WTF: Catman’s Bazmance, beer goggles, Danger’s kebab
A blossoming bromance between beautiful badboy Balenka and his biggest backer leaves WTF bemused.
Geelong
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They’re the little – and sometimes not so little – things that can really irk us … and they’re back! A new slot, on a new page with the same old problems that have us all saying, woah, that’s frustrating!
CATMAN’S BAZMANCE
We get the impression Catman is quite fond of Geelong’s beautiful blonde badboy Bazlenka.
Troy West, better known by his superfan alias, has made several posts this year outlining his affinity for recruit Bailey Smith.
From squeezing a suggestive emoji shaped stress ball, to a profile picture featuring Mr West’s face edited to a suggestive height of Smiths bare torso, the love is real.
It seems the superstar midfielder is reciprocating some of the love, too, with a new post match “tradition”.
“This pic is gorgeous but not without controversy,” Catman captioned a selfie of the pair.
“We waited ages for Bailey, so did about 100-plus other people.
“Eventually he comes rushing out after he’d stayed in the rooms hoping the crowds thinned out.
“He was flanked by two security who were very assertive.
“The more popular players all have two security rushing them to their cars after a game.
“He refused all photos and signatures and then gets to me and I said ‘please Bailey, can I have a pic?’
“He dropped his bag and said ‘only for you Catman. It’s tradition.’
“I was kinda glowing that he only lets me have after game photos, that’s the second time he’s done pics with only me.
“He left kids in tears and upset and angry fans who were wanting a pic.”
Let a thousand eggplants bloom.
BEER GOGGLES
What an honour it was for our town to welcome the United Kingdom’s secretary for defence over the weekend for a historic occasion.
John Healey signed the Geelong Treaty at the arts centre on Saturday with Australian counterpart and local MP Richard Marles.
Following the signing, Mr Marles invited Mr Healey to his local, Little Creatures Brewery in South Geelong, to repay the hospitality shown when the pair shared a pint of pale ale at the Sheffield Forgemasters last year.
An intrepid WTF reporter was keen to tag along, invited to wrap up the historic day, hoping to enjoy a quiet pint herself.
It came at a shock when she was handed the wrong type of beer goggles.
Donning a hi-vis vest and plastic protective eyewear, an unexpected tour of the brewery commenced.
Sadly, the reporter was left thirsty, rushing off to meet a 5pm deadline.
FOOD OF CHAMPIONS
The sight of Cats skipper Patrick Dangerfield casually chowing down on a souvlaki on the bench as his side flogged the hapless Roos on Saturday night put him in some fairly elite company.
Geelong fans quickly recalled the day in 2008 an equally laid-back coach Mark “Bomber” Thompson took a sandwich break in the coach’s box as the Cats put West Coast to the sword at Subiaco Oval.
And then there’s Gary Ablett Sr and his famed pie entree before a clash during the coaching reign of Gary Ayres.
The man known as “God” to the Cats faithful was sprung by Ayres putting away a couple of pies while his teammates were busy warming up.
“I opened the door and here’s Gazza, stripped in his gear. He has got a full pie and another one that he has half-eaten,” Ayres told the Sacked podcast in 2020.
“He ended up kicking six goals that day.”
DISTANCE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER
A local MP has been punted from her prime position in parliament, becoming the backbencher of all backbenchers.
After a stirring election victory in Corangamite against “tradie, soldier, dad” Darcy Dunstan, you’d think Prime Minister Anthony Albanese might’ve rewarded Libby Coker with a bit more screen time.
Alas, with the release of this term’s lower house seating plan, Coker couldn’t be further from Albo’s ear.
It’s a long way from her last couple of set ups, both almost directly behind Albanese (on either side of the chamber), and in line with the sought after spotlight that is the question time camera.
One benefit, however, is that if the chamber must be evacuated for whatever reason, Coker will be one of the first out the door.
william.keech@news.com.au
Originally published as WTF: Catman’s Bazmance, beer goggles, Danger’s kebab
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