A young Melbourne couple have been roasted online after “impulse buying” a $1.5 million East Brunswick terrace at auction.
But the agent who sold the property has now spoken out, saying the backlash from “keyboard warriors” is unfair and that the sale has been misrepresented.
Property website Domain published an article on Saturday about the young buyers of 110 Barkly Street, which sold under the hammer after the couple pipped another bidder for just $500.
Darcy and Tessa, who declined to give their last names, ultimately paid $1,500,500 for the deceased estate, which went to auction with a price guide of $1.3 million to $1.43 million.
“To be honest we weren’t really looking, we were just looking casually and this one popped up,” Tessa told Domain.
Darcy added, “There’s a bit of concern around with what housing prices are doing but this one really stood out to us, and it turned out we got it.”
The couple said they planned to fix up the terrace and rent it out in the short term before moving in later and doing further renovation.
Darcy said while interest rate rises were “certainly something to consider”, the couple were “in a good position with renting it out at this point”.
“From our point of view we can pass that on to the rental market,” he said.
The article went viral on Reddit after a user on the Melbourne forum posted a screenshot of the headline.
“I guess I don’t feel so bad about impulse buying a Snickers at the Coles checkout now,” they wrote.
“I mean we’ve all been there, right? Just wandering down the street to get coffee or something, you’ve got $1.5 million burning a hole in your pocket and you stumble across an auction – damn it! Did I really just buy a house again? Man my wife is going to give me a hard time about this when I get back.”
One person replied, “I genuinely know two people who have done this. One whilst driving past on the way to visit a friend (investment property in Footscray), and the other whose husband came home and announced he’d bought a new family home. WTF.”
Another wrote, “Joke’s on them, be at least $500,000 less in about six months.”
Ray White Glenroy auctioneer Stefan Stella told news.com.au on Monday he felt the reaction from “keyboard warriors” online had been “pretty harsh”.
“As much as it said they weren’t really looking, they did see it on the first open, came multiple times – they were there three times,” he said.
“In my opinion they were probably always going to get it. The underbidder only saw it in the last week. I think what they may have meant was they weren’t actively looking and religiously out there every Saturday, that’s potentially the message they were trying to get across.”
It comes after the Reserve Bank hiked interest rates for the fourth month in a row last week.
The 50 basis-point increase at the central bank’s August meeting brings the official cash rate to 1.85 per cent, up from the record low 0.1 per cent it was up until May.
Already, the rise in interest rates has pushed house prices down in most major cities as borrowers stare down the barrel of higher monthly payments.
PropTrack’s Home Price Index shows a national decline of 1.66 per cent in prices since March, but some regions have seen much sharper falls.
“As repayments become more expensive with rising interest rates, housing affordability will decline, prices pushing further down,” PropTrack senior economist Eleanor Creagh said.
Three of Aussie TV’s favorite offerings premiered on Sunday night, competing in the same timeslot in the all-important ratings battle.
So how did Channel 7’s long-awaited return of My Kitchen Ruleswith megastar new judge Nigella Lawson, measure up against The Masked Singer on Channel 10, and The Block on Channel 9?
Overnight ratings released via TV Tonight see The Block‘s 18th season taking out the night, with an impressive 867,000 metro viewers.
The Masked Singer came in second with a respectable metro audience of 598,000, closely followed by My Kitchen Ruleswhich launched to 503,000 viewers.
The result is a year-on-year lift for The Blockwhich debuted to 747,000 metro viewers back in 2021. The other two shows are remaining mor stable from previous seasons: The Masked Singer last year opened to 642,000 metro viewers, while the last time MKR aired back in 2020, it opened to 498,000 viewers.
The home renovation show’s “biggest season ever” filmed in Gisborne, Victoria, introduced viewers to the five teams battling it out for a win on auction day — including “quitters” Elle Ferguson and Joel Patfull, who fled the set and threw in the towel after two days of filming.
Their first day on set was met with skepticism from one fellow contestant — outspoken mum Sarah-Jane, who was quick to question their inclusion.
“She’s already famous, she’s got 600,000 followers on Instagram, she’s got sh*tloads of money, why are they here?” she smoked to producers.
As for the first episode of Channel 10 quirky musical guessing game The Masked Singernone other that Ryan Moloney — Aka Toadfish — was unveiled as the knight, fresh off a 27-year stint on neighbors.
Singing Ed Sheeran’s Bad Habitsthe actor’s pipes elicited squeals of delight from judges Abbie Chatfield, Mel B, Dave “Hughesy” Hughes and Chrissie Swan when it came time for the big reveal.
Over on Channel 7, My Kitchen Rules‘Hotly anticipated return after a two-year hiatus was widely praised by viewers on social media thanks to Nigella Lawson.
The British home cooking queen, who was earlier announced as Pete Evans’ replacement for the 2022 season, appeared alongside French chef Manu Feildel on Sunday night, and fans have already declared she will “save the series”.
The show’s relaunch comes after MKR suffered declining ratings in 2019 and 2020.
In an effort to reinvigorate the franchise, the network parted ways with original Judge Evans following a slew of controversies, and promised the series would be bouncing back to its core values of “real food and real people” in 2022.
It’s understood Lawson will only feature in half of the season, with former MasterChef judge Matt Preston joining Feildel for the back half.
The Queensland general manager of troubled builder Metricon has resigned, days after the company announced around 225 staff would be sacked in a national restructure.
Luke Fryer, who had been with the company for 15 years starting as a sales estimator in 2007, was previously NSW GM before moving back to his home state of Queensland in 2020.
Metricon director Jason Biasin announced Mr Fryer’s resignation in an email to staff on Friday.
“The last two years have seen more challenges in our industry than ever before,” Mr Biasin wrote.
“Luke’s commitment to our people, to me personally and our business has been unwavering and will not be forgotten. We wish Luke all the best for the future and he will always remain a part of the Metricon family.”
He added, “I know this week has been very difficult for everyone and I thank you all for your professional and compassionate approach to the tasks at hand and looking after each other. I look forward to sharing more positive news with you next week.”
Metricon has been contacted for comment.
Last Monday, Metricon announced it would be shedding 9 per cent, or about 225 of its 2500-strong national workforce, in a restructure “to better accommodate and reflect the requirements of the current market“.
The affected roles are largely in sales and marketing.
The country’s largest home builder was plunged into crisis in May amid reports it was on the verge of financial ruin and engaging in crisis talks with the Victorian government, following the sudden death of its founder Mario Biasin.
Acting chief executive Peter Langfelder has repeatedly shot down those allegations, but a question mark still hangs over Metricon’s future despite the company’s directors injecting $30 million into its business to allay fears about its survival, and a rescue deal being struck with Commonwealth Bank.
Last month, Metricon listed nearly 60 display homes for sale across NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria, worth a total of around $65 million.
Staff who were informed of the restructure during a Microsoft Teams meeting last week said those who had remained with the company rather than jumping ship “basically had the rug pulled out from under them”.
“It has not been received well by some of them,” one NSW staff member told news.com.au. “I’m a little bit burned by the whole situation.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Metricon confirmed it was in the “process of an internal restructure of the business, with an increased focus on delivering homes to more than 6000 Australians whose houses will be constructed this year”.
“To better accommodate and reflect the requirements of the current market and ensure the most appropriate deployment of resources, Metricon is working to appropriately reduce its sales and marketing capability while it focuses on the construction and delivery of more than 6000 homes,” a spokeswoman said .
“We have commenced a consultation process with our people. This process is proposed to lead to a reduction of personnel and redundancies across the national business.”
The spokeswoman said 2020 and 2021 saw record demand for homebuilding and that Metricon “expects demand to settle at pre-pandemic levels”. “As a result, the business will rebalance towards construction on homes it is currently building and the thousands more in the pipeline – the biggest volume in the company’s history,” she said.
The impacted roles will be at the “front-end of the business, predominantly in sales and marketing roles, representing approximately 9 per cent of the national workforce”.
“With the headwinds buffeting the industry, specifically labor costs due to competition for skills, combined with present global material cost hikes and with our very strong existing pipeline of work, we need to carefully balance the current pipeline of new builds with the construction side of the business,” Mr Langfelder said in the statement.
“We are working to restructure our front-end of the business given the current climate and the need to move forward efficiently. We are committed to looking after any of our people who may be impacted by these proposed changes, and they will continue to have ongoing access to the company’s support and mental health services.”
Mr Langfelder said Metricon was rebalancing the business’ focus over the next 18 months on executing builds as quickly and efficiently as possible whilst maintaining equilibrium in the pipeline.
“We have previously said that our company has a proven history of success and remains profitable and viable, with the full support of our key stakeholders – this remains the case today,” he said.
Mr Langfelder said Metricon was still expected to continue to contract on average 100 homes per week, in line with pre-pandemic levels. “Our future construction pipeline shows no sign of slowing down with more than 600 site-starts scheduled for 2023,” he said.
In an email to staff on Tuesday, Metricon said it would be holding a virtual town hall this week “to provide you with further updates on our business, current market conditions and plans for the future”.
“We do not underestimate the effect that this review is likely to have on some of you,” the directors wrote.
“We are committed to working through this process as thoroughly and efficiently as possible, and to keep you updated as we progress… Despite the current challenges across our industry, we remain stable as a business with full support from our key stakeholders.”
The Australian building industry has been plagued with escalating issues that have already seen Gold Coast-based Condev and industry giant Probuild enter into liquidation in recent months, while smaller operators like Hotondo Homes Hobart and Perth firms Home Innovation Builders and New Sensation Homes, as well as Sydney-based firm Next have also failed, leaving homeowners out of pocket and with unfinished houses.
The crisis is the result of a perfect storm of conditions hitting one after the other, including supply chain disruptions due largely to the pandemic and then the Russia-Ukraine conflict, followed by skilled labor shortages, skyrocketing costs of materials and logistics and extreme weather events .
The industry’s traditional reliance on fixed-price contracts has also seriously exacerbated the problem, with contracts signed months before a build gets underway, including the surging costs of essential materials such as timber and steel.
It comes after it recently emerged that Australia recorded a staggering 3917 liquidations or administration appointments across all industries during the 2021-22 financial year.
The construction sector led the charge, representing 28 per cent of all insolvencies, although firms from countless industries also failed in the face of soaring inflation and interest rate pressures, Covid chaos, labor shortages and supply chain disruptions.
There were 1536 collapses in NSW, with Victoria recording 1022, Queensland 665, WA 350, South Australia 196, 91 for the ACT, 29 for Tasmania and 28 in the Northern Territory.
Passengers have to put up with a lot of things on flights, but if there is one thing that no one should have to deal with, it’s bare feet in your face.
Whether it’s near you or in your peripheral vision it’s an act that happens unfortunately all too often.
The latest traveler to be confronted by another flyer’s feet was Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall – and she was so shocked by what she had witnessed on a flight, she recorded a TikTok and shared it with her 1.9 million TikTok followers to also feel her pain.
“Breathtaking views at 38,000 – feet,” she British singer captioned the video.
Jade filmed herself looking stunned before flipping the phone to show a woman a few rows in front with her leg stretched so high, her foot was touching the overhead locker.
In the two days since she posted it, it has already clocked almost five million views and over 13,000 comments with many grossed out by the act.
“I’d be screaming if I’d seen this,” one person wrote.
“I want to cry,” said another, while a third yelled: “WHY DID SHE START POINTING THEM?”
One user described it as “absolutely foul”.
“People are so wrong on a plane – morals, manners and politeness go out the window.”
Others were more concerned for Jade.
“I hope you are OK after experiencing this Jade,” one person joked, to which the star responded: “A little rattled but I’m OK hun.”
“Imagine you did this in a plane and ended up on Jade Thirlwall’s TikTok,” another said.
A cabin crew member also chimed in saying it is her “greatest fear”.
“’Madam, please may you remove your toes from the ceiling?’” she joked.
Others complimented the woman on her manicured toes while some wished they were “that flexible”.
“I’d be p**sing myself trying not to laugh,” one user added.
Some couldn’t believe the man sitting next to her was completely unfazed.
“The fact the person next to them is talking to them like this is a normal occurrence,” they wrote.
However, as much as the passenger’s foot act was the center of attention, fans also couldn’t help but applaud the singer for sitting in economy, particularly given her popular and successful British band Little Mix has a net worth of £48 million ($ A83 million), according to The Sunday Times Rich List 2020.
“Humble queen not flying private,” one fan commented.
“Imagine being on the same plane as Jade Thirlwall,” another wrote.
It is unclear where Jade was flying to or from, but it comes after she had her phone stolen in Ibiza.
“Shoutout to whoever stole my phone. Not having one for a little while was truly bliss. Anyways, here’s me being a basic b**ch in Ibiza a cutla weeks ago,” she said in an Instagram post alongside a selfie on the party island.
It appears Jade is no stranger to flying on commercial flights.
“I was sat next to her in the airport and didn’t want to bother her for a pic. Regretted it ever since,” one fan wrote.
As for the bare feet, it’s also not the first time something like this has happened.
In May, a passenger was left horrified when another flyer shoved their bare feet onto their seat’s armrest during a flight.
The traveler was flying from Melbourne to Adelaide when the incident occurred
A video shows a person looking at the camera in horror before zooming in on the bare feet poking through from the seat behind and on the armrest.
The passenger then appears to notice they are being filmed and quickly whips their feet back.
Experts have also warned travelers to never be barefoot on a plane.
California-based podiatrist Ebonie Vincent, who is also behind the US TV series, My Feet Are Killing Mesaid that being barefoot leaves travelers exposed to bad bacteria.
When it comes to holidaying, deciding whether to go with the expected comforts of a hotel or the relaxed amenities of an Airbnb generally comes down to the guest and the mood of the trip.
For mum and businesswoman Alexandra Ormerod, travel has always been high on the priority list – and she had no plans for that to change when she and husband Tom decided to start a family.
But with a little one in tow, the pair soon realized that the simple pleasures they once took for granted in a hotel room were no longer applicable for a young family.
“We have a lot of family overseas… we are avid travelers and after our first daughter was born we quickly discovered in our travels that hotels were dead to us and that came as a bit of a shock,” Ms Ormerod told news.com. ouch
“We soon found it very challenging to be traveling with a small child and finding accommodation that was of a standard better than a serviced apartment.
“We realized quite early on that places like Europe and Asia have a more mature market than Australia, so there are a lot more villas to hire in different locations. Whereas when you came to Australia and you effectively had the option of a holiday home. That home would be hired through a real estate agent and generally you were restricted to a coastal location and picking the keys up from the local fish and chip shop because the office was closed.
Ms Ormerod said the “disconnected experience” and “transactional approach” to hiring holiday homes in Australia meant guests “never really knew what they were going to get” on arrival.
With a background in advertising, Ms Ormerod said her work in travel and tourism along with her husband’s involvement in property development and real estate meant they identified a gap in the market for couples, friends and family groups seeking options in the luxury end of the holiday homes market.
As a result, ‘Luxico’ – which essentially combines hotels and holidays homes into one – was born in 2013.
“Luxico was a bit of an obvious outcome,” she explained of the company, which is now worth almost $20 million.
“We found there was a real niche for designer accommodation which we identified as not really existing at the time Luxico was born.”
Having a house on the Mornington Peninsula, Ms Ormerod said a lot of neighbors and Melbourne residents had “big homes” in the area which sat empty for most of the year. So she and Tom started renting out properties in the area which signaled a huge area of demand for beautiful, high-end homes temporarily.
“We found there was a lot of demand for that $1000-a-night or more price point that was not being serviced,” she said.
“So we then built on that to try and service that demand, and try to take the experience away from a transactional offering to a more hospitality or hotel offering [within a luxury home].”
Each Luxico stay comes with a concierge service – essentially a local who ‘checks you in’ to the home. Each concierge acts as a point of call for guests, with no request too big, small or bizarre. The homes range from $250 to $15,000 or more per night.
“It’s bringing the human element back into that holiday home stay, and all our concierges are from the local area,” she explained of the company which exclusively manages $700 million worth of property across Australia.
“The extra services you can have – from chefs, to butlers and specialist touring – are all part of the optional extras.
“But for the everyday traveller, the feedback has been that the concierge had given them insider tips to the area … maybe told them of an amazing hidden gem they wouldn’t have otherwise known about that made their holiday.”
While celebrity clients make up a large bulk of the brand’s clientele, Ms Ormerod said “mums and dads” still make up the majority of bookings.
“Luxico is an end-to-end service so we exclusively manage all of the properties that we offer,” she said, adding that if a family is looking to book two or three hotel rooms – a home works out to be better value.
“So we are managing the guest experience not just through the booking process, but the experience they have in home and even afterwards.
“So from the slippers, to the towels to prepared toiletries, the concierge is going in there and provisioning and preparing the home so if you are traveling with small children we will bring in a toy box so they have something to play with. So it’s all those little touches that make the experience a continuance of the booking process.
“It’s more a holistic experience, connecting you with local products, experiences and service providers that will build on that stay.”
As the Bulldogs watched their final hopes fade on Saturday, there was a cruel irony in front of them.
Plus the ‘five years with a mulligan’ theory that helps explain Collingwood’s year.
The big issues from Round 21 of the 2022 AFL season analyzed in Talking Points!
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CRUEL IRONY AS FREO’S FLAG-WORTHY RECORD GROWS
Saturday was bad for the Bulldogs in 2022; their loss, combined with Richmond’s win, has them outsiders to make the eight (though Carlton’s loss to Brisbane keeps them alive).
But it might’ve been good for them in 2023 and beyond.
The irony wasn’t lost on Fox Footy’s commentary team as Rory Lobb, reportedly on his way to the Kennel in free agency on a deal of around $1.5 million over three years, dominated the game.
The Dockers key forward has always shown flashes amid an inconsistent career – this is the first season where he’s reached the 30 goal mark – his four big majors at Marvel Stadium showed him at his absolute best.
Best three kicks at goal since Plugger | 00:58
“First four kicks were goals, it looked like he could kick them from everywhere,” goalkicking legend Jason Dunstall said at three-quarter-time on Fox Footy.
Melbourne great Garry Lyon added: “If you believe everything that’s been said, the Western Bulldogs whilst they’d be shattered if they lose and Rory Lobb leads them (Fremantle) to victory, they might be rubbing their hands together, given many think he’s heading to the Western Bulldogs.
“That’s what they’re saying; he’s playing unbelievably well.”
Some have questioned whether the Bulldogs need Lobb, given they’ve got Aaron Naughton (three goals on Saturday), Josh Bruce, No.1 pick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and father-son prodigy Sam Darcy, who made a strong debut with a team -leading eight marks and seven intercepts.
But as those intercepts suggest Darcy played in defense, where the Bulldogs desperately need tall help – while Luke Beveridge remains a Ryan Gardner stan and defends his backs when questioned, they’ve long struggled to defend one-on-ones.
So if Lobb truly is coming on board, that just adds more tall weapons to their armory.
More magnets to spin for the AFL’s most prolific magnet-spinner can’t hurt, surely?
Meanwhile for the Dockers, their win on the road was yet another example of their terrific away record in the 2022 season.
They’re the only non-Victorian team to win more than one game in Victoria this season – and they’ve won five, plus that draw against Richmond.
Taking 22 premiership points from trips to the home of footy is a big reason the Dockers are current flag contenders this season. After all, if they can win in Melbourne, they can win on the biggest day of all.
Buckley on 2018 Crows: ‘It’s harrowing’ | 06:33
AFL’S BIGGEST SHOCK SURGE COME AFTER ‘FIVE YEARS OF GOOD FOOTY’…WITH A MULLIGAN
Few experts pre-season tipped Collingwood to feature in this year’s finals series. Nathan Buckley, however, did.
And while the former coach didn’t expect his Magpies to be sitting second on the ladder with two rounds to go, he’s of the firm belief the side’s 2022 surge is a result of an exciting five-year build.
The Magpies’ destiny is in their own hands. Win two more home and away games and they’ll jump from the bottom-two last year to the top-two this year – a simply remarkable feat. Those last two games will be tough – Sydney at the SCG and Carlton at the MCG – but it seems nothing, not even the prospect of watching The Exorcist in the dark, scares this team.
While many outside the club had low expectations for the Magpies this year after a 17th-placed finish in 2021, Buckley said it was important to remember the build and list turnover in the previous three years.
“I’m going to suggest – and I’ve been involved in the footy club – but this is five years of good footy with a bad year last year,” Buckley told Fox Footy on Friday night.
“The nucleus of this side is established and we’re seeing some young players come in and play really big roles – and it’s brilliant and it’s exciting to see.
“This Collingwood side has exceeded my expectations. I thought they were 15 wins at the top end – and they’ve still got two more to go. What ‘Fly’ (McRae) has done has been amazing, but it’s been built off the nucleus of a senior core that have been there for five or six years doing this now.”
Maynard BUZZING after big hit and win | 00:47
The Magpies on Friday night claimed a remarkable 11th straight win – the first time they’ve achieved the feat since 2011 – in another tantalizingly close game.
Asked how the Pies keep winning such tight games, coach Craig McRae told reporters: “Yeah, this group’s got some belief hasn’t it? We just get ourselves into positions where at three quarter-time, there’s a few smiles on their faces – like, ‘here we go again’.
“It’s just been our story. I haven’t been part of a team like it that gets themselves in a situation that they just think: ‘Here we go, we’ll get the job done.’”
The On The Couch team last week compared the profile of Collingwood’s 2022 team to the Richmond premiership side of 2017. Like the Tigers, the Pies aren’t a strong clearance team, but are among the top-four clubs for interceptions, pressure and opposition score per inside 50.
Brownlow Medalist Gerard Healy added to the comparison on Friday night.
“This could be a premiership built on pressure, like Richmond in 2017,” Healy told Fox Footy Live. “They didn’t win all the stats, but they won the flag, so there’s a lot to like about this Collingwood side.
“They are certainly in the conversation – you can’t win 11 in a row and beat last year’s premiers twice and not be a genuine chance.
“Collingwood and Sydney sit underneath most people’s favorites of Geelong and Melbourne, but we do know they are capable of beating the top sides.”
Asked if he’d reassess his message to his playing group considering the circumstances, McRae said: “We’re living in the moment of getting better. That’s always been our message. We can’t get too far ahead of ourselves.
“You look at the stats sheet (after the Melbourne game) and there’s a lot of red in it, so we’re not naive and we’ve got a little work to do.
“We don’t know where our ceiling is at – and that’s exciting. We’re in discovery mode… and that’s an exciting place to live.”
Consider comments heard! | 00:26
‘MORE OF IT’: ‘ALL DUCK NO DINNER’ LEADS TO FOOTY FEAST
Ed Langdon was something of a sitting duck when he was swamped only moments into Friday night’s epic between Collingwood and Melbourne.
We wouldn’t normally put so much time into dissecting a wingman’s game, particularly one as consistent as Langdon. But after the former Freo man spoke on radio about Collingwood being “all duck and no dinner” and a “one trick pony”, all eyes were on Langdon.
It created one of the most memorable moments of the season – and added some spice to a game that barely needed it.
Sitting second and third on the table respectively, Melbourne and Collingwood were playing on a Friday night for the first time since 2007, so the stage was already set for a dynamite contest.
Collingwood coach Craig McRae made light of Langdon’s comments pre-game, telling Fox Footy’s Kath Loughnan he had “duck for dinner last night”.
Feet assistant Brendon Bolton told Fox Sports News’ AFL Tonight he “loved it”, while Adem Yze reiterated the respect the Demons have for the Pies.
Kennedy chaired off in charming scenes | 01:23
The 24 hours prior to the opening bounce were gripping as a football lover. All that anyone was talking about were those comments and how good the game was going to be. The AFL even bumped up their crowd estimates off the back of the comments.
And when Brayden Maynard and co. engulfed Langdon in a brutal gang tackle, we got one of the most memorable and electric moments of the season — and the game itself didn’t disappoint either.
Ex-Saints and North Melbourne star Nick Dal Santo suggested it might have been a slip of the tongue after similar language was used in a team meeting, but the triple All-Australian noted “we shouldn’t be knocking that down”.
“Our game needs more of that,” Dal Santo told Fox Footy Live after the game.
“Our game is a combative game. The people who least speak about that combativeness is the players.”
“We need to embrace the rivalry and the competitiveness. If someone is to put out a comment like that, brilliant. More of it.”
The Melbourne media department, privately, would’ve been scrambling after the comments were made. The beauty of it was being so close to bounce-down, everyone could just enjoy the ride — even Ed, who had a smile pre-game, got booed by Pies fans and performed solidly in the 7-point loss.
“All duck no dinner” made for a footy feast.
Ban likely for Cripps after heavy bump | 02:00
HOW DOES MCSTAY FIT INTO FEET?
Amid doubts already over whether Collingwood should be pursuing Dan McStay, just how does he fit into this Pies forward line?
The Magpies have been heavily linked to the Lions free agent on a five-year deal worth $3 million as the club looks to add another marking target in attack.
But this is a Collingwood side already firing on all cylinders, with Friday night’s epic win over Melbourne seeing it climb into second place on the ladder.
Jamie Elliott and fourth-gamer Ash Johnson were both instrumental with four goals apiece, while Brody Mihocek, who’s led the goalkicking in each of the last three seasons and is on track to do so again in 2022, chipped in two goals.
“Mihocek, Elliott and Johnson look so good — so where does Daniel McStay fit into all this?” Demons great Garry Lyon posed on Fox Footy.
Heck, if McStay was available to play for Collingwood next week, it’s hard to see him cracking into the 22, especially with star ruckman Brodie Grundy and young gun Ollie Henry already out of the side.
McStay has booted 16 goals from as many games this year and been held goalless on eight occasions, while the key forward’s 28 majors in 2021 mark his best-ever return.
Franklin kicks four in big Swans win | 02:29
There’s a possibility that Collingwood could look to play McStay in defence, although it still raises questions of whether he’s worth the $650,000-a-season price tag and at a club that’s only two years removed from a trade exodus due to salary cap pressure.
“They believe he can help the forward line like Josh Bruce has been able to help Jamarra Ugle-Hagan get better match-ups… Daniel McStay is coming to Collingwood, but it’s going to be some kind of juggling act, especially with Ollie Henry not in the side right now,” Herald Sun reporter Jon Ralph said on Fox Footy.
To which Saints great Nick Riewoldt responded: “Josh Bruce is a brave, brave workhorse. Is that Daniel McStay?”
Triple-premiership winning Lion Jonathan Brown believes his former club see him as the “workhorse, down-the-line guy.”
“They like to kick it long to him, put it on his head. Hipwood and Daniher tend to be more the runners,” he said.
Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga has dropped his biggest selection hint yet, revealing Roosters young gun Joseph Suaalii is a “genuine selection option”.
Meninga has a big job on his hands ahead of this year’s World Cup, with a number of players opting to represent their nation of heritage as opposed to the Kangaroos.
Maroons gun Josh Papalii will reportedly ply his trade for Samoa, joining Jarome Luai and Brian To’o, while Felise Kaufusi, Siosifa Talakai, Daniel Tupou and Kotoni Staggs are set to represent Tonga.
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But in a huge boost, the Kangaroos are set to pick the Tricolours 19-year-old flyer in the Australian squad — should he chose to represent his country of birth.
Suaalii is currently in his first full season of first grade and was included in Brad Fittler’s Blues squad, scoring 13 NRL tries to date.
“I’m a fan of Joseph, absolutely, and he is right in the picture, particularly if the Roosters keep their run going to the finals,” Meninga said to the SMH.
“He is a genuine selection option, definitely. He’s just a talent. He has always been a talent. I like his courage from him.
“I remember ‘Izzy’ (Israel Folau) came in at a young age, so did ‘GI’ (Greg Inglis), so if you’re talking about age, there are no questions about Joseph handling the international stage.”
Parra pounce on Sea Eagles at Brookie | 02:39
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Meninga also referenced reports suggesting Australia’s rival code were in pursuit of the young gun, revealing it is “hardly a shock” the Wallabies could make a play.
“I read the reports that the Wallabies are looking at him, which is hardly a shock. They wouldn’t be doing their job if they weren’t looking at league players like him and wanting him to convert,” Meninga said.
“We do the same thing. Because Joseph has played union before, it only made it inevitable. He’s right in the mix for us.”
The Kangaroos incumbent wingers from their last game played in 2019 are Josh Addo-Carr and Nick Cotric.
With Cotric is unlikely to feature, and Addo-Carr being tipped for selection on the edge, Suaalii could find himself in the green and gold.
Melbourne and Munster take down Titans | 02:11
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Suaalii made his intentions clear earlier in the week, making it clear he wants to compete in the end-of-year showcase.
“I honestly haven’t thought about it too much but I want to be there playing at the World Cup,” Suaalii said.
“I’m trying to make that Australian team and if I’m lucky enough I’ll make that Samoan team as well.
“If I get picked for either of them it would be an honour. If I’m playing at the World Cup I’ll be happy.”
Dual All-Australian Leigh Montagna fears Carlton’s terrific 2022 could be undone by ill-timed personnel issues, which has left Michael Voss’ team vulnerable at the most crucial stage of the season.
Michael Voss’ Blues are clinging to seventh spot on the ladder after a 33-point loss to Brisbane on Sunday – their fourth loss from their past six games.
They’ve been inside the top eight at the end of every round so far 1 this season, but are now in serious danger of missing out on finals with St Kilda and, particularly, Richmond and the Western Bulldogs still well placed to squeeze into the top eight. The last team to be in finals places every round except the last was Carlton in 1977.
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The Blues need to win one more game to guarantee a finals spot. But they would have upset one of Melbourne (3rd) or Collingwood (4th) over the next fortnight, while the Bulldogs and Tigers have ‘easier’ final games.
Speaking on Fox Footy’s First CrackMontagna said the Blues now had their “work cut out to play finals.”
It comes amid player availability issues in the most important part of the ground for Carlton, with George Hewett (back) and Matt Kennedy (fractured jaw) sidelined due to injury, while skipper Patrick Cripps could also miss matches due to a bump on Lion Cal Ah Chee that will attract MRO scrutiny.
Ban likely for Cripps after heavy bump | 02:00
The Blues have been renowned for their ruthless nature at the coalface this year, but Montagna on Sunday night pointed out the Blues had lost the hardball get count in the past two games against Brisbane and Adelaide by -20 and -15 respectively.
“They’re starting to get beaten up around the footy … and without that big three in the midfield, they look vulnerable to me,” Montagna told First Crack.
“They don’t look like the same side at the start of the year that was brutal, physical, aggressive, that was just bullying and beating up on teams through the midfield.
“The ‘Voss gloss’ might’ve worn off. They’ve got their work cut out now and they’re going to have to do some soul searching to try and play finals – and it might undo what has been such a terrific season up until the last sort of four or five weeks.”
Montagna also pointed out the Blues had only been in front for 26 per cent of game time in their matches against top-eight teams this year, while dual premiership Kangaroo David King highlighted the Blues are 10-1 this year when they’ve won the clearance count by at least +5 but 3-6 when that count has been +4 or less.
Brisbane stay in the hunt for top four | 02:26
“They’re clearance-based and contest-based – and they lose their best commodity,” King said.
In a must-win game, the Lions stunned the Blues in the first term with a fierce tackling display, laying 20 tackles to 13. That prompted dominance at clearance (+11), inside 50s (+13) and on the scoreboard (+ 29).
King said the Lions’ pressure was awesome, making Carlton look “jittery” and “panicky with the ball”.
The Kangaroos great put the heat on Blues backman Adam Saad, who finished with 24 disposals and 10 interceptions, but was arguably beaten by direct Brisbane opponent Charlie Cameron, who kicked two telling goals.
King pointed to a sloppy kick-in from Saad that led to a turnover and Dayne Zorko goal during the first term.
“What is that? I mean come on. This is high-level stakes,” he said.
“That’s not AFL standard, just waltzing out like that and just trying to be a little bit arrogant again with the ball.
Carlton Press Conference | 06:10
“He’s had a fantastic year, but his last two weeks he’s left opportunities on the floor for the opposition to take – and they have.”
Despite his club’s predicament, Voss said it must “embrace where we are at”.
“We are all about what’s in front of us. They are games to look forward to. We are playing in games that matter. This is an important phase in the development of our group,” Voss told reporters on Sunday.
“We need that exposure. We are going to the MCG next week against Melbourne, it will be a big game. The Collingwood game is being talked about already so we are getting exposure to these games and there can only be growth off the back of it.
“Tonight, it’s a bit of a tough one (lesson) but we’ve got to bring that fresh energy and we’ve got to correct ourselves pretty quick and we’ve got to get on with it.”
After a two-year hiatus – and a judging reshuffle – My Kitchen Rules finally made its way back to screens on Sunday night.
The 12th season premiere of the Channel 7 cooking show saw the return of foundation judge French chef Manu Feildel, who was joined by British home cooking queen Nigella Lawson.
Lawson was announced as a new judge earlier this year after the network parted ways with original judge Pete Evans following a slew of controversies.
Following declining ratings in 2019 and 2020, which saw viewers criticize the format for overdoing it on the dramatics, Seven promised the series would be bouncing back to its core values of “real food and real people” in 2022.
But it appears there’s still a little bit of room for some old-fashioned reality TV fighting, with one new contestant shaping up to be this year’s MKR ‘villain’ after criticizing everyone else’s tasting palates.
Kicking things off for MKR‘s debut episode were father-daughter duo Peter and Alice, who hosted the judges and contestants at their humble home in the small town of Chewton in Victoria.
Their menu charmed in writing, but the pair got off to a rocky start with their ‘Sunday Roast’ croquette entree.
While most of the contestants appeared to enjoy the dish for the most part, Queensland representatives Kate and Mary, who describe themselves as ‘fine diners’, weren’t too satisfied.
“Some of the other contestants really loved the croquettes, and perhaps that’s indicative of their kind of palates,” Kate said in a piece-to-camera.
Mary added, “I think they missed the thought of a good Sunday roast. I think they missed that completely.”
The judges ultimately echoed Mary’s take, telling Peter and Alice that their entree wasn’t entirely faithful to its title given they braised the beef cheek filling, as opposed to roasting it.
Bouncing back from their defeated state, the two then delivered a tasty main course of crumbed lamb chops with minted peas, with Feildel saying their meat was “cooked to perfection.”
But things plummeted from there, with their dessert – Grandma’s lemon delicious pudding – served woefully undercooked.
Lawson said she was “heartbroken” for the pair, adding, “I really wanted to see you with a smile back on your face.”
The group were equally shattered for Peter and Alice, particularly given the recipe was one passed down through generations.
“We really wanted them to do well after the entree,” NSW ‘fashionista friends’ Arrnott and Fuzz said. “On top of that, it was the added pressure of being a relative’s recipe.”
Elsewhere, Kate was a little less empathetic.
“I literally thought the whole time, grandma on the wall over there, she would not have been happy about that lemon delicious,” Kate said, later dubbing the dish “inedible.”
While most of the contestants gave Peter and Alice an overall score of 5s and 6s, Kate and Mary settled on the lowest score of 4. Meanwhile, the judge’s scored the pair an overall tally of 54.
Kate and Mary are slated to cook next on Monday night’s episode, with Kate saying she thinks the cohort will be “impressed.”
“I think we’re a threat,” Mary added.
My Kitchen Rules continues on Channel 7 at 7.30pm Monday
MELBOURNE, Australia — Judith Durham, Australia’s folk music icon who achieved global fame as the lead singer of The Seekers, has died. She was 79.
Durham died in Alfred Hospital in Melbourne on Friday night after suffering complications from a long-standing lung disease, Universal Music Australia and Musicoast said in a statement on Saturday.
She made her first recording at 19 and rose to fame after joining The Seekers in 1963. The group of four became the first Australian band to achieve major chart and sales success in the UK and the United States, eventually selling 50 million records.
International hits included “The Carnival is Over,” “I’ll Never Find Another You,” “A World of Our Own” and “Georgy Girl.”
Durham embarked on a solo career in 1968 but recorded with The Seekers again in the 1990s.
“This is a sad day for Judith’s family, her fellow Seekers, the staff of Musicoast, the music industry and fans worldwide, and all of us who have been part of Judith’s life for so long,” said The Seekers’ management team member Graham simpsons.
Her bandmates in The Seekers — Keith Potger, Bruce Woodley and Athol Guy — said their lives had been changed forever by losing “our treasured lifelong friend and shining star.”
“Her struggle was intense and heroic, never complaining of her destiny and fully accepting its conclusion. Her magnificent musical legacy from Ella Keith, Bruce and I are so blessed to share, ”they said.
Tributes flowed for the beloved singer, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese describing Durham as “a national treasure and an Australian icon.”
“Judith Durham gave voice to a new strand of our identity and helped blaze a trail for a new generation of Aussie artists,” Albanese wrote on Twitter. “Her kindness of her will be missed by many, the anthems she gave to our nation will never be forgotten.”
In her home state Victoria, Premier Dan Andrews said Durham had conquered the music world both in Australia and overseas.
“With her unique voice and stage presence leading The Seekers, the band became one of Australia’s biggest chart toppers,” he said.
