The picturesque Sydney beachside manor owned by F45 co-founder Adam Gilchrist is set to go under the hammer after the Australian fitness giant’s stunning downfall.
Mr Gilchrist (not the cricketer), who stepped down as F45’s chief executive last week amid stock plunges and company-wide lay-offs, is selling his “beachfront trophy home” at Freshwater on Sydney’s northern beaches.
The home, 52 Ocean View Rd, grew into infamy in 2018 when Mr Gilchrist and his wife Eli bought the property for a whopping $14m due to a minor neighborly dispute.
The couple had purchased a three-bedroom cottage on 50 Ocean View Rd for $5.4m in 2017 and planned to spend $2.5m to develop the property.
But neighbors complained it would not comply with building height or boundary controls, which led to Mr Gilchrist taking the extraordinary step of withdrawing his proposal and setting the matter by buying his neighbour’s bigger home for the obscene amount.
The $14m price was a record for the Freshwater suburb, with agents considering 52 Ocean View Rd’s mammoth coming out an outlier price.
But the three-storey home is again on the market, with real estate agents billing it as “unquestionably one of the finest homes and locations in Sydney”.
“Cutting-edge architectural design and an unsurpassed beachfront setting combine in this state-of-the-art luxury residence to deliver the ultimate designer beach house,” a description of the home reads.
“Set to a picture-perfect backdrop that sweeps over the surf to the ocean’s horizon and North Head, the tri-level residence showcases living spaces and lift access to all three levels and has been appointed and furnished with every conceivable luxury.”
The home’s features include five bedrooms, three bathrooms and giant retractable windows in the dining room.
Mr Gilchrist suddenly announced last week that he was stepping down as F45’s chief executive after co-founding the business with Rob Deutsch back in 2013.
The company also revealed it would be laying off 110 staff and cuttings its operational expenses, which caused its stock price to fall by more than 60 per cent.
F45 hoped that by reducing its corporate workforce by 45 per cent it could return to a positive cash flow.
Mr Gilchrist said he would be “forever grateful” as he exited the company.
“To the staff that have worked tirelessly since our inception, you have been incredible in your efforts, and I thank you for all of your support,” Mr Gilchrist said in a statement.
“To the investors that have joined us along our journey, I thank you for your commitment to F45.
“Lastly, I am forever grateful to our franchisees who deliver the world’s best workout each day to F45 members around the world.”
Mr Deutsch, who stepped down as chief executive and sold his shares in the company in 2020, said there were “enormous issues needing fixing”.
“Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined this,” he wrote on Instagram.
“When I exited, and sold out of F45, I left a healthy, phenomenal, beast of a business. All the way from the company culture to the heart beat of the business… the workouts. F45 was special.
“I genuinely hope all of the 110 laid-off staff, find happiness and opportunities elsewhere.”
F45 was a global fitness powerhouse before its stock shock last week, with more than 1500 studios in 45 countries and Hollywood superstar Mark Wahlberg among its investors.
Mr Gilchrist made $500m overnight when the company went public on the New York Stock Exchange in July last year.
His northern Sydney home will be up for auction on August 27.
It’s one of the most famous and unique trades in footy history.
Famous because it involved two players, Chris Judd and Josh Kennedy, that end their careers with stacked CVs, with surely the latter to join the former in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
And unique because both Carlton and West Coast could claim they ‘won’ the trade.
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Debate over the famous 2007 deal between the Blues and Eagles has, inevitably, emerged this week after Kennedy announced West Coast’s upcoming match against Adelaide would be his 293rd and final AFL game.
The soon-to-be 35-year-old will depart as the Eagles’ greatest goalkicker, as well as several accolades including a dual Coleman Medallist, seven-time Eagles leading goalkicker and triple All-Australian. He was also a pivotal member of West Coast’s thrilling 2018 premiership triumph over Collingwood.
‘Josh is the greatest Eagle ever!’ | 03:56
Kennedy’s achievements came almost exclusively at the Eagles after Carton’s No. 4 pick from the 2005 draft was central to one of footy’s most famous trades.
In late 2007, Judd – West Coast’s 2005 premiership captain and arguably the best player in the AFL at the time – wanted to return to Victoria, with the Blues keen to secure his services.
After 11 goals from 22 games at Carlton, Kennedy moved back to Western Australia – although he was happy and settled in Melbourne at the time.
As part of the deal, Carlton acquired Judd and Pick 46, which it used to select Dennis Armfield, who played 145 games for the Blues). The Eagles got Kennedy, as well as Picks 3 (Chris Masten – a premiership Eagle that played 215 games for West Coast) and 20 (Tony Notte, who played two games in three seasons).
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The struggling Blues not only needed a star player, they sought a leader and standard-setter, hence he was made captain in his first year. In his first four seasons at the Blues, Judd made the All-Australian team in each year, won the Blues’ best and fairest in the first three, claimed the 2010 Brownlow Medal and won the AFL Players’ Association’s MVP award.
Judd was four years older than Kennedy when the 2007 trade went down. He was also already a Brownlow Medallist, Norm Smith Medallist and premiership captain.
But as Judd was coming to the end of his career, Kennedy reached his prime. He kicked 59 goals as a 23-year-old before a golden run where he booted 60, 61, 80 (Coleman Medal), 82 (Coleman Medal) and 69 majors across five seasons. Most crucially, the next year he kicked 3.2 from 18 disposals and 11 marks in a winning Grand Final.
Ex-Carlton coach Brett Ratten with Chris Judd on the day he officially became a Blue. Picture: Simon MossmanSource: AAP
Injury forced Judd to retire at 31 following a couple of seasons where it was clear he was part of his incredible prime. Kennedy will retire after a mighty, warrior-like finish to his career that’s seen him kick 43, 49, 34, 41 and 29 goals from the past five seasons. Considering the Eagles’ plight, the poor delivery inside 50 and his own injury niggles, the fact Kennedy has booted 29 goals this year is remarkable.
Ultimately, the Blues got seven seasons out of Judd and the Eagles got 15 out of Kennedy.
So all things considered, who won the 2007 Judd-Kennedy trade?
Fremantle legend Matthew Pavlich perhaps put it most diplomatically.
“Probably West Coast in the long run, but it’s one of those ones where you could probably argue the case either way on who had the better result,” Pavlich told foxfooty.com.au.
“Judd was captain and All-Australian and took the Blues to a finals win in 2013. So maybe the short-term winner was Carlton, but definitely the long-term winner has been West Coast in terms of Josh Kennedy being an incredible forward for a long, long period of time, All-Australian, Coleman Medalist and eventually a premiership player in 2018. He’s been a star for a long time.
Eagle calls time on phenomenal career | 04:15
“So short-term Carlton, long-term West Coast – it’s not usually you get a trade like that where both teams could argue that they got a better result.”
Ultimately, the business of footy is winning, which is what swayed two Fox Footy pundits to the Eagles.
“Without judging the individual players but judging from the time of the trade, I would feel West Coast won the trade,” triple premiership Lion Alastair Lynch told foxfooty.com.au. “That’s not reducing or belittling Judd’s contribution because he is one of the all-time greats of the game, but post-trade, West Coast got a flag out of it and I suppose Carlton didn’t, so I’d have them just in front.”
Bulldogs games record-holder Brad Johnson told foxfooty.com.au: “Well West Coast won a flag, so I think with what West Coast got out of Kennedy was absolutely spot on for what they needed as a team.”
Triple premiership forward Cameron Mooney also leant towards West Coast – but not by much.
Josh Kennedy with the 2018 Premiership Cup. Picture: Michael KleinSource: News Corp Australia
“I think it worked out pretty well for both. But if I had to pick, being a forward and knowing how hard it is to kick 700 goals and to win a premiership, which is the main game of the game, you have to think probably West Coast,” Mooney told foxfooty.com.au. “But I would’ve been very, very happy if Chris Judd walked through my doors.
“The thing for Carlton was at the time, the club just wasn’t a good club – and it’s probably the perfect example of one person cannot change a football club. He’s in the top handful of players this century and as great as he is, he couldn’t change a club that, probably until recently, had been seen as a poor club.”
AFL 360 co-host Mark Robinson declared it a win-win for the Eagles and Blues.
“They both won. Judd was a champion and Kennedy played 15 years,” Robinson told Fox Footy’s AFL 360.
“His second headline in football was ‘Carlton are giving away Josh Kennedy’ – and his last headline will be ‘Josh Kennedy retires a champion of the game’. It’s a great story.”
AFL 360 co-host Gerard Whateley added: “It’s quite clear Carlton didn’t know what they were trading, because nobody trades THAT player. He was two years in and the forecasting wasn’t he was going to become one of the top 25 goalkickers of all-time. He might’ve been reluctant at the start, but he found his home from him and West Coast and he won his reputation from him at West Coast.
It was less than two days ago we thought Fernando Alonso had blown up the driver market. Little did we know how explosive the silly season was about to become.
When Alpine declined to immediately name Piastri as Alonso’s successor — the logical choice given the triple junior champion’s pedigree and standing inside the team — it was clear a twist was coming.
That twist was the manifestation of the long-running rumor that his Mark Webber-led management team was attempting to crowbar him into a seat at McLaren.
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Williams on loan had been shaping up as Piastri’s most likely destination in 2023 while Alpine held on to Alonso, but the backmarker with slim prospects was thought too likely to slow the Aussie’s already disrupted momentum.
Webber thus started lobbying McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl — who was his own team boss in his championship-winning World Endurance Championship campaign with Porsche — to replace the struggling Ricciardo.
Piastri’s social media protest that he “will not be driving for Alpine next year” can only be a sign that Webber is confident he’s got the job done.
But Piastri can claim a set of orange overalls only if F1’s other Aussie isn’t already in them. And so this latest — but not final — chapter of silly season shenanigans begs the question: what’s in store for Daniel Ricciardo?
MORE MOTORSPORTS
NO DEAL: Piastri denies he’ll race for Alpine next season, but Enstone hits back
REVEALED: How F1 star’s exit left team blindsided — and the big ‘question’ hanging over Aussie
ALONSO OUT: Why the two-time champion is moving to the second-worst team on the grid
Ricciardo pulls off epic double pass | 00:46
OPTION 1: STATUS QUO
The first alternative is what’s officially the case at the moment. With McLaren unwilling or unable to comment, with Alpine insisting Oscar Piastri will drive for Enstone next season and with Piastri himself not divulging what he expects to be doing next season, the official information is that Ricciardo and Lando Norris will drive for McLaren in 2023.
And that’s not just a matter of ignoring what’s being written between the lines of Piastri’s contract denial and Alpine’s slapdash press statement attempting to stake its claim on the young Aussie.
Ricciardo has a contract through to the end of next year, and reportedly the options to break it are entirely on his side of the ledger — a reminder of just how highly rated he was when he joined McLaren for last season.
Without termination triggers, McLaren would need Ricciardo to decide to walk away before it would have a vacancy to offer to his younger compatriot.
And we know what Ricciardo’s said about the prospect of wrapping up his deal early.
“I am committed to McLaren until the end of next year and am not walking away from the sport,” he
If he has to say in it, he’s going nowhere.
Of course that doesn’t preclude him from changing his mind in changed circumstances — more on that below.
It also doesn’t mean he can’t be paid out in full if McLaren wants to move him on.
But Woking would only undertake such a costly exercise if it were guaranteed Piastri’s services, which is also not a given.
Alpine is clearly attempting to lay claim to the 21-year-old despite his intention to drive elsewhere, and while its legal standing is unclear, there’d be precedent for him getting stuck with Enstone.
Jenson Button attempted to join Williams in 2005 despite BAR insisting it had the right to exercise an option on his contract to retain him. F1’s Contract Recognition Board — set up specifically to handle these sorts of situations — ruled in favor of BAR, keeping the Briton tied to the team.
So while all signs point towards Piastri taking up a seat at Woking, it’s never over until it’s over.
OPTION 2: RETURN TO ALPINE
But with McLaren apparently clear in its intention to switch Ricciardo out for a younger alternative, the eight-time race winner may admit the writing is on the wall and seek employment elsewhere.
Conveniently enough, in those circumstances the best available seat would be at Alpine.
Would it be embarrassing to return to the team he spurned after only one season racing there?
It all depends on perspective.
The Renault that Ricciardo left at the end of 2020 is a different team to that we know at Alpine now, and those changes are deeper than just the name. The old management has been cleaned out, replaced by Laurent Rossi at the top as CEO and Otmar Szafnauer as team principal, neither of whom would hold a grudge for his departure from him.
‘He f****** hit me’ – Dan & Stroll crash | 00:32
When Ricciardo decided he’d walk away, there was also considerable speculation that Renault was considering ending its Formula 1 project after progress up the field had proved substantially more difficult than hoped.
Instead it decided to change tack and brand it with the name of its specialty sports car business, and just this year the team said it was increasing its headcount to 900 staff, which is in line with the sport’s frontrunners after years of trying to tackle F1 on the cheap. It’s also investing considerably in capital works at the factory.
Combined those things address many of the reasons Ricciardo will have been tempted away from Enstone, and the team has proven since that it’s at a minimum not slipping backwards. The appeal of racing for McLaren has also obviously been substantially discoloured by his unhappy experience adapting to the car.
He’d also have the opportunity to rebuild his reputation, which was at stratospheric levels at the end of his tenure at Enstone, having built the car around him in a relatively short period of time.
And considering Alpine is ahead of McLaren in the constructors’ standings — admittedly in part because Ricciardo isn’t scoring as heavily as Norris — he’d technically be trading up.
OPTION 3: TAKE A PUNT ON A SMALLER TEAM
If returning to Alpine were too bitter a pill to swallow but Ricciardo definitely wanted to continue racing in Formula 1, there are several teams with openings for 2023.
Alfa Romeo is yet to re-sign Zhou Guanyu, Mick Schumacher is still uncommitted to Haas and neither Williams driver is signed up for next season, though Alex Albon reportedly has an option on his contract the team is poised to exercise.
Ricciardo: I’m not done with yet | 16:38
AlphaTauri is expected to recommit to Yuki Tsunoda once Red Bull finalises its new commercial terms with Honda after its overnight announcement of a renewed technical partnership.
Alfa Romeo is the most attractive given widespread speculation it’s close to agreeing to a sale to Audi, which will turn it into a works constructor. It’s also in decent shape as it is at the moment considering its low base in recent years and is on track for one of its most lucrative point scores ever.
It would also facilitate Zhou’s return to Alpine, which brought him through the junior categories alongside Piastri.
Haas is less likely despite rumors Schumacher is looking to move elsewhere on the grid given his low prospects of a Ferrari call-up. Williams, meanwhile, would be least attractive of all given it’s a long-term project. The team is reportedly in talks with reigning Formula E champion Nyck de Vries to replace Nicholas Latifi.
OPTION 4: REMOVE
The last option will be the most crushing to contemplate for fans of the forever likeable Aussie, but Ricciardo may decide to call time on his F1 career after 232 starts and at least eight wins and 32 podiums.
McLaren was supposed to be the team that delivered him back to the front of the grid and into title contention, but not only has he not been able to achieve the highs he managed at previous squads, but McLaren itself has failed to fulfill its competitive ambitions .
Even under new regulations the chasm between the frontrunners and the midfield remains wide. The prospects for upwards mobility among the teams is still limited.
And with all the leading teams committed to their drivers for the medium term, Ricciardo may decide it’s not worth continuing in the infinity of the midfield and turn his attention to other pursuits.
But can you really imagine Ricciardo, at just 33 years old and in what is conventionally regarded as the peak age for a driver, wrapping it up?
“The more people ask me [about retirement]I’m like, ‘F*** that, I want to stay longer!’,” he told RacingNews365 in May.
“What’s my shelf life? I still think there’s a good handful of years left in me competitively.
“It’s relative as well to competitiveness [and] desire.
“I think I’ve still got the desire in me for a good handful of years, results aside.”
Whether he gets that handful of years remains to be seen — and if he does, the significant matter of where he spends them is still unclear.
An Australian crypto company valued at $3.5 billion is facing a fierce backlash after sacking 17 per cent of its staff from its gaming division, while continuing to “hire aggressively” after raising $280 million in funding in March.
The crypto platform, which is an Australian unicorn called Immutable, could be hit with legal action as the union questioned the validity of the redundancies.
The union called Games Workers Australia has disputed the number of staff members that were fired claiming it was at least 30 roles, while Immutable has insisted just 18 workers were let go.
The staff came from the company’s flagship video game Gods Unchained and were advised of the redundancies 24 to 48 hours before being told to leave.
Staff were fired from roles including video effects artists, senior engineers and a marketing director and the process involved a 30-minute company wide meeting last Monday.
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‘devastating news’
Game Workers Australia, a branch of Professionals Australia, said it is supporting staff from Immutable Games Studio who received the “devastating” news that they would be made redundant.
“Based on information we have received, Game Workers Australia believes there are at least 30, but potentially more, job losses at Immutable,” said Professionals Australia CEO Jill McCabe.
“Immutable has provided varying reasons to their employees as to why the redundancies were necessary.
“While some employees were advised that the reason for their redundancy was due to individual performance metrics, others were advised the cause was due to an organizational restructuring or the non-alignment of their role to business goals.
“While staff were advised that they were able to request information about other roles in the company, their were given the impression that they would not be suitable for these roles.”
However, an Immutable spokesperson said the restructure was a “difficult choice” and was performed to meet business goals, while individual performance was not a reason for any redundancies.
They added individual staff were given the opportunity to respond to the redundancies and most were found unsuitable for redeployment to vacant roles.
Hiring 80 more roles
Concerns have been aired that Immutable is still hiring for similar roles that were made redundant such as product managers and engineers.
An Immutable spokesperson said the restructure impacted 6 per cent of the total number of employees at the company and it continued to “hire aggressively”.
“As we grow, the nature of the expertise the company needs is changing. We needed fewer artists, unity engineers and card designers and are hiring more tokenomics experts, blockchain engineers and crypto product managers,” they said.
“We have established new roles for Gods Unchained which we will be hiring for over the next six months; in total we will be hiring more new roles into Gods Unchained than were made redundant.
“Immutable is growing from 280 employees today to over 360 by the end of the year.”
The company started the year with just 120 employees and has already more than doubled, they added.
Game Workers Australia also claimed that Immutable provided no opportunity for employees to respond to the company’s intention to make them redundant and most of the redundancies were advised and executed within 24 to 48 hours.
“Sadly, the experience of game workers at Immutable is emblematic of the broader problems across Australia’s growing $3 billion games sector,” Ms McCabe said.
“While game workers are highly qualified and skilled, wages are unsustainably low, the hours are long, and unpaid overtime is common.
“Many people burn out of our industry and leave before even making it to five years.”
But the Immutable spokesperson defended its process and said the company “followed a fair and consistent process in relation to the restructure that is in line with legal obligations”.
Earlier this year, Immutable’s founders James, 30, and Robbie Ferguson, 25 were one of 13 new entrants that placed on the Australian Financial Review rich list with an estimated combined wealth of $1.01 billion.
Tech sector bloodbath
Immutable’s staff are the latest casualties in the tech sector, which has seen a spate of companies firing staff as conditions get tougher.
Australian healthcare start-up Eucalptys that provides treatments for obesity, acne and erectile dysfunction fired up to 20 per cent of staff after an investment firm pulled its funding at the last minute.
Debt collection start-up Indebted sacked 40 of its employees just before the end of the financial year, despite its valuation soaring to more than $200 million, with most of the redundancies made across sales and marketing.
Then there was Australian buy now, pay later provider Brighte, that offers money for home improvements and solar power, which let go of 15 per cent of its staff in June, with roles primarily based on corporate and new product development.
Another buy now, pay later provider with offices in Sydney called BizPay made 30 per cent of its redundant workforce blaming market conditions for the huge cut to staffing in May.
Earlier this year, a start-up focused on the solar sector called 5B Solar, which boasts backing from former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, also sacked 25 per cent of its staff after completing a capital raise that would inject $30 million into the business
The AFL community has reacted with disgust after former Adelaide footballer Eddie Betts published a confronting recollection of his experience at a pre-season camp with the Crows in early 2018.
The leadership camp, following the Crows’ 2017 AFL Grand Final loss to Richmond, thrust the club into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
A number of players and officials left the club in the wake of the camp, and now Betts has detailed behind-the-scenes information in his upcoming autobiography The Boy from Boomerang Crescent.
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The four-day camp on the Gold Coast left Betts feeling “like a piece of me was brainwashed”, with excerpts being reported by Nine Newspapers.
Betts alleged that confidential information he shared in counseling sessions had been misused, writing that the camp misappropriated sensitive Aboriginal cultural rituals.
Following the ordeal, the three-time All-Australian Betts said he approached the Crows and voiced his concerns with the camp, only to be dropped from the leadership group three weeks later.
Betts said the camp had a major impact on his form and left the star forward questioning his place in the game. He left the Crows and returned to Carlton at the end of 2019 before retiring at the end of 2021.
Adelaide board member Mark Ricciuto, who represented the club for 15 seasons, responded to the damning allegations on Wednesday morning.
“He’s been one of the greats of the club,” Ricciuto told Adelaide’s Triple M Breakfast with Roo, Ditts and Loz.
“Player welfare is always number one no matter what’s going on, you always want everyone to be happy, so it’s very sad.
“I think the club has been on record at times to say that they acknowledge that it wasn’t handled perfectly. It had all good intentions but didn’t go perfectly.
“We all love Eddie and hopefully Eddie is getting over that… certainly the club moved on from that and are looking towards the future and have made a lot of ground since back then. It has come up in Eddie’s book and that is fair enough.”
Betts’ revelations have angered the footy community. Former Swans star Ryan Fitzgerald, who is a huge Crows fan, tweeted: “Really uncomfortable to read. Particularly the insensitivities around Eddie’s past of him. He is such an integral part of the AFC and their history, so rejected that he left feeling like that.”
Ex-Melbourne captain Garry Lyon also reacted. “When you read those words from Eddie, there is no debate about how it impacted on him,” he told SEN Breakfast.
“He talks about the Indigenous players, the cultural differences or sensitivities that weren’t adhered to. That’s Eddie … and that’s unequivocal, right? You can’t argue with any of that.
“Everyone’s own experiences have been caught up in this and from an Indigenous point of view, a lot of it since Eddie said that cultural sensitivities weren’t adhered to – and that is very, very real.
“In the end, it was untenable. We talk about the atmosphere and environment … take apart who you agree with and you don’t agree with, the fact of the matter is it split the club down the middle. When you get the (Rory) Sloanes and the (Taylor) Walkers, who have their recollection, and then you’ve got Eddie and others I would imagine… no wonder it destroyed that joint.
“You’ve got a section of the football club – and I’m not just putting this at the feet of Walker and Sloane, there may be others in the same boat – saying, ‘I got so much out of this, it was good’. And then on the other hand, right at the other end of the scale, you’ve got, ‘No, it ripped me apart, it ripped my relationship apart’.
“No wonder then from a footy club point of view and trying to stay together and on the same page, it ended up where it was.
“If you are told, whether you’re black or white or otherwise, ‘These camp people want to speak to you and they say to step aside from everyone else privately and we want you to have a conversation where you are open and vulnerable’ … And I go, ‘OK. In terms of building me as a better player and a leader, I’ll share and I’ll give you these really sensitive things that, to me, are important’. Then to have that thrown back in my face, that’s not cultural for me.
“How it affects me and someone else might be different based on culture, but that’s a betrayal for me.”
speaking on SEN SA Breakfastformer Port Adelaide star Kane Cornes questioned Adelaide’s leadership, calling out Crows star Rory Sloane for his public remarks after the camp when he said it made him a better husband and a better father.
“The question is, all of the people who have defended the camp and have said nothing went on, including the Crows fans, including Mark Ricciuto, including the club, what do they do now? Details have come out, Eddie Betts was abused about his mother, ”Cornes said.
“The saddest thing for me, the two most popular players at Adelaide are Tony Modra and Eddie Betts. No one made the Adelaide Oval stand up when they went near the football in Crows history like Eddie Betts. No one has been more popular.
“That’s the echelon that Eddie Betts is held in. To read how he was treated by his own football club, of which he is an icon, that was the saddest part for me.
“We do now have a blow-by-blow account which is pretty harrowing that your most popular player in club history was treated like an animal on this camp.
“I think it’s embarrassing for Rory Sloane and Taylor Walker to now hear that that was a rehearsed line and that they were all told and indoctrinated into saying it had made them a better father and husband and child. And to see Eddie Betts relay that that was actually rehearsed, it does not paint Rory and his leadership of him in great light.
“There’s a lot of egg on the face of Crows supporters, the footy club and a few players that were there.”
The Crows were cleared of any work health and safety breaches after an independent investigation into the training camp by SafeWork SA.
The first season of Ten’s new reality game show hunted came to a close on Tuesday night, with contestants Stathi and Rob taking out a double win – earning half each of the game’s $100,000 prize money.
Speaking to news.com.au today, the two players opened up about their time on the show, revealing that life on the run was even harder than it appeared to viewers, with some key scenes not making the edit.
Namely, the apparent willingness of members of the general public to help panicked contestants, sometimes dressed in bizarre disguises and always trailed by camera operators, as they approached and announced: “I’M A FUGITIVE ON THE RUN, CAN YOU HELP ME?” Time and again, complete strangers were shown on-screen leaping into action, housing, transporting and feeding the fugitives – but the winners explained they actually experienced very little kindness from those they approached.
“Not a single person wanted to help you, when you’re out on the streets looking for help,” said Rob. “People would just look at you. You’d think that having a camera with you would help, but it didn’t.”
Rob estimated that around “90% of people” he and team mate Jake approached on the run would “tell us to piss off” – starting from their first minutes in the game, when they needed to find a phone to make their first call.
“From the moment we got out at Federation Square, (hunted) didn’t show the 30 or so people who said no to letting us use their phones,” he explained.
Stathi said begging a largely indifferent public for help quickly became one of the hardest elements of his 21 days as a fugitive.
“That rejection… it makes you doubt yourself and gets you into that paranoid mindset, which is exactly what you don’t need when you’re on the run,” he said.
How the finale played out
Three contestants were left in the game heading into Tuesday’s season finale: friends Jake and Rob, and Stathi, who lost his buddy and team mate Matt during Monday’s episode.
All three had to phone Hunted HQ 24 hours before the 21 days were up to be told the game’s ‘extraction point’ in Inverloch, on Victoria’s south eastern coast.
As soon as they called, their exact location was disclosed to the Hunters – yet another advantage for the Hunters, and one that some viewers decried as unfair.
Policeman Jake was soon tracked down to the address he was staying, leading to a dramatic foot race between he and two Hunters, who eventually captured him.
It was left to make-up artist Rob and humanitarian worker Stathi to make their way to the extraction point: a helicopter that had landed on the beach in Inverloch.
Both did so as stealthily as possible, with Stathi blending in with some local hikers as he made the approach along a coastal track, while Rob raced straight into the chopper from the car that had just dropped him off.
Both made it into the chopper with minutes to spare and with Hunters hot on their tail – making them the joint winners of huntedseason one.
Rob and Stathi revealed to news.com.au today that their helicopter rendevzous was the first time they’d properly met and been able to have a conversation – and Rob did joke that, as first to the chopper, he was tempted to ask the pilot to leave when he saw Stathi approaching.
Both players vowed to share their split of the $100,000 prize money with their fallen team mates, meaning both winners will go home with $25,000 for their 21 days on the run.
It’s a small prize, compared to the megabucks awarded to winners on other Ten reality shows like Australian Survivor ($500,000) and Amazing Race Australia ($250,000).
Truth about those drag disguises
Monday’s penultimate episode of the season saw Jake and Rob don elaborate drag disguises to evade detection from the Hunters – a tactic Rob employed again for the finale (although this time, the Hunters clocked his real identity on CCTV).
Rob said it wasn’t any easy move to make, admitting he was “terrified” the first time he stepped out in public in drag.
“It was a huge, huge thing to do. I had this sense of nerves, going out in public like that… I also didn’t want to misrepresent anyone either, dressed as a woman.”
Hairdresser Rob dressed himself and policeman Jake in wigs, make-up, breast plates and even facial prosthetics to transform into women for a visit to a local pub, where they successfully convinced members of the public to take them in for the night.
It was far and away the most elaborate disguise in a season that saw contestants try to go undercover in an array of cheap wigs, op shop dresses and in one occasion, even a nun’s habit. Then there was Stathi’s infamous “nonna” disguise – or, as he put it to news.com.au, “K Mart drag.”
602,000 viewers across the five metro capitals tuned in to the climax of last night’s finale – a respectable end for a season that opened three weeks ago to an audience of 619,000, then rose to a season high of 711,000 viewers for episode two.
Maroons star Ben Hunt is not short of suitors amid reports the Gold Coast Titans are ready to launch an audacious bid for his services.
news corp revealed that the Titans are considering a play to lure the Dragons captain north to from the 2023 season.
The Titans are believed to be one of six clubs trying to acquire Hunt’s services from at least the 2024 campaign.
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But considering he doesn’t come off contract with the Dragons until the end of next season, the Titans will have to wait until November 1st to submit an official offer.
It was reported last week that Hunt was set to sign a two-year contract extension with St George until the end of 2025.
“We have started the process to extend Ben, and we’re very hopeful we can keep him at the club long-term,” St George Illawarra chief executive Ryan Webb said.
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“He is an important person on the field and has a tremendous impact off it.”
Hunt, who was leading the Dally M race before the count behind closed doors, signed a
mammoth five-year deal worth more than $5 million with the Dragons in 2017.
The 32-year-old has proven himself to be one of the premier players in the competition since, after starring in State of Origin again this year.
The party was well and truly on in Queensland as Hunt ran away for a long-range, game-winning try in the Origin decider in Brisbane last month.
But considering his age, it’s believed that he could commit to a smaller deal.
If Hunt does sign with the Titans, he would potentially line-up in the halves alongside another key signing in Kieran Foran.
The New Zealand international has signed a two-year deal which is reportedly worth $400,000 per season.
Dragons captain Ben Hunt is reportedly eyeing a move to the Gold Coast Titans. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Before entering contract negotiations, Hunt revealed that he was happy playing under the “right coach” in Anthony Griffin at the Dragons.
“It’s no secret I enjoy being coached by Hook (Anthony Griffin),” Hunt said.
“I know we’ve had some setbacks for the past two games, but we’ve got the right foundation in place – and we have the right coach.
“I’m loving my time at the club and enjoying myself. I know I’m also getting to the back end of my career and want to win (a premiership).
“My manager will meet with the club next week so we’ll see what happens. I still think I’ve got at least three years of footy in me. I’m contracted for next year, and I’d like another two after that.
“I’ve been lucky with injuries. I don’t see why I can’t go until at least the end of 2025.”
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RABBITOHS SET TO LAUNCH BID FOR MANLY ENFORCER
The South Sydney Rabbitohs have reportedly entered the race to secure Sea Eagles’ prop Martin Taupau’s signature for the dawn of the 2023 season.
According to Zero Tackle, the club believe that Taupau would be a suitable replacement for departing prop Mark Nicholls, who will join the Dolphins for their inaugural season.
The Bunnies are reportedly set to table the 32-year-old a two-year contract which will see him at South Sydney until the end of the 2024 season.
The Eels were close to locking in Taupau for the rest of the season, however the Sea Eagles chose to wart the move in a last ditch attempt at securing a spot in the top eight come finals time.
If Taupau is to link up with the Rabbitohs for the 2023 season he would he would add to the club’s depth in the forwards joining the likes of Thomas Burgess, Liam Knight, Tevita Tatola, Davvy Moale and Daniel Suluka-Fifita.
With the Manly prop now in the latter stages of his career, a two-year deal with South Sydney could very well be his last in the NRL.
While the Dolphins have expressed an interest in Taupau, the experienced prop ideally wants to play for a club based in Sydney.
The US dancer, perhaps best known as Australian singer Sia’s muse, hit the red carpet at the Bullet Train premiere in Westwood, California, yesterday, wearing a daring low-cut black gown.
The 19-year-old, who in recent years has transitioned to acting, walked the carpet alongside Brad Pitt for the upcoming David Leitch-directed thriller, which hits cinemas in Australia on Thursday.
Ziegler, who shot to fame aged eight on the US reality series Dance Momsgained wider recognition since 2014 after featuring in Sia’s music video for Chandelier.
She went on to forge a successful partnership with Sia, appearing alongside the singer on red carpets, during her tours and starring in several other music videos.
Ziegler was also hand-picked by Sia to star as an autistic girl in the widely-panned 2021 film, Musicopposite Kate Hudson.
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Her casting became a controversial topic, with the movie criticized for its “offensive depiction of autism.”
Ziegler addressed the criticism in an interview with independent at the time, saying she understood the outcry.
“I’ve actually stayed out of all of it just because, you know, I’m 18 years old and it’s a lot of pressure … (But) I understand why people would want someone who’s actually on the spectrum with autism to play this character.
“But in terms of the dance sequences, I think that’s why Sia chose me to bring the dream world to life. It was all [made] with good intentions and with a good heart.”
Elsewhere on the Bullet Train red carpet, fellow former child star Joey King, who stars in the film, also rocked a plunging gown.
The 23-year-old kissing booth stars plays British assassin Prince in the action film, which also stars Sandra Bullock.
Bullet Train follows trained killer Ladybug (Pitt) who wants to leave his life as an assassin behind, but is roped back in by his handler Maria Beetle (Bullock) to collect a briefcase on a bullet train heading from Tokyo to Kyoto.
On-board the train, Ladybug bumps into fellow competing assassins who discover their missions are connected.
The NRL are holding the NSW government to ransom over an $800 million promise by taking the Grand Final to Queensland as the Sydney stadium wars potentially head to the courtroom.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported the NRL will consider all options after NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet refused to commit funding to rebuild suburban stadiums after a handshake agreement, with flood reconstruction his main priority.
“I find it appalling that they’re using human tragedy of the floods to renege on an agreement,” V’landys, told the Herald.
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Perrottet’s decision sparked an angry confrontation with V’landys in Parliament, with the NRL now resorting to tactics that could lead to a legal battle over the future of Stadium Australia at Sydney Olympic Park.
A 2018 agreement reached by the then premier Gladys Berejiklian, stipulated the NRL grand final would stay in Sydney until 2042 as long as Accor Stadium at Olympic Park was reconfigured into a 70,000-seat rectangular stadium, which would cost taxpayers $800 million.
However, the pandemic caused the government to backflip on the plan and relocate between $250 to $350 million to upgrading suburban grounds in Cronulla, Manly, Leichhardt and Newcastle.
Leichhardt Oval will have to wait for redevelopment.Source: Supplied
While the plans to develop suburban grounds is not in writing and therefore not rubber-stamped, V’landys is adamant the original Sydney Olympic Park agreement still stands.
The Herald reported that V’landys and the NRL will now hold the government to their original Olympic Park agreement, which is in writing, despite their preference being to develop suburban grounds.
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Andrew Abdo the Chief Executive Officer of the National Rugby League and Peter V’landys the Chairman.Source: Getty Images
“When you consider the billions of dollars they spent in the recent budget, the amount they need to honor our agreement is insignificant,” V’landy’s said.
“We will press that they honor the original agreement, which will cost the NSW taxpayer more due to the way they have handled this.”
The NRL are exploring its legal options and have one of the country’s most respected barristers, Alan Sullivan QC on the case.
Perrottet released a statement saying the government were committed to upgrading suburban stadiums over a period of time, given the natural disasters and pandemic that remain a more pressing priority.
“The government has just received the Floods Inquiry Report, which will likely require a significant cost to the taxpayer, and I note right now there are still 1,366 people without a home in NSW due to flooding,” Perrottet said.
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NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet.Source: News Corp Australia
“It should come as no surprise that my top priority is therefore supporting those devastated by the major floods across NSW.”
The development has forced the NRL to consider taking the Grand Final to Queensland in response to the NSW government failing to honor their agreement.
“Everything is now back on the table,” V’landys said.
“It will be a board decision, not mine.”
Sports Minister Stuart Ayres labeled plans to take the Grand Final to Queensland “an extraordinary move”.
“We’ve got to make sure that we make investments that are in the best interests of the people of NSW,” Ayres said.
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“It just might mean that we have to wait a little bit longer before we can spend additional money on those venues.”
The government will put on hold plans to develop Leichhardt and Newcastle stadiums, but are committed to a new venue at Penrith, which has angered Tigers chairman Lee Hagipantelis, who blasted the government for their change of policy on developing suburban stadiums.
“The government’s management of its stadiums policy from the outset has been amateurish and embarrassing,” Hagipantelis told the Herald.
“I assume if the state government is to backflip on its commitment to fund suburban stadiums, then the $300 million committed to the Penrith stadium can now be better utilized for schools and hospitals?
“It would be outrageous for Penrith to retain its stadium for the obvious political benefit of its local member.”
The NRL has been labeled embarrassing for their explanation as to why Storm star Nelson Asofa-Solomona escaped sanction for cracking Wayde Egan’s teeth with his elbow.
Asofa-Solomona was not even charged by the match review committee, despite being placed on report and penalized on the field for slamming his elbow and forearm onto the face of Egan as he fell to the ground in a tackle.
“There were a lot of incidents over the weekend with the Nelson Asofa-Solomona one the most contentious by a long way,” Braith Anasta said on NRL 360.
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“What I struggle to come to terms with is I saw a head clash (Dale Finucane on Stephen Crichton) last week get two weeks and I see this and he gets nothing.”
Paul Kent blasted the NRL’s feeble explanation by disputing all three assertions they made around Asofa-Solomona’s actions.
“Let me just bring up some things,” Kent said.
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“They said, there is a separation out there. If I am going to punch you in the face right now, there is going to be separation at some point between my fist and your face before it gets there, but there will be eventual contact. That’s the first thing.
“Second, there was not enough force to warrant a charge. I have cracked his teeth. Two teeth. So not enough force to warrant a charge?
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Nelson Asofa-Solomona was placed on report and penalized but escaped a charge.Source: Supplied
“Third, there was possible contact to the neck and chin area. Again, I cracked his teeth.
“What part of head contact do they not understand there. If you have got cracked teeth from a tackle, how do you say there is not enough force and possible contact to the neck or chin area?”
Paul Crawley labeled Luke Patten and Graham Annesley’s explanation as the dumbest thing ever to come out of NRL HQ in a stunning take-down.
“That’s the dumbest explanation that I have ever heard come out of the NRL from Luke Patten,” Crawley said.
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Nelson Asofa-Solomona escaped sanction for his tackle on Wayde Egan.Source: FOX SPORTS
“For Graham Annesley, a bloke that has been around the game for as long as he has to stand there and allow that to be said and expect that everyone is just going to suck that up and accept it.
“Like seriously it is so embarrassing. They have got to be better.
“That was a shocking tackle. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves got a $3000 fine for his tackle on Zac Fulton. It wasn’t as bad as this.
“This gets off. This doesn’t even get to fine. This gets nothing.
“And this is on the back of Asofa-Solomona having two separate charges last week. Two ends. The week before in Round 18 another one. Earlier in the season another one.
“That’s four ends this year and this one gets nothing.”
