NT News reveals the story behind the Aussie cricket crisis headline: ‘Why I’ve got some sticky near my dicky’

THE NT News’ “Why I’ve Got Some Sticky Near My Dicky” headline which has the world talking was devised at a kids’ play cafe in suburban Darwin

NT News front page, March 26, 2018

THE NT News’ “Why I’ve Got Some Sticky Near My Dicky” headline which has the world talking was devised at a kids’ play cafe in suburban Darwin.

NT News editor Matt Williams and deputy editor Ken McGregor’s three-year-old children were playing at Planet Tenpin in Nightcliff on Sunday afternoon when possible headlines were being bandied around by the NT News editorial bosses.

Williams said to McGregor the Australian cricket ball tampering scandal was one of the biggest stories of the year and the NT News had an obligation to deliver a cracking headline.

Matt Garrick, who was editing from the office, sent the first version of the front page which carried the headline “Balls On The Line”.

Williams and McGregor agreed it was a great headline but started racking their brains for something which could captivate the nation.

“We’ve got a reputation to uphold, mate, there’s got to be something that can stand out from the crowd,” Williams said to McGregor.

After a few failed attempts at bettering the “Balls On The Line” headline, it was McGregor who eventually came up with the genius of “Why I’ve Got Some Sticky Near My Dicky.”

McGregor, who played 152 AFL games for the Adelaide Crows between 1999 and 2008 before moving into journalism, said the headline was perfect for the NT News brand.

Former Adelaide Crows player turned NT News deputy editor, Ken McGregor.

“We’ve had some cracking headlines with a similar rhyme over the years, including two of our most famous ones — ‘Why I’ve Got A Cracker Up My Clacker’ and ‘Why I’ve Got A Packer Up My Clacker’,” he said.

“I just started thinking about headlines starting with ‘Why I’ve Got’ and it just eventuated from there.”

OH DEAR ... TOMORROW’S FRONT PAGE pic.twitter.com/gnudHxk8zs

— The NT News (@TheNTNews) March 25, 2018

Williams said the cricket scandal headline was on track to be the most viewed on social media in Australian history.

“We had a same-sex marriage front page last year which reached more than 2 million people on social media, making it the most viewed front page in Australia ever, but we think this one’s going to top it,” he said.

NT News front page, August 9, 2017

At 10.30am on Monday, the cricket scandal front page had been viewed 561,000 times on Twitter and had reached 755,000 people on Facebook.

“Kenny played in front of some big crowds when he played for the Crows but he hasn’t played in front of a bigger crowd with this headline!” Williams said.

“Kenny didn’t get many Brownlow votes during his AFL career but for this headline I’m giving him the three, the two and the one. Just brilliant!”