These obvious and unlikely heroes defined our 2020
Healthcare and emergency service workers were undoubtedly 2020s biggest stars — but there were also other unlikely heroes.
Victoria
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The year 2020 was challenging, but wasn’t without its heroes.
From Professor Brett Sutton who went from largely unknown Victorian chief health officer to pandemic posterboy, to the quick-thinking security guard who saw two rogue German tourists looking for hotel quarantine in Melbourne.
Here’s some of 2020s other unlikely heroes.
AC LUKE CORNELIUS
Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius won widespread praise from Victorians for his scolding rebuke of “tinfoil hat-wearing” COVID conspiracy theorists who were planning anti-lockdown protests across Melbourne.
In the depths of the city’s second lockdown in August, protesters angry about mandatory mask-wearing, curfew and social gathering restrictions planned to march the city streets to fight for their civil freedoms while blatantly breaking public health directions.
Mr Cornelius wasn’t having a bar of it and shared his frustrations in a press conference in a very comical way.
“They’re taking every opportunity to leverage the current situation to serve their ridiculous notions about so called sovereign citizens, about constitutional issues and about how 5G is going to kill your grandkids,” he said.
“I mean it’s just crazy, it’s bats —t crazy nonsense.”
Mr Cornelius’ hilarious commentary won the internet and gave everyone stuck at home a reason to laugh.
BRETT SUTTON
Victoria chief health officer Brett Sutton went from largely unknown public health expert to pandemic posterboy in a matter of months.
The unlikely sex symbol amassed a cult following as he co-starred alongside Premier Daniel Andrews’ jacket at the daily coronavirus press conferences.
Appreciation posts were shared on social media fan pages, including Facebook’s ‘Brett Sutton is HOT’ which has more than 12,000 followers.
Some Sutton fans identified as ‘Suttonettes’, while others created merchandise like fitted face masks and socks and debated the big questions: beard or no beard?
KAREN FROM BRIGHTON
She came into our lives as Karen from Brighton, giving Melburnians the lighthearted lockdown relief we didn’t know we needed.
But ‘Karen’, real name Jodi Grollo, quickly became a social media star when she slammed Melbourne’s tough lockdown restriction of only exercising within 5km of home on the news.
“You get sick of walking the same streets, I’ve done all of Brighton,” Ms Grollo said.
But it was Premier Daniel Andrews sassy swipe at Karen the next day which had us reaching for the popcorn.
“Whether you’re in Broadmeadows or Brighton, stay at home means stay at home,” he said, on a day where Victoria recorded 217 new COVID-19 cases in July.
“And if walking your local streets is boring, well, being bored is much better than being in intensive care. That’s my clear message.”
Ms Grollo ran with her new social media fame hamming it up on an Instagram page which fast-attracted 14,000 followers and was the subject of many memes — before fleeing Victoria for Queensland via Northern Territory quarantine.
CLAUDIO COMINOTTO
You may not recognise the name at first, but Claudio Cominotto is the quick-thinking security guard that spotted the two German travellers at Melbourne Airport looking for hotel quarantine.
The two travellers, who’d arrived in Melbourne from Sydney via Tokyo, shocked authorities after unexpectedly arriving in our city when they should have quarantined in Sydney.
He told the Herald Sun at the time he was “I was just at the right place at the right time and doing my job.”
GARY ABLETT JUNIOR
The Geelong star was only minutes into playing the final AFL game before retirement when he was tackled by Tiger Trent Cotchin and injured his shoulder.
But that wasn’t going to stop the dual premiership and two-time Brownlow medallist from playing on.
Scans later revealed Ablett played most of the game with a cracked shoulder and he required surgery.
Ablett and wife Jordan’s touching social media posts about son Levi, who is battling illness, also won hearts.
DAN’S NORTH FACE JACKET
Never has a plain black jacket achieved so much attention.
Premier Daniel Andrew’s choice of press conference attire took on a life of its own.
Dan’s North Face Jacket got his own Twitter account and there was much speculation about when he chose to wear it. Popular theory was The North Face meant good news, a suit was bad news.
And does he only own one or have a few on rotation? Whatever the answers we hope The North Face believe in the saying “any publicity is good publicity”.
FIREFIGHTERS
Mallacoota, 520km east of Melbourne, was the scene of a mass evacuation of locals and holiday-makers when the town was surrounded by bushfires in early January.
Hundreds of people sheltered near the water’s edge before being rescued by navy ships and helicopters when the road out was closed to traffic.
The devastation was so far-reaching the smoke could be seen in space via the Bureau of Meteorology’s satellite.
At least 33 people had died in Australian bushfires since the summer season began in October 2019, including emergency service workers and Victorian firefighters.
These are the real heroes of 2020.
HEALTH CARE WORKERS
We wouldn’t be where we are today without the sacrifices and hard work of our health care workers.
Whether they were on the frontline treating coronavirus patients working for hours in PPE or working in Victoria’s hospitals, general practice, aged care homes and specialist services we thank the doctors, nurses and paramedics for doing the job most of us can’t.
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