The Prime Minister has likened his relationship with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to that of the once fiercely estranged Gallagher brothers.
At one of the most high-profile events of the year where the most important names in the Australian business world mingle with the power plays of the sports universe with a healthy sprinkle of politicians throw in – the North Melbourne Grand Final Breakfast – Anthony Albanese used his address to make the wry observation referencing the Oasis brothers.
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“Over the years there have been many famous double acts that have done a great job of mixing footy with comedy: Sam Newman and Trevor Marmalade on The Footy Show, Sam Pang and Mick Molloy on The Front Bar, Andrew Gaze and Jason Dunstall on Bounce, but instead this morning you get me and Peter Dutton,” Mr Albanese said, according to News Corp.
“We are more like the Gallagher brothers from Oasis.
“Two blokes with a long history of fighting each other putting aside our differences, getting together on stage and giving all of you watching at home what you really want, the chance to stop watching, get up and make yourself a cup of tea.
“Don’t look back in anger, in fact, don’t look at all.
“Consider our contributions not so much speeches, but more like an ad break.”
The Labor leader, who is struggling to fend off a resurgent Liberal Party heading into the next election, also had a dig at his hosts saying the breakfast was the “only way to get North Melbourne and Grand Final into the same sentence”.
Not to be outdone Kangaroos president Sonja Hood made her own quips about the leaders and her club.
“Welcome to both the Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition. I didn’t think we had much in common – but when I was writing this speech I realised that actually all three of us are trying desperately hard to turn around an underperforming organisation,” she said.
“The Prime Minister has tried to reshuffle his way out of his – I can tell you from experience, that’s a card you don’t get to play as often as you might like.
“The leader of the opposition and I have both gone for a different approach, binding our respective futures to a powerful yet volatile energy source. For Mr Dutton, it’s nuclear fission, for me, it’s Alastair Clarkson. Let’s hope yours is less explosive than mine has been.”
The highlight of the grand final day calendar is attended by more than 1400 VIP gusts including former Roos president Bob Ansett, Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece, AFL Chairman Richard Goyder and AFL CEO Andrew Dillon as well as sporting identities such as former Socceroo Archie Thompson, cricketer Scott Boland and former West Coast Eagle premiership winner and this year’s premiership cup ambassador Josh Kennedy.