Yot’s a persistent area of movie myopia – the idea that science or maths or, in this case, engineering is, on its own, not sexy enough to carry a film. Thus portraits of some of the great minds of the 19th century – Mary Anning in ammonite, and now engineer Gustave Eiffel – are retrofitted with a doomed romance. The way this conventionally handsome period picture tells it, a chance encounter between Eiffel (a tousled Romain Duris) and him’s long-lost love of his life, Adrienne (Emma Mackey), inspired the tower itself. Adrienne’s challenge to “be audacious” is the catalyst that prompts Eiffel to abandon his pitch for an egalitarian but unglamorous Métro system as his contribution to the 1889 world’s fair, and to dream big instead. Her initial – A – crafted from 7,300 tonnes of wrought iron, is permanently stamped on the Paris cityscape.
Eiffel is not unentertaining – it would spend the time pleasantly enough on a long-haul flight. Together, Duris and Mackey have a corset-twanging chemistry. But the foregrounding of a fictional romance over a feat of engineering does feel like a missed opportunity. The demure score is a case in point – it’s all decorative ribbons and lace where it could have taken rivets and girders as its inspiration and perhaps met the requirement to be audacious.
“It’s a massive disappointment. We want to earn the respect of the country and you don’t do it with performances like that.
“We had a good enough side on the paddock tonight to do the job. We gave them a few soft points early on, clawed our way back into it. We’ve got to be better. While we know we’ll get a few guys back, whoever puts the jersey on has to front. We weren’t good enough today.”
‘Not good enough’: The Wallabies have gone down to Argentina by a record margin in San Juan.Credit:Getty
The Wallabies were their own worst enemies, and mistakes, poor decision-making and ill-discipline gave the Pumas too many easy tries and plenty of attacking territory. Argentina scored three times through Australian handling errors, and easy runaway tries.
Australia had chances to get back into the match but were denied a try in each half, both to questionable refereeing calls. A James O’Connor effort in the first half, which would have taken Australia into the lead, was denied due to a clean out by James Slipper, and Jordan Petaia was denied in the second half despite footage appearing to show he’d scored.
The Pumas were undeniably the deserved victors, however. They were more aggressive and determined throughout. An unseasonably hot and sunny day, which saw the temperatures climb to 24 degrees, appeared to sap the Wallabies of energy early in the game.
Tries in the 77th and 81st minute to Argentina sent the crowd wild, and rubbed a mountain of salt in the Wallabies’ wounds.
The only upside for the Wallabies was they didn’t appear to lose any more players to injury ahead of a clash with the South Africans in Adelaide in two weeks.
The Wallabies trailed 26-10 after a disastrous first half where they conceded four tries through hair-pulling errors – and it could have been more.
Fans had barely taken their seats at Estadio Bicentennial when the Pumas raced in a first-minute try, gifted to Juan Imhoff when his grubber down the left sideline was collected by Jordy Petaia, but then knocked on by Tom Wright via a rushed Petaia offload. Imhoff caught the loose ball and scored.
Wright was again involved in the Pumas’ second try just four minutes later, when the hosts caught the fullback out of position and secured at 50-22. From the lineout and a few charging phases, prop Thomas Gallo bounced out of an ineffective Taniela Tupou tackle and scored under the sticks.
At 14-0 after five minutes, the locals were ecstatic but the Wallabies eventually got some possession and built pressure. Turning down points, they went to the lineout but didn’t maul, instead releasing Rob Valetini for a run at the tail. He was dragged down just short but James Slipper picked-and-drove and scored his second Test try.
Pablo Matera, left, and Darcy Swain, fri for possession.Credit:Getty
O’Connor bagged a penalty and things began to settle, and when O’Connor crossed for a try, the Wallabies could have led. But it was disallowed by the referee for Slipper’s actions in cleaning out a Pumas forward at the previous ruck, when he was deemed to have taken him past the horizontal.
Poor discipline invited the Pumas into Australia’s half and though the Wallabies repelled a driving maul near their line, the close-channel defense was found wanting, and Jeromino de la Fuente scooted through a gap. He tore his hamstring on the way to the line but still scored.
Australia had a chance to score soon after following a Len Ikitau line break but a poorly judged pick from Fraser McReight saw him stopped just short and without support. The ball was turned over.
loading
Australia’s inability to secure high balls was a real problem and it bit them again when Argentina scored their fourth from a Pumas bomb, which was not caught by the Wallabies and again led to another runaway try to Juan Martin Gonzalez.
Remarkably, yet another high ball was botched soon after and Emiliano Boffelli raced to the line but Marika Koroibete saved the day with a desperate tackle, just managing to dislodge the ball as the Pumas winger reached the line.
Australia had the last chance to score after the halftime siren but having turned down three points, they then botched the lineout and got nothing.
The second half was a tighter affair, and Australia seemed to attempt on tightening up and bridging the 16-point gap.
Petaia appeared to cross after a Rob Valetini break but was denied soon after play resumed, and it would be the Wallabies’ best chance.
The Pumas’ defense was superb in denying the Wallabies backs any gains, and the pressure saw the visitors make bad judgment calls in open-play, and invite the hosts back into their half. The fatigued Wallabies clawed one back through Len Ikitau but then collapsed in the final stages, conceding three tries in the last 14 minutes.
A 40-kilogram German Shepherd is barreling down a hill in downtown Port Moresby, as a young man frantically chases, a lead and collar hanging uselessly in his hand
Somewhere behind the flurry of fur and feet sits the ABC News compound, overlooking the city’s glistening harbour.
But I have no idea this pursuit is happening, as I wait in a bank branch at the bottom of the hill.
I have only been living in PNG for a couple of weeks, and I am desperately trying to become a signatory on the ABC’s account when my phone rings.
“It’s Fooey,” my partner Joel pants.
“She saw some other dogs and got away from me during the walk.”
Fooey on a walk, not exactly ruling out the possibility of breaking free for a solo adventure chasing other dogs. (ABC News: Natalie Whiting)
He’s recaptured the wayward dog that we happily inherited with my corresponding job, but the two of them need collecting.
Joel stays in the car with Fooey as I return to the bank, and she sulks in the back, disappointed to have had her rebellious freedom curtailed.
“You don’t know it yet, but we’re going to be best friends,” he says to her.
And he was right.
It’s never easy to say goodbye to a friend.
The big job that came with a big dog
For almost four years we have had the joy of calling Fooey a member of our family.
She faithfully served the ABC for more than a decade, officially as a guard dog, but with a side hustle as an emotional support animal.
As the bureau’s longest-serving employee, Fooey was often tasked with welcoming new PNG correspondents. (ABC News: Natalie Whiting )
The longest-serving member of staff, she oversaw the work of four ABC correspondents.
Fooey earned herself a fearsome reputation around Port Moresby after terrorizing some guards and tradespeople in her bid to protect the property.
No stray animal in the yard was safe and no-one dared approach the correspondent’s house while she sat out the front.
Even when safely locked inside, she would emit a deep low growl from behind the opaque wire door — a terrifying warning for anyone with ill intent.
But for those she let into her heart, she was the most loyal and faithful companion.
From gathering stories in the field to overseeing live crosses for ABC TV News, Fooey was there for it all. (Supplied: Joel Isbister)
When I was interviewing for the position of PNG correspondent, the man I was replacing, Eric Tlozek, was on the panel and asked if I was a dog person.
After I got the job — possibly because I assured Eric I loved dogs — we had a handover meeting in Australia.
Around a third of the time he was dedicated to Fooey’s wants and needs.
A good girl with a fearsome reputation
It didn’t take Joel and me long after arriving to understand Eric’s concern with Fooey’s care.
We had lucked out upon the best dog in the world.
She had one ear permanently bent, bright eyes and a big head.
Fooey’s trademarks were a permanently floppy ear and a fearsome bark that could strike terror in any stranger. (Supplied: Joel Isbister)
Once she had adopted us as her people, she quickly took to following us around the house, and intently watching any time we left it.
Our final image in the rear-view mirror before driving out the gate would always be her Batman-esque silhouette on the balcony.
In the office, she would sleep beside me while I worked, a smile-inducing presence, except on days when she had bad gas.
Yet she still managed to maintain a sassy, independent streak that I admired.
Fooey would come out on jobs around Port Moresby that might be dicey, riding in the back of the Landcruiser.
Her mere presence was the best security you could get.
Fooey takes a moment to pose with one of her favorite longtime colleagues, ABC operations manager for PNG, Richard Cassey. (Supplied)
A fearsome guard dog on the outside, she was a softy at heart.
When Joel and I were away visiting Australia, Fooey relocated to the verandah of the caretaker’s house, where the groundskeeper Jonah Mondo and his family live, for company.
Jonah’s eldest daughter loved toddling after her, giggling “Fooey!” and Fooey loved sniffing and licking her her eye-level face her.
Jonah’s wife, very reasonably, put a ban on Fooey coming inside their home, given the dog malted so much the remnants often looked like someone had sheared her.
But I know Jonah used to bend the rules if there was a particularly bad storm at night.
The only other person in Fooey’s inner circle was the ABC’s operations manager, Richard Cassey, who was her steadfast friend between Eric leaving and me arriving, and who would cheerfully greet her with a “hey girl!” each workday.
In her later years, Fooey embraced a softer image, donning a festive headband for Christmas. (ABC News: Natalie Whiting )
Everyone else maintained a respectful, slightly fearful, wide berth of her.
At the beach, crowds would part for her, but people would surreptitiously take photos.
For one Christmas carols event we put a headband adorned with Christmas trees on her, in an incredibly successful effort to make her less intimidating.
The grand dame of ABC
A person can learn a lot from a dog.
Fooey taught me about loyalty and friendship; and the power of quietly being there for someone when they need you.
In exchange for her services as a guard dog, Fooey asked only for belly rubs. (ABC News: Natalie Whiting)
When I came home from covering an upsetting story, she always seemed to know, and would gently lay down next to me.
She mellowed in her old age, started sleeping more and using a ramp to get into the back of the car.
The ABC’s PNG bureau made every effort to ensure Fooey could still hit the road with the rest of the team. (ABC News: Natalie Whiting)
She could no longer roll onto her back to demand a belly scratch, although her leg would still run in appreciation when one was delivered.
After a few months of ill health this year, the fight finally left her.
Fooey will maintain her post guarding the bureau
There’s a spot in the garden outside our house, where Fooey used to like to stand and bark at the guards’ post when they came to do their rounds of the property at night.
Fooey was laid to rest in her favorite spot in the grounds of the PNG bureau. (ABC News: Natalie Whiting)
Joel and Richard took turns digging and then the three of us buried her there, facing out over that guard post, forever on watch.
Jonah and his family arrived afterwards, and his wife helped their youngest daughter to put down a flower.
The following day I found Jonah had been back to put a ring of stones around the grave, marking Fooey’s place.
I think he did it as much for Joel and me, as he did for Fooey.
The ABC Port Moresby family has lost one of its most beloved members. (Supplied: Joel Isbister)
There’s nothing more to do now, and no way to fill the huge big-headed, ear-folded hole in our hearts.
I can’t help but glance around for her when I enter a room, and in the quiet moments I still find myself shedding a tear.
Not for her, I know she is resting now after a good life, but for me, because I miss my friend.
Rest in peace Fooey, the ABC’s best girl. (Supplied: Joel Isbister)
A thrifty dad has shared some of his extreme cost cutting tips – from reusing toilet paper to dry tea bags on the washing line for a second cuppa.
Al Baker, 48, from Aldershot, was plunged into £300,000 business debt in 2017 and was forced to declare bankruptcy.
Ever since, the dad-of-two has been on a mission to cut costs – notably living on yellow sticker bargain foods to help him save £10,000 over the course of two years.
Now, Al – who shares money saving tips on his blog The Penny Pincher – has revealed some of the other ways which can help save you some cash.
But brace yourself – they’re not for the fainthearted…
Al Baker has been on a mission to save since being forced to declare bankruptcy after his business got into debt in 2017
An easy win in terms of cost-cutting is to buy food that is discounted so features yellow stickers. Often it goes on sale at the end of the day
Grow your own veg from seed. Its actually quite easy to grow your own salad, tomatoes, courgettes, potatoes and carrots
Al suggests drying our used teabags by hanging them on a washing line. Then can then be re-used and taste great in iced tea
DITCH THE LOO ROLL – AND USE RE-USABLE RAGS
Although Al doesn’t do this himself, he has shared this trick to help others save cash.
Instead of toilet roll, some thrifty people use pieces of cloth, which are cleaned by storing them in a container of bleach and water and then placed in the washing machine.
Al said, ‘It’s not a million miles away from washing babies’ nappies, but I suspect the contents may be a little worse.’
He said he doesn’t do this trick himself, adding: ‘I get that loo roll is expensive, but I think there are other things I would be happy to lose before losing loo roll.
‘Still thousands of people are now doing this, and if money is tight then fair enough.’
TEA BAGS FOR LIFE
We Brits love a cuppa – so this may be considered a sacrilegious act. But drying out teabags to re-use is a thrifty way to make your daily necessity stretch further.
Al said, ‘This is the most un-British thing you could do, but another tip for frugal people.’
He added, ‘I’ve tried it, and it is kind of OK… obviously, it’s a weaker cup of tea than the first cuppa, but more or less passable.
‘I think it would be better for making iced tea, as you don’t need quite so much flavour, and based on that, again, it’s on the list as an extreme frugal contender.’
Homegrown potatoes: Al has become a keen gardener while on a mission to penny pinch
Al grows his own beans which saves buying them from the supermarket
Al doesn’t even buy packets of seeds. He just regrows new plants from existing fruit, such as these strawberries and tomatoes
Before he went bankrupt, Al was a business man and din’t think about how to cut daily costs
The father of two is proud of his accomplishments and shares his cost-cutting tricks online
FLUSHING TOILET ONLY ONCE A DAY
Another money-saving bathroom exploit is reducing how often you flush your toilet – with Al advising you could cut this to just one flush a day.
He said, ‘If you want to flush as normal, invest in a hippo bag that fills up space in your water cistern, which means your toilet will use less water to fill up the cistern.
‘You could also consider filling up a larger fizzy drink bottle with water and popping that in your cistern, which will do the same job as the hippo bag.’
RE-GROW YOUR VEG
By growing your own fruit and veg from leftovers, you could save yourself quite a few pennies on your food bill – plus it can be fun.
Al said, ‘This is very achievable and is something I already do.
‘For example, take a spring onion, cut off the root, and place it in water or soil, and it will re-grow, which you can then use for food, and re-grow again.’
From veg to pizzas, cake to bread, Al never buys anything full-price
Fancy a steak? Then buy one with a yellow sticker. Al and his family de el still manage to eat well while saving money
Supermarkets frequently discount their produce when it is reaching its best-before dates
WATER DOWN YOUR MILK
To save money on milk, Al advises buying a full carton of whole milk and, once half used, filling it back up with water – the idea being you get double the amount of milk for your money.
Al said: ‘The logic is reasonably sound. I did try it, and it isn’t something I would want in my cup of tea, but it works ok when making sauces or puddings.
‘It’s a bit extreme, but if used for the right thing, it’s a yes from me.’
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FREEBIES
Even people who can afford to go out can still make the most of freebies.
Al said, ‘If you go and stay at a hotel, make sure you nick the complimentary tea and coffee from the room, as well as the guest shampoo and soap.’
Al also recommends tips such as freezing leftovers, canceling subscriptions and avoiding eating out to cut costs.
Salman Rushdie remained hospitalized in serious condition Saturday after being stabbed at a literary event in New York state in a shocking assault that triggered widespread international outrage, but drew applause from hardliners in Iran and Pakistan.
The British author, who spent years under police protection after Iranian leaders ordered his killing, underwent emergency surgery and was placed on a ventilator in a Pennsylvania hospital following Friday’s assault. His agent said he will likely lose an eye.
“Salman Rushdie — with his insight into humanity, with his unmatched sense for story, with his refusal to be intimidated or silenced — stands for essential, universal ideals. Truth. Courage. Resilience,” Biden said in a statement.
On Friday, a 24-year-old man from New Jersey, Hadi Matar, rushed the stage where Rushdie was about to deliver a lecture and stabbed him in the neck and abdomen.
Beyond Rushdie’s eye injury, the nerves in one of his arms were severed and his liver was damaged, according to his agent Andrew Wylie.
The fatwa followed publication of the novel “The Satanic Verses,” which sparked fury among some Muslims who believed it was blasphemous.
“For whatever it was, eight or nine years, it was quite serious,” he told a Stern correspondent in New York.
– Assailant raised in US –
Security was not particularly tight at Friday’s event at the Chautauqua Institution, which hosts arts programs in a tranquil lakeside community near Buffalo.
Matar’s family apparently came from a border village called Yaroun in southern Lebanon.
Matar was “born and raised in the US,” the head of the local municipality, Ali Qassem Tahfa, told AFP.
“I was very happy to hear the news,” said Mehrab Bigdeli, a man in his 50s studying to become a Muslim cleric.
In Pakistan, a spokesman for the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan –- a party that has staged violent protests against what it deems to be anti-Muslim blasphemy — said Rushdie “deserved to be killed.”
British leader Boris Johnson said he was “appalled,” while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the attack “reprehensible” and “cowardly.”
– Write memoir in hiding –
But his 1988 book “The Satanic Verses” transformed his life. The resulting fatwa forced him into nearly a decade in hiding, moving houses repeatedly and being unable to tell even his children of him where he lived.
Since moving to New York, Rushdie has been an outspoken advocate of freedom of speech and has continued writing — including a memoir, “Joseph Anton,” named after his alias while in hiding.
David Mundy has returned to an almost empty Optus Stadium nearly an hour after his final western derby to have a kick with his three children.
The retiring Fremantle great was given a rousing reception by more than 53,000 home fans in his last ever regular season game in Perth.
He spent time in the rooms with teammates before returning to the western end of the ground, kicking a ball with his children and wife Sally.
Extended family and friends, who had watched the game from a box on level four, then joined them on the ground for a group photo.
The Dockers held on to beat the Eagles by 24 points and win a third-straight western derby, before Mundy completed a lap of the playing surface and was given a guard of honor by West Coast players.
David Mundy on his lap of honour. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian
Mundy will retire at the end of the season, with the Dockers to play Greater Western Sydney in Canberra next week, while the win over the Eagles secured Fremantle a final at home in either the first, second or third week of September.
In the 16th minute of the first quarter, Dockers fans stood and applauded Mundy as part of the moving tributes.
The games record holder recognized the adulation with a subtle thumbs up before a center bounce, which came just moments after the two teams were split from a spiteful melee.
Indira Naidoo had walked past the Moreton Bay figs in Sydney’s Royal Botanic Garden and Domain many times without giving them much thought.
That changed after her youngest sister Manika took her own life during Melbourne’s darkest year of rolling COVID lockdowns in 2020.
Two weeks after the shocking news, Ms Naidoo was sitting on the lawn in the Domain with her head in her hands when she noticed a “sense of shimmery-ness around me and golden warmth.”
“I was thinking what’s happening and I opened my eyes, and all this light was coming through the branches of this tree above me, and I realized all these branches belonged to one tree,” Ms Naidoo told ABC TV’s Compass.
“There was such a sense of solace — as if it was giving me a hug and a real warmth and calm about it.”
As she looked closer at the giant tree, she was struck by its magic.
“I suddenly thought there’s something special here,” Ms Naidoo said.
“This is a special tree. This is a special place.”
Ms Naidoo, who presents ABC Radio’s Nightlife program, has since written a book about finding healing in nature after her sister’s death.
The Moreton Bay fig where she returned over and over seeking solace is featured in her book, The Space Between the Stars.
Since the book’s publication in April, hundreds of people have flocked to the same remarkable tree — many seeking its comfort as they navigate their own grief.
‘Such a beautiful tree’
Tracey Fitzpatrick has visited the tree, which is thought to date back to at least 1871, several times since reading Ms Naidoo’s book.
“It’s so inspirational. It’s such a beautiful tree,” she says.
Ms Fitzpatrick has lost family members in the past 12 months.
The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney has run several tours for people wanting to visit the tree.(Supplied)
“[The book] inspired me to look beyond my own inward grief and really connect with nature and see how it helps you heal,” she said.
“When I’m looking at the tree, I think it’s an energy that emits from it that is life going on and continuing to be okay.”
The Royal Botanic Gardens has even organized several tours of the tree due to the demand from people wanting to visit and learn more about it.
Fiona Jostsons brought her cousin Jennifer Vince from Melbourne to visit the tree.
“There is a bit of an emotional response to this tree because I lost sisters in my youth … so that resonates with me,” Ms Vince said.
Ms Jostsons said she was drawn to the tree’s “sense of calmness — that you can get through anything.”
Connection with trees common
Moreton Bay figs are the signature tree of the botanic garden and the Domain, with the oldest remaining one planted in 1845.
The one that Ms Naidoo formed a special connection with has a boardwalk around it to protect its roots as it towers over the road that runs through the Domain.
“Like a lot of really old urban trees, it’s lived a life and had to deal with all sorts of changes over time,” says Royal Botanic Garden Sydney senior horticulturist and volunteer manager Paul Nicholson.
Ms Naidoo says she visited the tree every day after the death of her sister during the first year of the pandemic.(ABC: compass)
There are signs it has suffered some dieback, and a fire has been lit in one of its hollows.
“It’s certainly a symbol of resilience.”
Sydney’s Moreton Bay figs have long provided shade on a hot day and a retreat from the busy city.
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.
Indira Naidoo: losing a sister and finding healing
But Mr Nicholson says it’s not uncommon for people to form a special attachment to particular trees.
“There’s a tree that they’ll always visit in the garden. In some cases, they might know the person who planted it,” he said.
“Trees are things that outlive us, and they provide stability and amenity in the landscape.”
Once Ms Naidoo noticed what is now known as “her tree”, visiting it became part of her daily routine.
“Bit by bit, things started to show themselves, reveal themselves to me that had always been there, but I had just been too busy or too silly to actually take it in,” she said.
“I didn’t want to leave it.
“That was the other thing I found is that nothing compared to the joy and the wonder and the awe of what I was experiencing when I was near the tree and in the gardens.”
Watch the Compass episode ‘Indira’s Tree’ on Sunday, August 14 at 6:30pm or on ABC iview.
Back on Monday, we announced the start of our ambitious DC Down Under project, an attempt to drive an electric car—in this case a 2022 Kia EV6—across the Australian Outback. The journey was to take us on a 1,700-mile trek from Adelaide to Perth. Our goal was to show that for all the concerns about range anxiety and charging access that have stymied the mass adoption of EVs, here in 2022, it’s now possible to take one on an epic journey through an incredibly remote area like this and come out the other side unscathed.
Well, we didn’t make it. Technically we did, as staffers Lewin Day and James Gilboy finally rolled into Perth around 7:00 pm local time on Friday, Aug. 12. But unfortunately, the EV6 did not—and not because of broken chargers, as was predicted by many.
We’ll have the full story of what happened next week, with daily updates on the site chronicling the ups and downs and untimely end for Kia’s flashy electric car less than 200 miles from the finish line. Suffice it to say Lewin and James did not hit a kangaroo or one of Australia’s famous road trains, but still, the best laid plans o’ mice and men and all that.
If you haven’t been following along this week, you can still check out our Instagram where Lewin and James have been filming real-time updates every day via Instagram Stories, which are all being collected in one mega highlight reel accessible through our profile. Again, look for the whole story every day on The Drive next week!
Aussie triple-threat Johnny Ruffo and his partner Tahnee Sims have been through a lot.
Along with all the usual trials and tribulations that come with a relationship, Sims has also supported Ruffo through not one, but two, brain cancer diagnoses.
In fact, Ruffo has credited his relationship with Sims as his saving grace.
“Without her, I may not be here,” Ruffo said in an interview with now to love.
Johnny Ruffo and girlfriend Tahnee Sims (Instagram)
READMORE:Olivia Newton-John met the ‘love of her life’ at 59
“She was the one who made me get in the car [to go to hospital] when it [the headaches] first happened. And she’s encouraging me to do things. She keeps me active, getting me to go for runs and swims.
“We’ve been through so much together now. The longer we stay together, the stronger the bond.”
the Dancing with the Stars winner met his now-partner at a dance studio in 2015 and the two have been dating ever since.
Ruffo was diagnosed with brain cancer after undergoing surgery for a tumor in 2017. Though he announced he was in remission in 2019, in a 2020 interview, he revealed his cancer had returned.
READMORE:Denzel Washington proposed three times before she said yes
But through it all, Sims has remained by his side.
“She’s been there with me from day one,” said Ruffo in a 2021 interview on Fitz & Wippa“She’s unbelievable.”
In a recent Instagram post, Sims commemorated five years since her partner’s first brain cancer diagnosis.
“Five years on. In awe of you every single day,” she wrote. “Still a huge battle ahead but a major milestone reached that was at times uncertain. Grateful for you always.”
Ruffo replied, “Five years to the day and I’m still so grateful for every day I get to spend with you.”
READMORE:How Tina Turner’s husband Erwin Bach saved her life
When asked about the secret to the strength of their relationship regardless of adversity, Ruffo told now to love it was all about laughter.
“We just have fun. We make each other laugh so much, You know that gut-wrenching laugh with tears coming from your eyes?” said the Home and Away star.
“We argue and fight just like every other couple, but we make up too.”
When asked about Sims in a 2019 interview with TheDailyMail Ruffo said, “She’s been incredible. I can’t fault her.”
The most captivating love stories in popular culture
Clarkson’s signature is no guarantee of premierships or grand finals. Messiah coaches frequently fail, sometimes because clubs aren’t sturdy enough to house their dominating ways. Or they don’t have the players. Or their use-by date has passed.
Luke Hodge has already cautioned about his old coach’s foibles, and North, even while in thrall to Clarkson, would be wise to heed Hodge’s warning that clubs can’t allow “the Clarko show” to hijack the joint. His dealings with North chief executive Ben Amarfio will be intriguing, given it is the president, not the CEO, who has driven the pursuit.
That said, the instant gains for North dwarf the negatives.
The bigger picture is that Clarkson’s return to North would show that even the most struggling Melbourne club can attract an alpha coach with the right pitch.
Conversely, for Clarkson to spurn the Giants, despite a stronger playing list, with superior senior players, would be a measure of the challenges that face the AFL in its evangelical mission to convert Sydney’s west.
If the Giants were based in Melbourne, where Clarkson resides, rather than on the (inner) edge of Sydney’s vast western sprawl, I have little doubt that Clarkson would have signed with them.
But as the second Sydney team, they are subject to structural disadvantages that Melbourne clubs seldom comprehend; as staffers who work for GWS and Gold Coast attest, they can’t operate on the same premise that underpins other teams.
They pay excessive contracts for top players in length and dollars. They find it harder to land assistant coaches for a reasonable price, although the Suns have a lifestyle pitch that players and coaches are warming to, so to speak. Draft picks have less value to them than salary cap space – the converse of North.
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North have found it tough to attract players, even when offering “overs.” But they’ve never had an issue losing them.
The Giants shed seasoned players in every single post-season, replacing them with draftees. For several years, they’ve had zero scope to fill specific holes with anyone on a sizeable contract, as Geelong routinely can.
GWS and North both under-performed in 2022. The Giants, however, have done so with a playing list that includes Josh Kelly, Toby Greene, Lachie Whitfield, Sam Taylor, Tom Green, Tim Taranto, Jacob Hopper, Callan Ward and Stephen Coniglio , plus youngsters from the draft’s top 20.
Their list has excessive investment in midfielders, compared with forwards, but they should be around the eighth, rather than 16th, as the past two games suggest. The likely loss of Taranto and Hopper should not hurt much.
North have few senior players of such quality and probably will need at least another two years of list renovation before they can compete for finals.
Clarkson, thus, has/had the chance to take over a GWS that, with some Collingwood-like pluck and luck, could make a rapid rise. They will have a better hand in the draft than North (who have pick one and daylight, barring a priority pick). Yet, the betting heavily favors Clarkson taking the team that is further back.
Personal and family considerations, obviously, are an important factor. Much of Clarkson’s time is spent on his farm on the Mornington Peninsula. His former manager Liam Pickering said he would have advised him to pick North because “I don’t see Alastair Clarkson in Sydney”.
In another time and place, the AFL hierarchy might have intervened in Clarkson’s choice, by increasing the dowry – in the guise of an AFL ambassadorship in NSW – to a level that would see Clarkson leave Victoria and join GWS.
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They made certain, for instance, that Tony Lockett would pick the Swans; they’ve handed the Suns extra picks and concessions, and they even helped deliver Chris Fagan (via Mark Evans, now Suns CEO) to Brisbane.
GWS reckon they need the AFL dowry to have a real chance of landing the Bachelor. But, if we take Gillon McLachlan at his word from him, no AFL ambassador payment can be considered until Clarkson strikes a deal, with whichever club.
So, if after all the careful courtship, Clarkson chooses North instead of traveling north, the AFL should contemplate what this tells us about the competition’s expansion.
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