The Source: Daniel Andrews to host farewell drinks with Premier’s Private Office staff

The power behind the power will say goodbye to their esteemed leader when former premier Daniel Andrews raises a glass with staffers of the Premier’s Private Office.

Former Premier Daniel Andrews will host farewell drinks with Premier’s Private Office staff.

Putting the squeeze on Victoria’s movers, shakers and headline makers.

The power behind the power will farewell their esteemed leader, Dan Andrews, at a private function this week.

These are the staffers of the Premier’s Private Office, the faceless advisors who it’s said wielded more clout under Andrews than the government ministers who fronted for Cabinet meetings and occasionally said things in public.

And it seems some Andrews staffers have already clocked out.

The social media presence of Andrews revolutionised the art of political communication during his marathon stay in office.

Yet the machine seems to have ceased as abruptly as his reign.

According to his X (Twitter) feed, Andrews was still premier on Thursday morning,

According to Jacinta Allan’s feed, she was still deputy premier.

On Wednesday night Andrews and his family dined at one of his preferred restaurants, Gimlet on Russell St.

Dan’s X account was still reading Premier on Thursday morning.

Rod Laver ice hockey sell out to lure other US leagues

LA tourism bosses say the city’s top-tier sports teams will be keen to stage matches in Melbourne after the sellout success of National Hockey League games at Rod Laver Arena.

Ice hockey champions LA Kings and Arizona Coyotes played two exhibition matches in front of 30,000 fans at Melbourne Park last weekend.

It marked the first time the NHL has ventured Down Under. The league picked Melbourne because of its reputation as a sports-mad hub.

“Melbourne has the most rabid sports fans, I would go so far to say, anywhere in the world,” Adam Burke, president and chief executive of the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board, said.

“When you have 100,000 fans show up weekly for an Australian rules match; that shows you the fervour people have for professional sport here.”

The Arizona Coyotes took on the LA Kings at Rod Laver Arena earlier this month. Picture: Getty Images

The matches were the first NHL games held in Australia. Picture: Getty Images

LA has 10 professional sports teams: LA Kings, LA Dodgers, LA Rams, LA Chargers, LA Galaxy, LAFC, Angel City FC, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, and LA Sparks.

“Other leagues will be watching (the success of the NHL games at RLA) and they’ll see a sport that’s not even broadly played in Australia, yet can achieve a complete sell out,” he said.

“This has been such an amazing proof of concept that there’s a real appetite for professional sport in Melbourne, and it means you’re going to see other franchises wanting to bring their game here as well.”

Kings and Coyotes players also attended the Collingwood v GWS semi-final clash at the MCG last Friday.

Mr Burke said: “If you look at the physicality required for an Australian rules football player, and the punishment they take game in, game out, I think that really resonates with Americans.”

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