WTF: White night, graffiti bridge, Little Malop landscaping

Another week, another frustrating anecdote to come out of Patrick Dangerfield’s 350th game.

This week’s WTF has a bit of everything.

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!

THE COVER OF (WHITE) NIGHT

Some attendees at the Cats’ recent White Night match didn’t play fair. Picture: James Wiltshire.

We kick off this week’s column in a similar vein to seven days ago.

The Cats’ recent White Night game against the Lions whipped up a frenzy among media and fans alike, but camaraderie among the 35,367 attendees is what we now turn our gaze to.

Die-hard Geelong fan Scott Millar, his even more diehard mum, Sherrie, and three others made their way to the June 20 Cattery clash.

The quintet were running slightly late, but that didn’t mean they were any less enthusiastic about getting their hands on the Cotton On branded T-shirts that each attendee was allocated to celebrate Patrick Dangerfield’s 350th outing.

Alas, when they got to their seats five minutes after the opening bounce, there were no T-shirts in sight.

“My mum asked the men behind our row if they’d seen anything and one of them sheepishly opened his bag and gave back three,” Millar said.

“So we ended up with three of the five shirts we should have received.

“Mum was pretty upset as we’ve been members for 25 years and she travels four hours to home games.”

Unfortunately, the incident appears not to be isolated.

An image of two girls carrying a bundle of shirts was posted online.

Is this above board?

It comes after our report last week that some fans had seized the opportunity to make a quick buck by slinging the T-shirts on Facebook Marketplace at an inflated price tag.

We’ve since learnt that the merchandise has also appeared on eBay – at the not-so appealing price of $150.

UNDER THE BRIDGE

Graffiti under the new Barwon Heads Rd rail overpass. Picture: Alison Wynd.

While motorists are thankful for the rail overpass built as part of the $365m Barwon Heads Rd stage one upgrade, it seems some people are far from happy with an issue that has come as a result of its construction.

One Charlemont local claimed new graffiti was appearing daily and although WTF could not verify the veracity of that claim, the paint did look fresh upon our inspection.

The resident said those passing over the almost 100m long Narriyu Bridge, as it was named, were oblivious to the vandalism as it could only be seen by those who lived nearby.

More graffiti. Picture: Alison Wynd.

“I have notified Regional Roads Victoria, or old VicRoads, about this issue on

numerous occasions but nothing seems to get done to clean this up,” he said.

“Out of sight, out of mind.”

LITTLE MALOP ST LANDSCAPING

For once it wasn’t tumbleweed making its way through the mall.

At first glance, it looked as though an avid green thumb had attempted to give one of Geelong’s least desirable locations a makeover.

Developers and punters have long hoped the chic atmosphere of Little Malop St’s west end would make its way east over Moorabool St.

Could a tropical theme be the answer?

It appeared like art.

The pseudobark of palm trees was seen strewn across what locals refer to as the “Beirut end” of the strip after strong winds hit the region last week.

The jury remains out as to whether it looks better or worse than usual.

OUR STUBBORN CONE

A Yarra St “icon”?

Well, it’s almost official.

Our favourite canopy cone has nearly enjoyed a full trip around the sun since the adorable and artfully arranged arboreal attachment first adorned our pages.

The witch’s hat sits atop a tree on Yarra St, a site some say it has called home for years.

We here at WTF have watched the seasons – and foliage – come and go over the past 12 months while our little friend has stayed firmly in place.

When it comes to orange things that surprisingly find themselves in high-up positions, one might say this cone has trumped the opposition.

Certainly in terms of traffic management it is doing a stellar job, with not a single vehicle driving through the upper branches of the tree.

(Knowing Geelong drivers, however, and the speed with which some race towards a certain nearby drive-through fast-food eatery, that may yet be a possibility.)

At first we were campaigning for its removal but our affection for the plucky pointed plastic has grown.

But what do you, the reader, think? Should this streetside decoration continue as an inner-city icon and a nod to staying power? Or do you want to see it returned to the depot to join its brightly coloured brethren?

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Originally published as WTF: White night, graffiti bridge, Little Malop landscaping