Give us a tip, Dan ... how do you do it?

He’s copping plenty of flak for his handling of the 19 pandemic ... but no one can dispute Dan Andrews’s ladder position.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews (right) catches up with AFL CEO Gillion McLachlan at the 2019 AFL Grand Final function at the MCG. Picture: Wayne Taylor

How does he do it?

Daniel Andrews is currently topping the AFL tipping comp of 50 “experts” on tips.com.au. The Bombers fan is two points clear of second and third place — Ladbrokes’ Tom Hackett and David King from Fox Footy. Ironically, the “Kiss of Death” is last on the ladder.

Vic Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien is 13 points behind Andrews and Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp is six spots from the bottom.

Team Dandrews was tight-lipped on how he’s managed to achieve this mid-Dandemic, given he’s held hour-plus briefings for the past 43 days. A sporting source suggested the Premier could be a victim of the old footy tips paradox — the less attention you give to the games, the better you go. Given there’s no longer home teams.

HTF is Dan Andrews leading the footy tipping amidst all this? pic.twitter.com/3mWsKOBs2u

— Michael Bodey (@michaelbodey) August 13, 2020

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Anthony Albanese’s art blanche

Anthony Albanese is about to be judged by Australia’s toughest critics. And we don’t mean Quiet Queenslanders.

The Labor leader posed for this country’s most famous portrait prize, the Archibald at the Art Gallery of NSW. Albanese was painted by local constituent and artist James Powditch, in a piece called Once Upon A Time in Marrickville.

“I haven’t really thought about doing a politician before, to be honest, the angle is non-political,” Powditch told Strewth. Of course he does know Albanese from the streets of Sydney’s inner west (part of the unspoken social contract means anyone west of Regent Street must meet comrade Albo; he’s impossible to escape), noting the wannabe DJ spun a few tracks at his kids’ primary school on election day in 2016.

The portrait of Anthony Albanese that’s part of the entrants for the 2020 Archibald Prize.

The pollie was more than happy to play muse as he’s a fan of Powditch, particularly his film poster portrayal of Nick Cave back in 2014.

“The inspiration for this one was that he did a set for Rage years ago before the 2013 election. Ten of those songs would be on my best of list,” Powditch explained. He approached Albanese in January, and the pair managed to squeeze in a sitting early in March before the country went into COVID lockdown. The album cover art work is chock-full of nostalgic music references. The catalyst for the black and white headshot is a combination of 1980s records — New Order’s Low-Life and Lloyd Cole & the Commotions’ Mainstream. In the bottom left corner there’s a graphic from New Order’s 1983 release Power, Corruption and Lies.

“Which I would like to put on the record I believe the Labor Party fights against,” Powditch added.

The font used to write “Once Upon a Time in Marrickville” is an homage to Neil Young’s Harvest from 1972. “In his shirt there’s some classic 1960s, 1970s wallpaper from the flower power hippy movement … it could have been in a Marrickville house when (Albo) was growing up,” Powditch said. If the portrait is selected, it will be Powditch’s sixth time being hung, and Albanese’s first. However it isn’t Albanese’s only attempt. In 1998, during his first parliamentary term, his sketch got the brush off.-

Damn with paint praise

But what do the critics think? We asked our resident auteur assessor Matthew Westwood for his take. “Albo is shown in three-quarter profile, and his face is in deep chiaroscuro, or shadow: as if he is emerging out of darkness and into the light. The text, flower-power shirt, flyaway hair and necklace all suggest someone in touch with the 70s and the era‘s idealism. It‘s a good likeness of the Opposition Leader: the nose, brow and chin are a giveaway!”

Terrifying.

A better likeness than one infamous Albanese painting with un-even eyes that evoked horror among his staff. A hanging offence! It was anonymously dropped into Albanese’s electoral office without a note, and languished unloved. When it became a raffle prize at the next Grayndler members’ barbecue, the winner gave it back. The next year, a different winner stashed it in a cupboard. Years later, it was happily picked up by Stephen Owen, creator of the excellent @Rudd2000 Twitter account. We understand it’s proudly on display in his Canberra home.

Kevern have staff drive him to beach roll up pants walk into waves throw iphone in ocean how dare it autocorrect ear to eat "this ducking technology" he screech

— Kevin Rudd 2000 (@Rudd2000) May 13, 2019

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Off to a bad art

Powditch was originally too superstitious to chat to Strewth. His reps told us there’s a vibe in the art world that doing press before the finalists are declared could kybosh your chances. Fingers crossed we didn’t jinx him to take the $100,000 award, announced on September 25! Bad luck certainly didn’t stop Sydney artist Charles Mouyat and NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean promoting their political portrait. Sporting a tight silver skivvy and holding a burning Waratah, it’s meant to reflect Kean’s duelling portfolios of energy and environment. To our uncultured eye, it’s Star Trek meets Wiggles.

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Ring ring

Andrews has recruited another soldier in the fight against COVID — Leigh Hubbard, husband to Labor MP Ged Kearney. Hubbard is the former Victorian Trades Hall Council secretary and left a job advising Labor MP Libby Coker to go to the Department of Health and Human Services. Kearney’s office said his role was “stakeholder engagement on the COVID response”. We wonder if it’s part of the state’s switch to hip retro technology? The Vic gov has started a “‘Call-to-Test” service for those living in an area under stage-four restrictions. Anyone with symptoms can call a free 1800 number and a “qualified clinician will visit within 48 hours of calling”. BYO landline.

The Vic Government is introducing a new 'Call-to-Test' service.

If you live in a Stage 4 restrictions area, have symptoms, & you're eligible for the service, a qualified clinician will visit within 48 hours of calling.

If you're eligible, call 1800 675 398 and select option 9. pic.twitter.com/0bvN9ykUzx

— Richard Wynne (@rwynnemp) August 12, 2020

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