Morrison shows his true colours at footy

Scott Morrison flies the flag for the Cronulla Sharks after they suffered a heavy defeat against the Penrith Panthers in Sydney on Saturday. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Growing up in a hard rugby league town, there were few things worse than being labelled a “fair-weather fan”.

It means your loyalty comes cheap and you can’t be counted on when times get tough — in sport or in life.

After all, it is easy to bask in the warm glow of a sunny September afternoon as your team plays finals football in front of a packed stadium, but where were you in the middle of July as your side ground out 80 minutes in the mud on a frigid winter’s night as their entire season threatened to collapse?

Where were you when it truly mattered?

Well, thanks to the power of social media, we all know where Scott Morrison was.

He was in the stands at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium on Saturday, wrapped in a sky blue, black and white Cronulla Sharks scarf and nursing a beer, as his team suffered a devastating 56-24 defeat to the visiting Penrith Panthers.

And he was there to the end.

Of course, some have now seized upon Morrison’s outing to attack him, claiming it was somehow inappropriate to be “celebrating and cheering” while Victoria is in a state of crisis.

Now, let’s put aside the absurd suggestion Morrison was in any way celebrating watching his team lose. And let’s forget about political partisanship for a moment too (though I know that is nigh on impossible for the twitterati).

What Morrison displayed on Saturday was leadership and loyalty.

He wasn’t just supporting his local rugby league team, he was supporting his community, and showing his fellow Australians it was safe for them to do so too.

Scott Morrison’s beer at the footy told the community they can feel safe. Picture. Phil Hillyard

That message has never been more important. Our communities are hurting.

Residents in Morrison’s electorate have been hit hard by COVID-19; the latest statistics reveal that the suburbs of Cronulla and Kurnell are among the most reliant on JobKeeper in all of Sydney.

As public health restrictions are relaxed across most of the country, it’s imperative we play our part in helping rebuild the nation’s shattered economy.

A beer at the footy? That spells jobs.

Grabbing lunch at a local café? That spells jobs too.

The longer cinemas and restaurants and shops sit empty, the greater the risk they will never recover.

Too many suburbs and towns across Australia are already peppered with the economic victims of the coronavirus — and the full extent of the pain is yet to be felt.

It is devastating to see Victoria locked down in the midst of a second wave of COVID-19 outbreaks.

But to suggest the rest of Australia should adopt an equally austere state of being out of some misguided show of solidarity is absolutely ludicrous.

Instead, we need to get off the couch and support our local communities now when our support is needed most.

When Victoria reopens for business, we need to support them too.

Morrison showed us his true colours on Saturday and whether you’re on his team or not — in sport or in life — that kind of support counts for something.

It shows our Prime Minister is not a fair-weather fan and that is worth celebrating. At least where I’m from.