky play, hinted the cast will feature famous faces.
“This show has cult status. You can tell by the type of actors it attracts,” he told the Herald Sun last week.
“There are some great surprises coming.”
Ward’s acting credits include The Great Gatsby and Pirates of the Caribbean. She will also feature in an upcoming WWII drama, While The Men Are Away.
“It’s definitely something that I am open to,” the mother-of-three once said about acting.
“It’s about choosing which auditions I want to do and what fits in with my family.”
Star trainer back in saddle after Kah split
Clayton Douglas, the Victorian horse trainer unwittingly caught up in the Jamie Kah and Ben Melham love triangle, has found a new romance.
Mornington-based Douglas has taken the racing world by storm after amassing almost $10m in winnings with mighty sprinter Giga Kick.
Douglas, the ex of top jockey Kah, is also a happy man away from the track after moving on from their tough break up last year.
Douglas was in Brisbane at the weekend with his new love and it’s fair to say onlookers noted that he looks to be enjoying life with this stunner on his arm.
Kah is still with jockey Melham, so both appear to have moved on and found their perfect match.
All around good guy Douglas has maintained a dignified silence since his private life went public.
Raising a chardy to survival
Larger than life character Bill Guest has revealed he’s battling cancer again.
Yet the businessman and former vice-president of the Melbourne Football Club is bristling with optimism, saying he’ll write a book when he’s 85 on “white wine and surviving cancer”.
Guest was diagnosed with prostate cancer more than a decade ago.
“They took the prostate out, that’s not as bad as people think … unfortunately a bit of that cancer escaped so I’ve had a few bouts,’’ Guest said at last week’s Melbourne Racing Club Foundation Gala.
“They found some cancer in my lymph glands last year and they found a bit of cancer the other day and I can’t have radiation for it this time because it’s a bit close to my kidneys. It’s slow growing and I’m lucky.”
The ever giving Guest, who is great mates with Neale Daniher, said he was born with a silver spoon and it’s in his DNA to give back.
Sporting a sling on his arm from recent shoulder surgery, he urged men to get checked.
“It’s fairly simple, get off your a … and get tested,’’ he said. “It’s a s**t of a disease to be honest and it’s all about early detection.”
Libs donor scandal figure alive and spruiking
Former Melbourne public relations king Mitch Catlin has rebooted his purple reign in Sydney – in lilac overalls to spruik an energy drink brand owned by Nick Kyrgios.
Catlin, who worked as former Victorian Liberal Party leader Matthew Guy’s chief of staff, has been MIA since a donor scandal forced his resignation last August.
Catlin resigned following revelations he asked a Liberal Party donor to make more than $100,000 in payments to his private business.
The proposed contract would have seen Mr Catlin’s Catchy Media Marketing and Management company paid more than $8000 each month by the donor, in addition to his taxpayer-funded salary.
The billionaire targeted for cash donations by Catlin rejected the “unsolicited” approach immediately.
However, after 10 months in the wilderness, Catlin has resurfaced on social media posts, behind a drinks stand, wearing a lavender boiler suit, at Australian Fashion Week in Sydney.
The name of the energy drink reflected Catlin’s sudden rise from the PR ashes. The fruity fizzy is named Alive.
Farnham’s manager hits back at ‘untrue’ doco claims
John Farnham’s manager has clapped back at founding LRB legend Graeham Goble’s complaints about a soon-to-be released Whispering Jack biopic.
Goble, a guitarist, singer and songwriter of multi-platinum LRB hits Reminiscing, Lady, Take It Easy On Me, and The Night Owls, has taken issue with certain depictions of the band’s original line-up in Farnham doco, Finding The Voice.
“There are a lot of things they use in documentaries for dramatic effect but that doesn’t make them true. Unfortunately this will go down as being the truth, but a lot of it isn’t,” Goble told the Herald Sun last week.
This week, Goble posted on his social media page: “I did a 50-minute interview for the documentary, but was very disappointed that they chose not to use any of the very positive things I had to say about my six very enjoyable years working with John Farnham.”
They included Goble’s comments about the band feeling overshadowed by Farnham’s showmanship. Farnham was in LRB from 1982 to 1987.
“The spotlight would always be on John, and we honestly thought, ‘Why are we even here?’ because there was no attention on us. We felt like we were a backing band to a solo artist.”
But Farnham’s co-manager Gaynor Wheatley has responded to Goble’s comments.
“Graeham knew the beast,” Gaynor said.
“John has always leapt, jumped, ran around, and engaged the audience. He’s never been a sit down on a stool kinda guy.”
The original line-up of LRB, including Goble, Beeb Birtles, and singer Glenn Shorrock, sold 30 million records, and made history as one of the first Australian bands to crack America.
Other hits included Emma, Help Is On Its Way, Home On A Monday and Happy Anniversary.
Goble bristled at an anecdote featured in the doco which claimed he gaffer taped Farnham’s microphone cord and stand to the stage, so the singer couldn’t move.
Goble told the Herald Sun: “I was very surprised when I was asked that question in the documentary. It’s ridiculous. It’s unimportant.”
However, the doco credits Goble with being the creative force behind Farnham’s 1980 album, Uncovered, which helped the singer evolve from former pop idol to adult artist.
The album includes the hits Please Don’t Ask Me, and a powerful version of The Beatles classic, Help.
Gaynor Wheatley said: “Graeham played a major part in John’s career. Uncovered was a very important album for John. Graeham’s songs for that album, including Please Don’t Ask Me and Comic Conversation, are two of my all time favourites. Thank you Graeham.”
Miss Saigon to hit Melb despite race issue claims
The Australian Asian Alliance called for Opera Australia to “halt” its production of Miss Saigon over concerns about racial stereotypes. But the controversial musical is set to chopper in to Melbourne later this year.
A revived version of the musical, produced by Cameron Mackintosh, is headed this way after its Sydney season wraps in October.
However, the story of Kim, a young Vietnamese woman who falls in love with an American soldier during the Vietnam War, has caught the ire of the Asian Australian Alliance.
Erin Wen Ai Chew, the Alliance’s national convener, said: “Miss Saigon is a very old narrative. A lot of local women were exploited, and a lot of these women were underage. Narratives from plays like Miss Saigon come from these type of historical events. But if you think about it, it’s not very relevant for today.”
Earlier this year, Ms Chew tweeted that Opera Australia should “halt” the production of Miss Saigon because the story “perpetuates racist and sexualised stereotypes of Asian women as sexualised objects.”
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Character test sparing lawyer from court
Spare a thought for Melbourne’s most embattled lawyer, Pat Lennon, who would really, really love to come back to Australia to face ice charges but is currently stuck in a hotel room in Malaysia. How unfortunate!
Lennon, who has been charged with trafficking and attempting to possess methamphetamine, faced the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday morning – via videolink of course – where his lawyer, Dermot Dann KC, asked for an adjournment of proceedings to allow time for his client to get back into Fortress Oz.
According to Dann, the issue is that Lennon is an Australian resident rather than a citizen and therefore needs a visa to return, which he doesn’t yet have.
Dann said Lennon’s “at the last stage of the process” when it comes to putting in his documents, which apparently need to include “character materials”.
Magistrate Tara Hartnett adjourned the case for a mention in July and extended Lennon’s bail.
It’s not all bad news for Lennon, though – last week, the Federal Court halted bankruptcy proceedings against him after he settled with the last of a group of creditors who’d come forward claiming to be owed money.
He remains under investigation by the Legal Services Commissioner.
Comedy Fest’s laughable response to Humphries’ death
It’s been as hilarious as Hannah Gadsby – i.e. not funny in the slightest – watching the Melbourne International Comedy Festival workshop ways to celebrate its exiled figurehead, laugh-out-loud legend Barry Humphries.
Almost a month since Humphries’ passing, the MICF has not yet decided on a tribute.
In late April, the festival said: “We acknowledge that he deserves an appropriate tribute, we will now take time to consider what that might be. As the Melbourne International Comedy Festival is an artist-driven festival, we will be consulting in the coming month with the wider comedy community who we represent. We are reflecting on his incredible contribution to our comedy scene and discussing how the festival can honour him and pay tribute to his legacy.”
It is believed comedy figures in Sydney and Melbourne have been consulted for ideas on what an appropriate tribute might be.
But don’t hold your breath, possums, for that tribute to happen anytime soon. It’s likely to occur in 2024 before the next MICF kicks off in March.
The festival is also standing firm on its four-year-old decision to dump Humphries’ name from its top award. The Barry Award was scrapped in 2019 after the performing who is most famous for his female alter-ego Dame Edna, made transphobic comments.
“We did not cancel him,” the MICF said in a statement last month. “In 2019 we did change the name of our top award from the Barry to the Most Outstanding show – this was in response to transphobic comments he made publicly that lacked empathy and baffled many in our industry.
“Some of the values Barry espoused in later years did not reflect more contemporary industry values. We can still celebrate Barry’s artistic genius while not liking some of his views.”
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Mayoral candidates prefer to stay silent on preferences
For several weeks, this year’s candidates for Melbourne Lord Mayor have been eager to say they are putting voters first but on one all-important issue they’re not willing to tell us their preference.
Belle Gibson … no not that one, in Yarra council bid
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