By Stephen Brook and Kishor Napier-Raman
North Melbourne Football Club is marking its centenary on Thursday night at Marvel Stadium with a special match against the Bulldogs – but not everyone wants to celebrate.
Not only is the club celebrating the centenary of its admittance into the VFL/AFL, but it is also paying tribute to the 50th anniversary of its historic premiership victory in 1975 against Hawthorn. And the club’s historic AFLW win last year.
The Roos celebrate their maiden AFLW flag.Credit: AFL Photos
That’s a lot for president Sonja Hood and chief executive Jennifer Watt to organise. The club wiped its debts a few years back but is not exactly rolling in it.
First, the good news. Attending from the famous 1975 team are AFL Hall of Fame Legend Malcolm Blight, two-time Brownlow medallist Keith Greig, legendary fullback David Dench, 306-game player Wayne Schimmelbusch and champion defender John “Mopsy” Rantall, as well as teammates Peter Chisnall, Frank Gumbleton, Ross Henshaw and Gary Farrant.
Those no longer with us are Barry Davis – the Kangaroos’ 1975 team captain – Mick Nolan, Paul Feltham and legendary AFL figure and 1975 coach Ron Barassi, who died two years ago.
Then there are those who are simply not coming. Premiership player Sam Kekovich, famous for his radio commentary “rants”, is carrying his combustible style into real life and boycotting the event, apparently on the basis that he wanted a separate gala dinner to honour the 1975 team rather than a combined do. OK Boomer.
North Melbourne officials Bill Stephen (left), Max Ritchie and Ron Barassi watch the final minutes of the Kangaroos’ victory in the 1975 VFL grand final.Credit: The Age
The disgraced Barry Cable, who was stripped of his club and AFL honours after a Perth judge in civil proceedings ruled he had sexually abused a girl, is not coming.
Brent “Tiger” Crosswell, an Age columnist and said to be one of the inspirations for a character in David Williamson’s renowned football play, The Club, can’t travel due to long-term illness. Arnold Briedis is overseas.
Garry Cowton has another engagement. And Doug Wade and John Burns are not attending.
It seems some of the premiership players feel the club performed an unfair switcheroo from its original plans and particularly the planned date of the celebration.
“It went from a dinner to a stand-up [cocktail event] with pies, pasties and sausage rolls. So a few of the lads just are not buying into it,” Blight told radio station SEN.
Lattouf talks
After winning her unlawful termination case against the ABC last week, broadcaster Antoinette Lattouf promised that she’d have “more to say” at a later date.
Last week, she remained silent, with the blanks instead being filled in by the country’s commentariat, the most absurd take coming from a Crikey piece on Lattouf’s (admittedly rather slay) trial outfits.
“It’s more than a coat: An ode to Antoinette Lattouf’s meaningful courtroom fashion,” the site wrote.
Jan Fran (left) recently announced the launch of Ette Media with Antoinette Lattouf. The independent media company will feature a YouTube show among other offerings.Credit: Hugh Stewart
Now, Lattouf has finally had more to say. Much more. And in a very modern way via Ette Media, her new venture with friend and business partner Jan Fran, promising “media literacy and critique that helps you get to the real story”.
Lattouf’s first post-judgment interview was a discussion with Fran on their new podcast, We Used to Be Journos.
On it, she lashed the ABC for its conduct, telling Fran she was yet to receive a private apology from the broadcaster, and in particular, wanted one from chair Kim Williams, who was not in charge when Lattouf was unlawfully sacked as a fill-in radio host over a social media post about the war in Gaza.
But he weighed in last year during a National Press Club address while the case was ongoing.
“I want an apology from Kim Williams, the chair of the ABC,” Lattouf said, adding that he spoke about her “venomously” and “with derision in his voice” at the Press Club.
In a statement, Williams said he supported the “expression of regret and apology” issued by managing director Hugh Marks following the judgment last week.
“I only ever wished for the matter between Ms Lattouf and the ABC to be settled and regret that was unable to be achieved,” Williams said.
“I have never said anything negative about Ms Lattouf and nor would I do so.”
Lattouf had scathing words for Williams’ predecessor Ita Buttrose.
“She had said some of the most horrible, dehumanising, insensitive things about me in the correspondence [revealed in court],” she said.
Referring to Buttrose’s affidavit denying that she took into account Lattouf’s “race or national extraction”, Lattouf said: “I felt like she was talking about me like I was a breed of dog.”
What did Buttrose make of all this? We asked, but she declined to comment.
Antoinette Lattouf outside the Federal Court in Sydney last month.Credit: Oscar Colman
Collins class
The Liberal Party’s class of 2025 is ready to take on the Albanese Labor government. But first, they have a bit more fighting among themselves to get through.
New NSW senator Jess Collins marked the first day of her term on Tuesday by sending out a lengthy email missive to party delegates.
“I am tired of factional hacks trying to weaponise the constitution to consolidate or hold on to power,” she said. “We are not going to find our way out of the wilderness if we can’t change the status quo.”
Collins entered the upper house after knocking off sitting senator Hollie Hughes in a tough preselection fight, thanks in part to support from conservative frontbencher Angus Taylor.
Liberal senator Jess Collins revealed her thoughts on the state of the party.
The new senator also had some intriguing words on the foot-in-mouth comments made last month by party elder Alan Stockdale, who said Liberal women were “sufficiently assertive”.
“I was disappointed that comments made by Alan Stockdale were leaked to the press,” she said. “That very afternoon I had just spent two hours with Alan and the Administrative Committee telling them how to improve the outcomes for women. If he suggested women were sufficiently assertive perhaps I am to blame. (Sorry, bad joke – please don’t leak it!)”
Like clockwork, someone forwarded us her comments. Moral of the story? Never use the words “don’t leak”. Collins, sadly, didn’t return CBD’s calls.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.