E&OE…
Topics: AFL grand final
DARREN JAMES:
Hello, Greg, good to see you in the Tigers scarf.
GREG HUNT:
Absolutely, and good morning guys.
DARREN JAMES:
Are you a Tiger for the day or is it…
GREG HUNT:
No, I’m a Tiger for life. I was eight years old at the 1974 Grand Final and all I remember is some roaring giant North Melbourne supporter behind me.
And then I was at the losing 1982 Grand Final. So I’ve waited a long while for today.
DARREN JAMES:
What happened in 1980? I was there for the ’80 Grand Final when you smashed us, the ‘Pies.
GREG HUNT:
Just a kid, no tickets. So I just sort of watched it with a group of friends. Look, I don’t want to draw too much of a conclusion but I’ve been in the Sports Minister role for nine months and I just think it’s not just a coincidence that Richmond’s here today.
DARREN JAMES:
No, probably right. It’s all because of you.
GREG HUNT:
Although, Malcolm said to me: So, are you taking responsibility for the cricket as well?
DENIS WALTER:
Well, that’s right, you’ve got to take everything.
GREG HUNT:
You’ve got to take the ups and the downs.
NEIL MITCHELL:
You got rid of their vice-captain, that’s a start.
GREG HUNT:
Oh well, yes, I think he’s taken care of that himself.
DARREN JAMES:
Who was your hero when you were growing up as a Tigers supporter?
GREG HUNT:
Oh, Kevin Bartlett. Just the speed, and unfortunately the bounce in the middle of the tackle’s gone because of that.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Yes. That’s right, he used to throw it out in front of him…
DARREN JAMES:
Number 29.
GREG HUNT:
Absolutely, he was just a champion. Not a lot of hand ball.
But my little guy now, who’s eight years old – he’s going to join me later today – he models himself off Eddie Betts, you know.
DENIS WALTER:
Oh yes.
GREG HUNT:
Just the way, you can see the impact on the game of somebody like that.
DARREN JAMES:
Yes.
DENIS WALTER:
There are a lot of former Carlton players playing extremely well. We’ve got two of them at Geelong – Tuohy and Henderson, Eddie Betts.
DARREN JAMES:
We’ve got Garland in Melbourne.
DENIS WALTER:
Yeah. How did they get rid of Eddie in the first place, Carlton? You’ve got to ask, don’t you?
GREG HUNT:
Don’t know. I mean, he’s become just an absolute icon of the game. I think, we had a look in the car this morning, he’s the oldest player on the field, at 30. So it’s a very young field today. There are just no players well into their 30s at all.
DENIS WALTER:
Yeah.
NEIL MITCHELL:
He was saying yesterday, too, he’s lived his whole life for this moment. This was all he’s ever wanted to do was play in a Grand Final, and win it of course.
GREG HUNT:
No, just a stunning player. So it’ll be a sensational game. Obviously I’m tipping Richmond by four.
DARREN JAMES:
Goals or points?
GREG HUNT:
Hmm?
DARREN JAMES:
Goals or points?
GREG HUNT:
Four points.
DENIS WALTER:
Ooh.
GREG HUNT:
Daniel Rioli goal from a last bounce… Cotchin to Martin to Rioli…
DENIS WALTER:
Cotchin, across to Martin, Rioli. It’s a goal.
GREG HUNT:
Then I’ll die happy, but hopefully not yet.
We were lucky enough to be at the preliminary final last week and I don’t think I’ll ever top that.
With 90,000 fans for the one team, you know, four for the other, and then walking back with my little guy after the game just back to the city with this river of happy people, all from the same tribe.
DARREN JAMES:
It’s amazing. It’s the best feeling in the world, isn’t it?
DENIS WALTER:
Hey, Darren.
DARREN JAMES:
Yeah?
DENIS WALTER:
You didn’t finish that off with a question, (inaudible) Bruce McAvaney.
DARREN JAMES:
Oh, we’re lucky aren’t we. He always does that. He’s good isn’t he?
NEIL MITCHELL:
So it’s a tough job being Sports Minister, really, isn’t it?
GREG HUNT:
Oh well, most…
DENIS WALTER:
You have one other job.
GREG HUNT:
Yeah, it is. Yeah, there’s the small matter of health. But there are ups and downs. The downs are that, you know, well, it’s not really a down. The focus is the real stuff of the funding for the Olympic sports, the design of the AIS, the engagement with all of those things.
The professional sports pretty much run themselves and the worst thing you can do is interfere. And I think the AFL is incredibly well-run. I honestly do. You look around the world. This product, this game, you know, the fact that kids are into it, it’s doing brilliantly.
DARREN JAMES:
Except when they tell us how to vote for the same-sex marriage thing.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Well, we haven’t got a rapper coming down.
DARREN JAMES:
No.
NEIL MITCHELL:
What do you think of that? Mr, what’s his name?
GREG HUNT:
Macklemore. The honest answer…
DENIS WALTER:
No, no, don’t worry about that.
GREG HUNT:
The honest answer… And my office will sort of kill me for saying this. I’d never heard of him. I had never heard of Macklemore, and that’s the truth…
DENIS WALTER:
Of course, we all had.
GREG HUNT:
Yeah, well, around you guys, I can just see you guys with the fingers out going: Yo.
DARREN JAMES:
Yo man.
GREG HUNT:
But no, I hadn’t heard of him. And they can choose whomever they want, and that’s fine either way.
DARREN JAMES:
They say he was booked before all of this.
DENIS WALTER:
Exactly.
GREG HUNT:
Yeah. We’re all getting a bit excited. Would I have preferred, as a matter of principle, to have seen John Farnham or, you know, somebody Australian…
DARREN JAMES:
Kylie.
GREG HUNT:
Kylie would be…
DENIS WALTER:
Yeah, Kylie.
DARREN JAMES:
Daryl Braithwaite.
GREG HUNT:
The place would go off.
DENIS WALTER:
There’s a lot. A bit of John Farnham, Playing to Win.
DARREN JAMES:
Meatloaf.
GREG HUNT:
No, no, we’ll skip Meatloaf. As a principle I prefer an Australian.
DENIS WALTER:
I’ll do the anthem.
DARREN JAMES:
When Meatloaf came, a mate of mine, Meatloaf was so bad he became a vegetarian after seeing Meatloaf at the Grand Final.
GREG HUNT:
That was not a high moment. But anyway, hopefully the Killers will be fine at the AFL today.
DARREN JAMES:
But you’d heard of them before?
GREG HUNT:
I certainly have. It’s just an honest answer and I…
DARREN JAMES:
But we seem to focus on the pre-game entertainment. It’s so quick, it’s only one or two songs and then it’s over. I don’t really care. The game is the star on the day.
DENIS WALTER:
Yeah, but the Lionel Richie year was pretty special, when the crowd all got going.
GREG HUNT:
Well, we all have a bit of secret love for Lionel.
DENIS WALTER:
Well, I don’t know whether I’m in love with him, I do like his music.
GREG HUNT:
Well, whilst we’re on the topic.
DARREN JAMES:
Oh well, lovely to see you. Where are you sitting today? Do you know where your seats are allocated?
GREG HUNT:
Ah, look there’s the AFL function so somewhere near there.
DENIS WALTER:
Olympic Stand.
GREG HUNT:
Olympic Stand, yeah.
DARREN JAMES:
Enjoy it.
GREG HUNT:
Okay.
DARREN JAMES:
You’re going to the game too, Neil, aren’t you?
NEIL MITCHELL:
Yes.
DARREN JAMES:
Yes, fantastic.
NEIL MITCHELL:
Yes, I’ll see you at lunch.
DARREN JAMES:
All the best.
GREG HUNT:
Cheers guys.
DARREN JAMES:
See you, Minister, lovely to see you and go Tiges.
GREG HUNT:
Go Tiges!
NEIL MITCHELL:
By the way, I don’t think Gil agrees with you on the finance business. He’s always looking for a quid.
GREG HUNT:
Look, he does his job. He likes to ask but I think the AFL does okay.
DARREN JAMES:
Not struggling.