Have we reached peak Patty yet?
It’s the question that must be asked after yet another week full of Patrick Dangerfield (pictured).
Front page, back page, on TV, on the internet, on the radio – he’s a one-man brand for a team in a one-club town.
Yep, lovely bloke, great footy player and very welcome back after a few years with the Crows.
But, after seeming saturation coverage since the start of the season, surely this week’s surfing-in-a-suit stunt was some kind of a tipping point.
Maybe it’s time for a media blackout except for his three votes against Essendon this weekend, and the Tigers the next, and the Lions after that, and then the Demons, and don’t forget the Brownlow…
More peaks to come, by the looks.
Then again, Geelong’s always been besotted with its local footy hero of the day.
Double Take can even remember back to the ‘90s when elements of the Kennett government were keen to preselect Billy Brownless (pictured) in the extremely safe state Labor seat of Lara, or Corio as it was known at the time.
A loveable larrikin on the field, Billy was previously unknown in political circles, so a team from the Indy decided to survey voters on the likelihood of a Brownless victory.
The verdict of 100 respondents at Corio Shopping Centre was emphatic: 95 per cent support for a Liberal Billy over Labor incumbent Peter Loney, or any other challenger for that matter.
One older couple summed up the celebrity effect when the male of the pair said he’d vote for Brownless as a Liberal candidate.
“But you’ve always voted Labor,” said his wife, elbowing him in the side.
“I know,” he agreed, wincing, “but it’s Billy!”
The political adage about never calling a review unless you know the result might turn on its head for the Andrews government with its Citizens’ Jury to shape Geelong’s next council.
The Government recently tasked a Citizens’ Jury to provide recommendations on regional Victorian infrastructure.
Well, the jury’s report came out this week with a series of demanded projects – including the now-trashed East West Link.
Remember East West, which cost Victoria $1 billion after Daniel Andrews tore up the construction contracts?
Whoops! No doubt Mr Andrews will now await the Geelong jury verdict with just a little trepidation.
