He’s handy with the footy on the field but star Cat Patrick Dangerfield became something of a political football himself this week.
Patty unwittingly entered the play when he criticised a Melbourne thug who didn’t get even a day in the clink on remand for his widely publicised, unprovoked forearm to the head of a bloke walking in the opposite direction.
“Pathetic human,” Danger Tweeted in response.
Well, in a flash he was drafted by the state Liberals as they set up play for their tough-on-crime premiership campaign.
And, with a goal of scoring political points, the Libs knew just where to play their man.
“It’s plainly clear that Patrick Dangerfield would make a better Attorney General than Martin Pakula,” said Liberal frontbencher Tim Smith, referring to allegedly weak bail laws under Labor.
Just to reinforce his preferred positional change, Smith suggested it in a media statement headlined ‘Patrick Dangerfield or Martin Pakula?’
Hmm. Given that Danger earns around four times the average state MP the Liberals would certainly need to create some salary cap space to recruit Patty.
Meanwhile, another local sports champion is also about to reappear at Kardinia Park.
But this one won’t be in footy boots – he’ll be on a motorbike.
Motocross legend Craig Dack will headline a Legends and Champions Revival as a special feature of the Australian Supercross Championships, arriving at the stadium on 13 October.
Dack will be back in the saddle after retiring from Yamaha Australia’s official motocross team all the way back in 1992.
And the saddle will be something of a veteran, too.
“I’ll be riding my 1992 Yamaha YZ250 in the Legends and Champions Parade, which is my favourite bike in my collection (because) Yamaha gave it to me as a retirement present in my final year of professional racing,” he said.
Twenty-six years later – what a reunion of man and motorised beast!
To put it in context, legendary galloper Subzero won the Melbourne Cup in 1992 – but it’s highly doubtful we’ll see jockey Glen Hall riding the big gelding again any time soon.
