Is the member for Grayndler a team player or an Albotross around Bill Shorten’s neck?

Former PM Kevin Rudd knows how to spot a team player. The Australian, yesterday:

“We’re fortunate to be led by Bill Shorten, a strong leader, and fortunate to have in the team Albo, who is a first-class political leader in his own right,” Mr Rudd said. “I know that, having worked with (Anthony Albanese) intimately in my period in government.”

Locker-room talk, Adelaide radio FIVEaa, February 7:

Albanese: (Shorten’s) the captain of the team. Tanya Plibersek’s vice-­captain. I’m the half back, or the midfielder in AFL terms.

Presenter: But Bill Shorten is …

Albanese: Sneaking up in the forward line occasionally to kick a goal against the Tories.

Presenter: But maybe you’re kicking a few too many.

Albanese: No one’s ever kicking a few too many goals for Labor against the Tories.

Nor can he be blamed for taking a few punts on Team Albo. The Australian, February 9:

A senior Labor figure and Shorten ally said there was no question Mr Albanese had been parading his leadership credentials. “We all know Anthony is doing this. He has to do it in case Bill gets hit by a bus,” the Labor MP said. An analysis of Mr Albanese’s comments stretching back to the May budget shows the frontbencher contradicting the Opposition Leader, or embarrassing him by promoting his own policies and political arguments.

Another mark. Dennis Shanahan, The Weekend Australian, Saturday:

Albanese’s challenge is all in code, personal or cultural, and isn’t breaching Labor policy or directly criticising the leader. Last week on a small Melbourne radio station Albanese wove all the threads together (and) ended up with a Sydneysider’s explanation to a Victorian audience about his AFL affiliations. At a “very young age” he came to support Hawthorn by a process of elimination, and naturally backed the Swans when the South Melbourne team virtually came into his electorate in Sydney. Then he said: “But you can’t change your team. So the Hawks remain my team.” It’s got everything, an appeal to a Victorian audience, consistency of long-term support (and), of course, loyalty. Nothing there to identify as a contradiction of Labor policy or shadow cabinet decisions, although one of the deadliest allegations made against the Melbourne-based Shorten was that he “changed teams quite late”.

Phew, this leadership sport’s a thirsty business. SMH, 2015:

In mid-July, Albanese attended the launch of “Albo” beer, produced by a microbrewery in his electorate. “The people’s choice!” said brewer Pat McInerney, raising his glass. A few weeks later, McInerney tells me that he is struggling to make enough of the pale corn ale to keep up with demand.

A Corbyn-style leader from the left? Political froth, says Troy Bramston, The Weekend Australian, Saturday:

Arithmetic is not on (Albo’s) side. If the Labor caucus decides to vote on Shorten’s successor, the right faction still commands a majority of votes with 50 MPs while the left is split. (Chris) Bowen, from the right, would be the most likely person to succeed Shorten if it were up to the caucus. The challenge for Labor — as ever — is to move to the centre ground of politics. Labor has never won an election by shifting to the left. It is crazy for Labor to chase Greens votes on the fringes of politics rather than pitch for disaffected Coalition voters in the mainstream. In any event, the caucus rule changes adopted in 2013 make a midterm leadership change difficult.