Australian Times weekly newspaper | 24 September 2013

24 - 30 September 2013 Issue: 482

Meeting Stand-up Marrakesh at Soho A feast for the senses

TRavel P8

Comedian Claudia O'Doherty's new show

FOOTY FEVER

Where to watch the AFL Grand Final SPORT P14

Entertainment P6

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SHEBU WALKABOUT CALLS LAST DRINKS n

The iconic Aussie pub Shepherd's Bush Walkabout is closing its doors on 6 October.

By Alex Ivett THE Shepherd’s Bush Walkabout will close its doors forever on Sunday, 6 October. The iconic Australian themed pub is calling last drinks after the venue’s operator Intertain confirmed the property had been sold for an undisclosed sum.

It is the end of an era for the ‘SheBu Walkie’, an institution which has long welcomed thirsty Australian backpackers and lonely expats through its doors with open arms.

Originally constructed as a cinema in 1910, the venue was converted to a pub/bar and opened its doors to the London Australian community and friends as a Walkabout in the mid-1990s.

Walkabout’s parent company Intertain placed the Shepherd’s Bush site on the market in July following a high level of interest in the site which it said encouraged them to explore potential sales opportunities.

“We appointed an agent to help us evaluate the approaches and we have now sold the site for an undisclosed sum,” a spokesman for Intertain told Australian Times.

The move came after the venue fell foul of local authorities earlier in the year. As part of a drive to combat local crime, which many

Lights, Camera, Australia Highlights of BFI's Shifting

Aussie man killed in Kenya attack A dual British-Australian national is one of at least 68 people killed in a terrorist attack on a shopping centre in Kenya.

Architect Ross Langdon, 33, and his partner Elif Yavuz were in the Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi when al-Qaida-linked Somali militants stormed the building.

At least 68 people have been killed and 175 wounded in the unfolding shopping mall siege.

Mr Langdon was a founding director of prize-winning architecture firm Regional Associates, which has offices in London and Melbourne.

The dual Australian-UK national grew up in Tasmania and was reportedly living with his partner in east Africa.

The Telegraph reports the couple had travelled to Nairobi for its medical facilities. Dr Yavuz, born in the Netherlands, was a malaria specialist with a Harvard doctorate and was eight months pregnant.

Mr Langdon had designed buildings across Africa, including in Uganda and Rwanda.

Dr Yavuz worked for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Kenya.

“Advice received from the Australian High Commission in Nairobi confirms that an AustralianUK dual national was among those ...continued on p3

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2 | News

24 - 30 September 2013

TNT magazine put into administration

Publisher: Bryce Lowry Editor: Alex Ivett/Thomas Jones Production/Design: Jackie Lampard News Editor: Paul Bleakley Business Editor: Sepi Roshan Contributors: Georgia Dawes, Phillip Browne, Michael McCormick, Erin Somerville, George Katralis, Jacqui Moroney, Will Fitzgibbon, Kiel Egging, Daniel Shillito, Mat Lyons, Sandra Tahmasby, Tyson Yates, Jennifer

Perkin, Charlie Inglefield, Thomas Jones, Alistair Davis, Will Denton, Chloe Westley, Bonnie Gardiner, Michaela Gray, Marian Borges, Haylee Slater, Emma O'Neill, Ally Juchnevicius, Courtney Greatrex, Poppy Damon, Kris Griffiths, Lara Brunt, Nicole Hayes Directors: P Atherton, J Durrant N Durrant, R Phillips and A Laird

Additional content: Who are we?

Australian Times is written and compiled by young Australian journalists living in the UK. Contributing on a volunteer basis, they are uniquely placed to reflect the interests, opinions and attitudes of our community.

If you would like to join us, contact info@australiantimes.co.uk Address: Unit 7C, Commodore House Battersea Reach, London SW18 1TW Tel: 0845 456 4910 Email: info@australiantimes.co.uk

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TNT Multimedia, publisher of TNT Magazine and associated websites, was formally put into administration earlier this month.

This is not the first time the popular travellers’ magazine has been handed to administrators. The same company, Moorfields Corporate Recovery LLP, were appointed as administrators of TNT Publishing Limited back in September 2011. TNT Multimedia was the new company that then took over responsibility for the business, which has itself now been put into administration.

It has been a dramatic fall in fortunes for the legendary free title. At the turn of the century, TNT Magazine was the undisputed bible for Australians and New Zealanders in London who worked to fund their travels. The first port of call for any newly arrived Antipodean backpacker, when it came to finding accommodation, work and travel deals, was TNT Magazine.

Circulation of the often 300+ page tome was regularly over 60,000 a week. Commonly regarded then as the backpackers’ phonebook, its client list of mostly travel and recruitment advertisers was so impressive that in late 2000 the magazine, along with its related websites and titles, was purchased by the Guardian Media Group for a sum reportedly in excess of £30million.

However, the years immediately

following that acquisition saw the emergence of the internet as the dominant media format for information in the areas that TNT’s advertising model relied on most; recruitment, travel and classifieds. Most notably this came in the form of abundant jobs boards and the likes of Gumtree.com.

Competition also emerged from Blue Sky Publications (publisher of this website).

Another challenge that faced the market was the changing demographic of Aussies and Kiwis in the UK. Increasingly, Antipodeans were eschewing the bar-working backpacker stereotype for well-paid professional employment. A new word was coined; ‘flashpacker’.

Concerted attempts have been in recent years to adapt TNT to the new market realities, such as broadening the target audience to all young travellers.

Nonetheless pages, circulation and advertisers have continued to fall, with Time Out magazine’s recent shift to a free distribution model no doubt placing further pressure on TNT’s readership. This most recent encounter with the administrators further questions the long-term prospects of the cherished brand.

The on-going struggles at TNT are indicative of a tough 2013 for the old-guard of the Australian and New Zealand community in London. The much loved Australia Shop in Covent

Garden closed its doors in April. Its neighbour, the very original Walkabout bar in Covent Garden served last drinks in March following the closure of other London Walkabout venues in recent years. The Shepherd’s Bush Walkabout venue, long considered the home for Antipodean backpackers, is currently up for sale with parent company Intertain stating that the future of the Walkabout brand in London lies with the more modern venue at Temple, near the city.

Responding to events, James Durrant, director of Blue Sky Publications – publisher of Australian Times, New Zealand Times and The South African – said adapting to the changing habits of readers and the resulting needs of advertisers has been key to the continued prosperity of his business.

“Our successful shift to being a ‘digital first’ medium has helped us grow our readership while our new digital offerings have ensured the continued faith of our loyal advertisers and attracted many new ones.”

Durrant says that staying focussed on the publications’ niche audiences has been essential to the company’s stability and future prospects.

“We’ll continue to hold the flag high for the Aussie, Kiwi and South African communities in the UK.” TNT and administrators Moorfields Corporate Recovery were both contacted for comment but were unable to make a statement at the time.

country's long legacy. Portugal has been a hidden gem but it’s starting to get noticed and has received multiple awards. All these awards are a testament to the quality of the attractions in Portugal.

‘grass roots’ population who are weary of seeing their nation’s wealth being siphoned off to offshore havens (mainly Australia) Law and Order has collapsed!

Emergency? Police often have no fuel for their neglected 4x4s in rural areas. PNG does look fantastic from the air and once had the potential to be a true ‘paradise’. Sadly it has chosen the path of lawlessness, from the top down, and lived down to its motto ‘The Land of the Unexpected’ in the worst possible way.

Righteousness exalts a nation, but lawlessness condemns any people. Proverbs 14:34

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Your Say On: Abbott abolishes Australia’s Climate Commission

Thank goodness someone in a position of political authority is finally taking a stand against this rubbish. I hope the UK government follows this example.

Pigeon

On: The magic of the medieval in Obidos, Portugal

Obidos is indeed a magical village.

Portugal is full of these small towns and villages that are steeped in history. It is a result of the

?

What’s your view AustralianTimes

PSV

On: Australian trekkers reach PNG capital after attack

I lived and worked in PNG for 10 years, raising my young family there.

It is really tragic what is happening in that country. While PNG enjoys a very high GDP/capita, it is scraping the bottom in its standard of living.

Why? Embedded corruption has alienated a growing segment of the

David

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Walkabout property sold Tributes flow for Australian architect on social media for ‘undisclosed sum’ ...continued from p1

observers viewed as a veiled enforced gentrification programme, Hammersmith police forced the Shepherd’s Bush Walkabout to close for two Sundays in February.

Thereafter, the bar had to restrict its infamous Sunday sessions with a policy of no-entry after 4pm and was asked to review its drinks and entertainment offerings.

Intertain now intends to use the proceeds of the sale to fund a program of refurbishments and future acquisitions of pubs under the Walkabout brand.

“The sale proceeds from Shepherd’s Bush will fund the refurbishments and kick-start the acquisition programme, creating hundreds of new jobs in the process,” said Intertain.

The closure of the Shepherd’s Bush branch leaves one remaining Walkabout serving the Australian community in London at Temple.

It has been a tough year for the old-guard of the Aussie and Kiwi community in London, with the original London Walkabout bar in Covent Garden serving last drinks in March, followed by the closure of the much loved Australia Shop in April and then TNT Magazine being put under financial administration earlier this month Intertain paid tribute to the role the Shepherd’s Bush Walkabout had played in the Antipodean community over the past almost 20 years.

“Since we opened we have become famous for live sports, big nights out and our awesome Aussie

...continued from p1

atmosphere.

“We would like to thank all our customers for partying with us over the years; we hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as we have,” said Intertain.

With just fourteen days left of trading until the Walkie finally closes its doors, the pub is planning a number of events to say goodbye in style.

“As it stands you are now able to play your part in making the best of this tragic turn of events by attending the holy trinity of our final events,” the Walkabout told loyal customers in a newsletter.

Following the AFL Grand Final on 28 September, and the official closing party on 5 October, the last day of trading of the Walkie will coincide with the NRL Grand Final on 6 October.

“All bets are off that the 6th October might be a bit of a big day down in W12 as a chapter of expat Aussie/Kiwi/Saffa history is closed off,” said the pub.

Get More News

killed in the terrorist attack on the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi,” a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) spokeswoman said.

“The Australian government deeply regrets this senseless loss of life and extends deepest sympathies to the family of the victim.”

Tributes were flowing on Twitter on Monday for Mr Langdon and his wife Elif Yavuz.

“Horrible news that Ross Langdon and his wife were killed in the Nairobi

attacks,” Sydney architect Marcus Trimble wrote on the social network.

Designer Liane Rossler said the couple were “very special souls”.

“Such tragic news about beautiful Ross Langdon & his pregnant partner Elif Yavuz in Nairobi,” she wrote.

Tasmanian sculptor Peter Adams wrote on his blog that Mr Langdon was “an architect doing wondrous things”, including pro bono work for a hospital in Kenya.

“Both had dedicated their lives to working for a peaceful world. Both had so much to offer,” he wrote of Mr Langdon and Ms Yavuz.

“Besides a personal loss for myself, this is a major global loss.”

In 2010, Mr Langdon received the University of Sydney’s Young Alumni Award in recognition of his pursuit of excellence in the field of architecture on projects located across Australia, Europe and Africa.

At the time of going to print, the Kenyan army said it had launched an assault and freed most of the hostages in the Westgate shopping centre and the complex was mostly secure. It said its main concern was to rescue all hostages alive and the operation remained delicate. – With AAP People with concerns about family or friends in Kenya should try to contact them directly or if unsuccessful phone the DFAT consular emergency centre on +61 2 6261 3305.

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4 | UK Life

24 - 30 September 2013

our London

Spotlight on Soho

If Jack Burton from Big Trouble in Little China, Mitzi Del Bra from Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Sally Bowles from Cabaret all hung out together in London, Soho would definitely be where they would be.

Once a seedy hotbed of sex shops and late-night boozers, Soho’s narrow streets have undergone a renaissance over the years and now offers an eclectic mix of restaurants, culture and cocktails – while still retaining the colour and character of times past.

If you want to experience both the old and new Soho, here are my top five favourites to give you a glimpse at everything this neighbourhood has to offer.

n

Each week an Aussie Times writer will bring you a top five list from their favourite neighbourhood. This week GEORGIA DAWES explores the weird and wonderful of Soho, and comes up with a delectable list.

1

Prince Charles Theatre With a rotating mix of films – old and new, modern and classic – at one of West End’s independent cinemas, this theatre has earned a special place in the hearts and minds of London residents. Quote-along to Superbad, sing-a-long to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, check out a sci-fi double feature or stay overnight for an 80s themed movie marathon – the Prince Charles has something for every taste.

Image by Ewan-M

2 5 3 4Celebrate the Melbourne Cup Madame JoJo’s Cabaret Glitter and glamour, drinking and debauchery, all at Madame JoJo’s Cabaret — the jewel in Soho’s crown. A decadent yet intimate venue, Madame JoJo’s hosts magic shows, burlesque performances and drag acts of the highest calibre.

Trannyoke at Escape Bar Lubricate your vocals, tease up your hair, slip on your most dazzling outfit and get ready for TRANNYOKE! Held every Wednesday at Escape Bar, host Lady Lloyd will have you doing the locomotion and belting out Tina Turner’s entire back catalogue.

Chinatown Delicious, healthy and cheap! These are three words you don’t see together very often, but with the huge amount of

Image by David Whittle

great Asian restaurants on offer in Chinatown be prepared to see these three words together all the time.

Maison Bertaux Enjoy a cuppa and croissant at the quirky and kitsch Maison Bertaux patisserie. Dating back to 1871, Maison Bertaux is London’s oldest and selfproclaimed best patisserie in town.

Baking delectable goodies daily, it will have you frothing at the mouth before you even step inside. It also hosts an art gallery showing the works of London artists including mega-babe Noel Fielding.

So, if you want to discover Chinatown like Jack Burton, shake your groove thing like Mitzi Del Bra or belt out a tune like Sally Bowles, then head to Soho anytime, any day. There is always something great on.

Image by Hassi

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Ask an English person what happens on the first Tuesday of every November, they’ll probably reply: “It rains – much like the rest of November.” Ask an Australian however and they’ll immediately know you’re referring to a ‘race that stops a nation’ – a day of horseracing, fun and frivolity under the spring sun.

The first Tuesday of November has long been known as the day all of Australia stops what they’re doing to take part in the Melbourne Cup – whether watching from an office boardroom with a sweepstake ticket or placing a bet down at the local pub. First held in 1861, the race now enjoys a global audience of 700 million. From an initial prize of 710 gold sovereigns and a gold watch, participants in the Melbourne Cup now go in the running for a share of $6.2 million.

Australians living in London don’t have to miss out on the glitz and glamour of this classic tradition, with our very own ‘Flemington Racecourse’ being re-created in Australia House. Brought to you

by Australian Business, the annual Corporate Traveller Melbourne Cup

celebration has become a highlight of the Australian expat’s social calendar.

From 6.30pm on Tuesday 5 November 2013 Australia House will play host to over 350 people for this UK based Spring Carnival. The 2013 Corporate Traveller Melbourne Cup celebration includes a glass of Australian sparkling on arrival, Aussie wine and beer and canapés, a replay of the ‘big race’ on a large screen and a Fairground Game, where you can race to win!

With guests dressed in their best racing attire, the event also hosts a special ‘Fashions on the Field Parade’ with prizes for the Best Dressed Filly

and Fellow. The lucky winners will get an exclusive experience package at Westfield London, including a £300 shopping spree. The event is also sponsored by the State Government of Victoria.

There is also the opportunity to win two nights at the Copthorne Tara Hotel London including dinner and theatre tickets for two courtesy of Corporate Traveller and Millennium Hotels.

Tickets are £40 and available from Australianbusiness.co.uk. PLUS we’ve got two tickets to give away – go to australiantimes.co.uk to find out more.

Food & Wine | 5

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Coffee Cult visits

By Alex Ivett

Harris + Hoole

WHEN is a family-owned artesian coffee shop exactly none of those things?

Or, in our globalised world of mass production, focus groups and convenience, is the question rather – should we continue to search for the individually crafted experience when corporate momentum seems to favour genericism? Albeit, at least dressed up as a uniquely tailored offering.

It’s the ultimate paradox. In the search to be truly individual, it’s more than likely you’ll end up engaged in the exact opposite – a mass-produced experience designed exactly to satisfy your personally crafted wants and needs. A carefully designed corporate product which allows you to sip your reasonably priced generic coffee from a chipped pastel cup and sit in mismatched, low-slung chairs whilst still enjoying free wifi. Allowing you to think, yes, there may well be thousands of others all doing exactly what I’m doing at this point in time, but I am still special.

I am different.

Coffee Cult is as guilty of this as anyone. In fact, the whole column is based on discovering the undiscovered and introducing these gems to a caffeine-hungry expat community. Of hunting the hidden – the alleyway hidey-holes with the crates for seats, the market pop-ups and the corner-store café with the local artists of the wall.

Well, at least the ones with an Antipodean connection.

The Crucials and the Craic That’s why, when visiting the living paradox that is Tesco co-owned coffee chain Harris +

Hoole, we’re confronted with an identity-shaking conundrum. It has the hallmarks of a potential Coffee Cult favourite – the scrawled blackboard menu lining a wall, cucumber-infused water and vintage wooden décor. A laidout selection of cakes, muffins, banana bread and pastries draws us tantalisingly closer, before finally deciding on a light and delicious ham and cheese croissant.

All in all, it does successfully achieve a feeling of individuality – if you didn’t already know there were a number of cafes all identically individual across the city. The distressed tables and differently coloured chairs all look carefully stage-managed and a number of added extras contribute to a sense of corporate efficiency – three sizes of coffee, standardized fare and a buzzer system to collect your products once instructions have been passed down the wellstaffed line.

Most importantly the coffee, well, it’s not great. It tastes like chain-store coffee often does – bitter and frothy. It’s like the coffee itself refuses to play along in Harris + Hoole’s ‘artesian coffee-shop’ game.

The Connection The name itself is another pull at the heartstrings of the individualised consumer. Those who like to feel like they’re ingesting history along with their morning buzz. It refers to an entry from the diary of Samuel Pepys, a 17th century businessman, who detailed a night in February 1664 when he stopped at a ‘great Coffee-house’ with ‘Harris the player, and Mr Hoole of our College’ to engage in witty and pleasant discourse.

The brains behind Harris + Hoole, Australian siblings Nick, Andrew and Laura Tolley, pay tribute to the diary entry with their ostensible aim of continuing the tradition of bringing people together through good coffee. It is an aim successfully achieved in their other coffee venture – the eight-chain Taylor Street Baristas dotted across London. It does however rely on one factor – the coffee – and it is unclear to Coffee Cult whether it is an aim shared by corporate co-owners of Harris + Hoole, Tesco.

The Conclusion The concept of an artesian family-owned coffee-shop invokes certain images in the consumer’s mind, many of which are realised in chain-store Harris + Hoole.

However, if the aim is to convince the consumer they’re engaging in an individualised experience, there is only one fundamental that can’t be overlooked – a decent cup of coffee.

Harris + Hoole Various locations across London

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6 | Entertainment

What’s On Claudia O'Doherty 23 September - 5 October @Soho Theatre Dead Letter Circus 30 September @Underworld FilmFest Australia October 2013 @Barbican Centre

24 - 30 September 2013

See what we are following this week on

SheBu Walkie

Yep, that’s right. The SheBu Walkie is closing its well oiled doors for the final time on 6th October....so... @kiwimark73 No, not the SheBu Walkie...... sad day indeed.

Barry Gibb 3 October @O2 Arena

@snarkle Strewth mate! The end of an era for Aussies in London...

“Shepherd’s Bush Walkabout to close its doors in October”

Tim Minchin in Jesus Christ Superstar 13 October @02 Arena

@wedophotography Oh wow. I *hated* the places with a vengance, yet this is slightly sad: all but 1 of the London Walkabouts are closed

Ruthless Jabiru: Maralinga Lament 14 October @Union Chapel

@paulalexgray Oh noes! Shebu Walkie to close its doors in October

Jimeoin 17 October @Fairfield Hall Cloud Control 17 October @O2 Academy Brixton The Cat Empire 20 October @O2 Academy Ball Park Music 23 October @The Water Rats Sarah Blasko 1 December @Islington Assembly Hall

For full details... ...and more Aussie gigs go to: AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

@ryansharpnz crank out the sweet child o mine @jo_moir Bu-town walkie is closing down @dww84 I wouldn’t have ever gone to the SheBu Walkie again.

Just nostalgia from some very drunken nights there when feeling homesick! @nickredmond and then there was one, @nickmalarao I recall fondly the Nathan Astle century in the 2003 World Cup. @meatsweet Ahh the SheBu Walkie, Home of Snakies and Pies: Walkabout Shepherd’s Bush property for sale.

Follow us on Twitter @AustralianTimes

UK all-Australian orchestra perform Maralinga Lament at Union Chapel Australian expats in the UK are set to be treated to a truly unique musical experience this October, as London’s all-Australian chamber orchestra, Ruthless Jabiru, perform a special tribute concert at Islington’s famous Union Chapel.

Accompanied by guest artist Lara St John, Ruthless Jabiru will highlight in performance the complex story of Maralinga in remote South Australia. The area was used as a site for undercover British nuclear testing in the 1950s and 60s, leaving thousands of Indigenous people and British and Australian servicemen affected, and the site destitute with radioactive waste.

At the heart of the musical programme is a work for violin and string orchestra called Maralinga by Australian composer Matthew Hindson.

“I wanted to devise a programme connected with the Australian landscape, to complement the Australia exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts,” said conductor Kelly Lovelady, the orchestra’s founding Artistic Director.

“Maralinga was inspired by a stretch of desert where one political decision has had tragic repercussions for health, community, and the environment.

I’ve chosen a programme to evoke the loss and the chemical strangeness which has become a part of that landscape.”

Maralinga scholar Dr. Liz Tynan described a complex tragedy of secrets, spies, and international relations.

“At Maralinga, part of our territory became the most highly contaminated land in the world. It’s time for

Maralinga Lament artwork by Brisbane artist Sarah Hickey

Maralinga to become part of our national conversation, and the arts is a great medium to do this.”

Ruthless Jabiru was established in 2011 by Lovelady to showcase the best of Australia’s expatriate musical talent and is comprised of professional Australian musicians based in the UK. The orchestra will be joined in this tribute concert by Canadian violinist Lara St John, for whom Hindson wrote the solo violin part of Maralinga. St. John has been described as “something of a phenomenon” by The Strad and a “high-powered soloist” by The New York Times.

The performance will also include UK premieres of works by Australian composer Paul Stanhope and Dublinbased Linda Buckley, as well as

A true pioneer

Artwork by Sarah Hickey

cornerstones of the string orchestra repertoire by Arvo Pärt and Samuel Barber.

Maralinga Lament is on at Union Chapel on Monday 14 October at 7.30pm. Tickets are £16 in advance, available from unionchapel.org. uk, or £18 at the door. For more information on Ruthless Jabiru see ruthlessjabiru.com.

n

Interview | From Edinburgh Fringe, Australian comedian Claudia O’Doherty brings her latest off-beat show Pioneer to Soho Theatre.

By Alex Ivett Ask a comedian what inspires their stand-up show, and they’ll usually reply, ‘I just write about what I find funny.’

For the inquisitive interviewer who is secretly looking to improve their dinner party banter, this reply usually feels unsatisfactory. If that’s all there is to it, couldn’t I just get up on stage and share hilarious word puns? Or host an hourlong slideshow of internet memes and kitten gifs, and feel the validating glow of an audience in stitches?

Of course I couldn’t, not least because no one would pay for that. No matter what the comedians themselves say, stand-up comedy is more than just jokes. It is a performance; a story shared with the audience in the comedian’s own style. And when that style is fresh, unseen and innovative – that’s when it’s truly something funny.

Australian comedian Claudia O’Doherty is one act that has embraced her own unique style, making a name for herself on the UK scene for her inventive, cutting-edge and eccentric approach. Yet, she hesitates to describe herself in this way.

“I don’t set out to write eccentric comedy, just funny comedy,” O’Doherty tells Australian Times.

“If it’s seen as eccentric, that’s fine by me.”

However, with a repertoire of shows under her belt which have seen her as the last survivor of a small colony that lived under the sea, through to channelling a time-travelling monk or sharing her thoughts on soil erosion, it would be hard for O’Doherty to deny her comedy falls firmly within the category of off-beat.

Her latest show, Pioneer, is no exception, with O’Doherty taking the audience on a journey into her brain and showing them the paint-splattered walls. In the show O’Doherty earns her ‘big break’ on the West End stage via sponsorship from audio-visual giant Pioneer.

“The show is me introducing myself to the British entertainment industry, but in the style of a big budget, corporate keynote,” says O’Doherty.

“It’s a combination of true and entirely made-up things – essentially I’m being an overblown, idiotic version of myself.”

It is the fourth show O’Doherty has played to the Edinburgh Fringe before bringing it to the London stage. Her last, The Telescope, earned her a nomination for the Edinburgh Comedy Award in 2012.

O’Doherty says Edinburgh is good practice for breaking into the London scene.

“It’s really helpful. The show is

properly worked in by the time you get it to London, and people who’ve seen the show in Edinburgh can recommend it to people in London,” she says.

It is not only the UK stage where O’Doherty is making her presence felt.

She has launched a series of ‘Comedy Blaps’ for Channel 4 (available on YouTube) charting her hilarious journey to the UK as ambassador for her parent’s travel company, O’Doherty World Travel.

With all this recent attention, does O’Doherty feel like the UK is just jumping on the bandwagon – considering she’s already won multiple comedy awards in Australia?

“The UK is more than welcome to jump on my bandwagon,” says O’Doherty.

Well, you heard the lady, come along to Soho Theatre and join in the ride.

It may just be what O’Doherty finds funny, but it is also genuine comedy.

Claudia O’Doherty: Pioneer Soho Theatre Mon 23 September – Sat 5 October.

Tickets are £10-£17.50 from Sohotheatre.com.

Entertainment | 7

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Australian opera singers bring sounds of Venice to London

Three Australian singers are performing in the English Touring Opera’s (ETO) upcoming season of Baroque Opera from Venice, opening in London on 28 September and running until 12 October.

London will be treated to the sights and sounds of Venice, with a series of three operas all written for the famous Carnival season.

Australian singers play principal roles in all three productions at the Britten Theatre, Royal College of Music.

Performing with ETO for the first time is Sydney-born counter-tenor Russell Harcourt, who plays Nutrice in Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea and Narciso in Handel’s Agrippina.

“Agrippina is a great comedy with

lots of sexual innuendo and love trysts, and although The Coronation of Poppea is a tragic drama, there’s a lot of cross dressing and mistaken identities,” Harcourt explains.

“Both operas are very different because of their composer, their music and their titles, but they're linked by some characters of the same names. So you could say Agrippina is sort of a prequel to The Coronation of Poppea.”

Harcourt believes the productions will be great for anyone who hasn’t been to an opera before.

“There are big wigs and frocks, rotating sets,” he says, “and, if that’s not enough to keep you entertained, the singing is pretty great and you’ll

understand every word because it’s all in English.

“It’s a great privilege, as an Australian, to be working with ETO and particularly as a counter-tenor — a man that sounds like a woman but has all his “bits” — because there’s an abundance of beautiful music, opera and song for my voice type that I don’t often get to perform in Australia,” he continues.

“It can be tough living on the other side of the world particularly when I’m between jobs but the overall job satisfaction and pleasure it gives to others makes it all the more worthwhile.”

Australian mezzo-soprano Helen Sherman also appears in The Coronation

of Poppea, performing in a ‘trouser role’ as the Roman Emperor, Nero.

Tenor Stuart Haycock completes the trio of Australians in ETO’s season.

He plays Lucano in The Coronation of Poppea and Demus in the season’s third production Jason, Cavalli’s satire on the sex life of the hero of Jason & the Golden Fleece.

After the season in London finishes, ETO takes Baroque Opera from Venice on the road around the UK, visiting Bath, Buxton, Cambridge, Durham, Exeter, Harrogate, Malvern and Snape.

For more information on listings and for tickets visit Englishtouringopera.org.uk or call 0844 412 4314.

Highlights of BFI’s Shifting Sands

n

Australia: Shifting Sands is a BFI retrospective of Australian cinema over the last two decades, tracing the emergence of Indigenous voices and stories captured on the big screen.

The Royal Academy’s exhibition Australia marks the first major survey of Australian art in the UK in 50 years.

To compliment this, the British Film Institute (BFI) is screening a season of Australian Indigenous cinema. Here are five highlights of the programme.

the case develops, he begins to suffer from vivid and disturbing dreams, which appear to tie-in with bizarre meteorological events and connect him to one of the accused – played by David Gulpilil.

27 September

The Last Wave

BeDevil

In Peter Weir’s follow-up to Picnic at Hanging Rock, Richard Chamberlain stars as a Lawyer representing five Aboriginal men accused of murder. As

Tracey Moffat was the first Aboriginal woman to direct a feature film, following a career in photography.

BeDevil presents a fascinating triptych of ghost stories, based on tales handed down. It relies on the surrounding landscape and nature to embellish the supernatural air to the film.

24 & 26 September

Rabbit-Proof Fence

The true story of three children abandoned by their white fathers, are taken from their Aboriginal mothers – claimed as part of The Stolen Generation. Moved to a state facility for mixed race children, they escape and embark on a 1200 mile journey home. Christopher Doyle’s cinematography accentuates the stark but stunning outback, in a story that will move audiences to tears.

29 & 30 September

Ten Canoes

A group of Aboriginal tribesmen

take an annual hunting trip for goose eggs, providing a catalyst for magical stories to be shared between elders and the younger men. This celebration of storytelling is visually poetic, funny and engaging, and is the first ever film entirely filmed in Australian Aboriginal languages.

29 September & 6 October

Australia

Receiving mixed reviews at the box office, Baz Lurhmann’s historical drama epic sets its tale of romance between a visiting English-woman (Nicole Kidman) and an Australian drover (Hugh Jackman) against a backdrop of racial tension. The film is narrated by Nullah (Brandon Walters), a young boy evading the authorities who are determined to separate him from his Aboriginal mother.

29 September & 3 October Australia: Shifting Sands runs until 8 October with tickets on sale through the BFI website. For more information see whatson.bfi.org.uk.

Get more Drama

AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment

8 | Travel

“You like?” The young man rushes to my side.

This is my first day in Marrakesh, and I am yet to learn that you don’t steal a sideways glance at what’s on offer without attracting the attention of an attentive shopkeeper.

“Eeyeh” I reply, exhausting my vocabulary of Moroccan Arabic. “I do like”.

He picks one particularly worn-looking satchel from display and places it in my hands. The edges are frayed, the stitching is off-centred and the surface is covered in natural blemishes – it’s perfect.

“You like this one? Feel the quality,” he urges.

I fumble it for a while, not knowing quite what I’m searching for. The keeper however knows exactly what it is I’m after — a story — because as a tourist, buying a bag abroad would mean nothing if it wasn’t for the story behind it.

“All of these are made by my family in the mountains,” he begins. “I bring them here to Marrakesh to sell. This one is very old.”

It sounds too good to be true, but I consider for a moment Marrakesh might be different. Perhaps there is a place beyond the tantalising tourist traps of those popular European cities. A place where a rustic looking bag on the counter genuinely is a rustic bag and the price you pay for such a gem vaguely resembles what it’s worth. If such a place does exist on the budget airline route, you’d find it in Morocco and maybe, just maybe that place is Marrakesh.

“How much?” I ask.

The young man smiles and draws me near.

“For you my friend I make a special price. Three hundred Dirhams.”

I assure him I will return. I then step outside and delve deeper into the bustling maze of markets with the hope I will soon be spat back onto the main square, the famous Djemaa el-Fna with its lively crowds and cashpoints. However, I don’t travel far before finding myself in front of yet another shop selling bags. I notice this particular lane I’ve stumbled into is dotted with identical stores, each decorated with leather goods that dangle from the shutters. I take to the first of these stores and sure enough, there sits my bag – my one-of-a-kind, hand-made, blemish-riddled bag. To be completely sure I pick it up and inspect the quality. I still don’t know what I’m looking for but whatever it is, this one has it too.

Suddenly a man appears at my side.

‘You like?”

24 - 30 September 2013

n

The magic of Morocco lies just under the surface, as TYSON YATES discovers on a round-trip adventure from Marrakesh.

Travel | 9

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Travel | 11

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12 | Professional Life

24 - 30 September 2013

Dollar Review

Great News!

Aussie Dollar fairly valued according to Big Mac Index You can now get your Australian Times newspaper every week as a FREE digital edition for your iPad, iPhone or Android.

Just scan this QR code or go to

AustralianTimes.co.uk/newspapers

By Anton van Teylingen The Aussie dollar has experienced its first stable week in a while after a roller coaster winter that saw numerous lows and swings. This is a welcome sign for the Aussie, and has provided investors and business analysts with an optimistic outlook.

The Aussie is now also set to be “fairly valued” at its US$93c rate, according to the CommSec Ipad Index and Economist’s Big Mac Index. These two Indexes are today’s modern purchasing power comparisons. They allow us to consider the fair value of everyday products worldwide. The information may surprise some who consider the Aussie dollar is still overvalued. Retailers will be sitting in the corner of the Reserve Bank and hoping for an interest rate cut ahead of the festive season. This will assist in reducing retailer costs along with helping consumers through lower mortgage and credit card rates. All in all the decision will be left up to the RBA, whose opinion remains that the

Aussie is still overvalued.

The Aussie was helped along further

by Chinese manufacturing data that exceeded analysts’ expectations.

It saw Australia’s currency advance against 15 of its 16 major counterparts, thanks to the positive report. This will impact local commodity exports and favour both Chinese and Australian trade.

Looking ahead, some important data coming out of the US could well provide some insight into the Aussie’s push for parity against the Greenback. There are mixed expectations surrounding the data releases, with consumer confidence set to be lower than expected.

Exchange rates GBP/AUD: 1.702 EUR/AUD: 1.433 USD/AUD: 1.061 NZD/AUD: 0.888 10:30 GMT, 23 September 2013

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14 | Sport

24 - 30 September 2013

Confessions of a Where to watch the AFL female footy fan Grand Final in London

One Aussie fan feeling the AFL finals fever n The AFL Grand Final will be shown live at many venues across London. Here’s a list of the best options. reflects on her long love affair with footy.

n

By Nicole Hayes It’s footy finals time in Melbourne right now, and I have to say, it never gets old. My love affair with Australian footy started when I was a kid, growing up in the Melbourne suburb of Glen Waverley. In the 1980s, Glen Waverley was mostly just a lot of paddocks, football ovals, and wide, newly rolled streets, dotted occasionally with an AV Jennings cream brick veneer and a lot of unfinished building sites. The shops closed from noon on a Saturday until Monday morning, and the nearest cinema was nine kilometres away in Knox City. There really wasn’t much else to do in those long winter months except play footy. So that’s what my twin brother and I did, joining the Glen Waverley Rovers in the Under 9s; staying at the club for our junior years.

I fell quickly in love. I can still recall the feel of a Sherrin in my hands, the wind in my face, and the smell of mud thick in my nostrils. The rush of taking a speccy, and the resounding thump of a well-aimed torpedo were about as exciting as my life got back then. I couldn’t get enough, and my brother and I played every chance we could.

Actually, when I say “we” played footy for Glen Waverley, what I mean is, my brother played, while I was restricted to joining in at training and watching wistfully from the boundary line every Sunday afternoon, hoping I might one day get a game. I wasn’t eligible to play real games. Not because I wasn’t any good, but because I was — am — a girl.

When my coach requested I be allowed to play, the football administrators informed him that football wasn’t “safe” for girls.

A couple of years later this ban was lifted for girls under 14, and more recently a revision of the rule has allowed girls up to 15 to play in mixed

teams on a case-by-case basis. There are whole competitions exclusively for girls and we’ve had the first ever women’s only AFL match as a curtain raiser before the Western Bulldogs versus Melbourne Demons match earlier this year.

But for me, all that came too late.

By the time girls could play, I was ensconced in secondary school and had found my way to the steps of Glenferrie Oval — the home of the Hawthorn Hawks — where I deposited myself for a good chunk of my teenage years, cheering for the Hawks every week with the kind of passion only a true sports fan understands.

Back then I went to every match and never missed a grand final at the MCG. But as the ticket prices went up and the travel bug bit too hard to resist, it became an annual pilgrimage to find a local pub or bar where I could watch the game, as close to live as licensing laws allowed it. I’ve watched the grand final in a backpackers’ hostel in London, an Irish bar in Honolulu, and a stranger’s lounge room in Tokyo. I’ve yet to miss one.

My obsession has levelled somewhat since my teen years, but I’ll be watching the grand final this year, like every year, inevitably recalling that intoxicating mix of churned up grass and the rough leather skin of a worn and muddied Sherrin, wishing I could be a part of it, knowing that it wasn’t my time.

Australian footy fanatics unite! The AFL Grand Final 2013 is coming to the capital, live from the MCG. It may well be screening at some ungodly hour on Saturday morning, but that doesn’t mean you can’t watch to watch the Hawthorn Hawks take on the Fremantle Dockers with a meat pie and beer in hand.

A number of bars and venues around London celebrate the biggest day on the Aussie sporting calendar by putting on a party to remember (or forget – yes we are looking at you, 2012 Hawks fans).

Not just for the sports nuts, most Aussie expats become AFL fans at least for the day and drag themselves out, bleary eyed for the big one – the truly devoted just pushing right through from Friday night and into the dawn.

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Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes

For those who want somewhere central, with something a little extra – Bloomsbury Lanes are holding an AFL Grand Final Party with a difference. Hosted by Bogan Bingo it will be an epic affair, with four large screens, a footy marathon of classic Grand Final’s past, a half-time Handball Competition, hot pies and sausage rolls, and Australian craft beers and a prize for best costume.

There’s plenty of space for everyone to watch the game with doors opening at 4.30am, bounce at 5.30am and the party kicking on until midday. Tickets are £7.00 in advance or £10 on the door.

The deets: Basement of the Tavistock Hotel, Bedford Way, WC1H 9EU Tube: Russell Square, London Website: billetto.co.uk/ aflgrandfinalparty

The Junction Bar

(hosted by the London Swans)

Last year this party went off – with a sell-out crowd celebrating a Sydney Swans victory. With seven large screens and one GIANT screen it will be a great place to catch the match live in the North.

Full details will be released soon on how to get your tickets early.

Nicole Hayes is the author of The Whole of my World (Random House) a novel about a teenage girl obsessed with Australian footy, now on sale in the UK online through Amazon or Book Depository or at UK retailers.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter (@nichmelbourne) or check out Nicolehayesauthor.com for more information.

THE NRL IS BACK

Best places to watch the footy final LIVE

The deets: 2A Corsica Street, London, Highbury N5 1JJ Tube: Highbury & Islington Website: LondonSwans.co.uk

Clapham Grand

With Aussie beer, food and goodies, and the chance to win some great prizes, the Clapham Grand has for many years laid claim to South

THE Every Docker has its day

By Will Denton

Finally! The Fremantle Football Club have officially qualified to play in an AFL Grand Final.

Rewind back to 1994, when the AFL handed a ragtag bunch of cowboy car salesmen from WA a team license, a donkey, a small wheelbarrow of cash and a blank canvas to choose colours, a mascot and a song. The only provisos; the team had to be called Fremantle, and it had to be everything the West Coast Eagles weren’t.

They did pretty well in both.

RUBDOWN They came up with a nickname still yet to be clarified as to what it actually means, chose an interesting colour scheme involving Purple, Red and Green, and composed a club song that epitomised the mid nineties — dour, gloomy and totally unfashionable.

The thing the Dockers did have going for it; it had a soul, an identity.

In between getting smashed by the Eagles and some of the most ridiculous game plans ever implemented, Freo used to come away with some amazing victories leaving fans not only stunned, but wanting to experience that purple magic again, only to have their souls crushed the very next week. But still, they would turn up, hopeful a miracle would be performed before their very eyes.

Sometimes it actually did. One

London’s biggest and best AFL Grand Final party. Not to mention their massive screen – the largest sports screen in the UK at 24 feet wide! Throw in six plasma screens strategically positioned so punters never miss the action and watching the granniet at The Grand is almost as good as being at the G... almost.

Tickets are £10 and include entry, an Aussie pie and a beer. Doors open at 4.30am. Plus, there’s VIP Tables and VIP Boxes available.

The deets: The Grand, 21-25 St John’s Hill, Clapham Junction, SW11 1TT Tube: Clapham Junction Website: For tickets go to uksportsclub.com

Walkabout, Temple or Shepherd’s Bush

Then of course there are London’s Walkabout bars, if you dare.

For the 2013 AFL Grand Final live telecast, doors open at the Walkabout Temple at 4am on 28 September.

Tickets are £20 and include two free drinks and a breakfast bap, and can be purchased online or in cash at the venue (prior to the event), or expect a big queue on the day.

Shepherd’s Bush Walkabout opens at 4.30am and £15 tickets will get you entry, two drinks and breakfast.

The deets: Temple Place, WC2R 2PH/ Shepherd’s Bush Green, W12 8QE Tube: Temple / Shepherd’s Bush Website: Walkabout.eu.com for Temple Walkabout / shebuwalkie. co.uk for Shepherd’s Bush Walkabout.

Note to the bleary eyed faithful: Tubes stations are given as a point of reference. You’ll need to be there before the tubes run if you don’t want to miss the bounce. day they finally beat the Eagles, a major turning point in the clubs short history. It was all they ever wanted to do for 5 years. However significant this victory was, REAL respect is only gained by obtaining 2 things – a cup and a flag. However unobtainable, all Freo fans have the same ‘one day’ dream, to see the Dockers the last ones standing in September.

And here we are, almost 20 years later, and Freo have qualified, legitimately, to play in an AFL Grand Final. They did it by disposing of the reigning premier Sydney, in front of a crowd so mental even the interchange steward was receiving thunderous standing ovations.

I suspect there will be more than a few misty eyes when the teams run out on Saturday, with even the most die hard Freo fans doubting whether this day would ever eventuate.

Hawthorn vs. Fremantle. 2013 Grand Final. Just watch it.

Sport | 15

AustralianTimes.co.uk

Don’t expect us to play soft, says South Sydney ...continued from p16 incidents in the lead-up to the finals, with speculation the Sea Eagles will be out for retribution for Lima’s leg twist on Anthony Watmough in the last meeting between the two sides.

Watmough came into the round 23 game off the back of a knee injury, and was subjected to an ugly leg twist in the opening exchanges by Lima, who capped a one-game ban for the incident.

Watmough missed the ensuing two matches as his knee injury flared - and while the pair will no doubt meet again on Friday night - veteran Roy Asotasi said fellow prop Lima should not change his style game against the Sea Eagles.

But Asotasi was adamant the Rabbitohs were not a dirty team.

“We can’t play dirty and that’s not how we’ve played our game all year,”

Asotasi said.

“We’ve played our game pretty clean you’d like to think.

“Jeff won’t be changing the way he plays. He had a great game against Melbourne last game and that’s all we expect from him, to go out there and do what he needs to do.

“I don’t think he is a dirty player.”

The round 23 encounter between the two sides also enjoyed a spiteful build-up, after Rabbitohs superstar Greg Inglis was dumped on his head three times when they clashed at Brookvale Oval in round seven.

Asotasi expected a tough, yet above board, encounter on Friday.

“You go out there and try and bash each other as much as we can,’ Asotasi said.

“It’s a contact sport, you’re not going to expect anything soft, especially in the finals series.”

Luke Burgess was also forced to launch an impassioned defence of brother Sam, who was banned late in the season for grabbing at the crotch of Melbourne’s Will Chambers.

Sam Burgess admitted on his return after the Chambers suspension that he had been getting frustrated and had to eradicate some of the silly stuff from his game, but his older sibling played down the furore.

“I don’t know what all the niggle talk’s about really,” Luke Burgess said.

“Sam just plays the game hard, he’s a real competitor ... I don’t necessarily see him being a niggler.”

Like Asotasi, Burgess played down the prospect of revenge being on the minds of either set of players at ANZ Stadium.

“I honestly don’t think it does - the game’s past that now,” Burgess said.

“Players these days, especially this time of year, it’s all about performing, it’s not about getting one over on someone that you mighty have had a bit of a niggle with in the past.”

By Steve Jancetic

Kangaroos train-on squad gains star power ...continued from p16 the Storm’s elimination from the finals with their 18-16 defeat to Newcastle on Saturday night.

Smith, Cronk, Slater, Gallen and Lewis are certainties to be included in the 24-man squad to head to England to attempt to win back the World Cup, while Fifita is also considered a strong contender following a breakout year for the Sharks.

After being told he was unwanted

by Wests Tigers at the end of the 2011 NRL season, Fifita took his game to a new level in 2013 to become a mainstay of the NSW Origin pack.

North Queensland pair Matt Scott and James Tamou shape as coach Tim Sheens’ first-choice props, but Fifita is tipped to find himself a spot in the extended squad.

His selection could make for an awkward re-acquaintance with Sheens, who was coach of the Tigers at the time Fifita was let go. - AAP

Andrew Fifita of the Cronulla Sharks (AAP Image/Robb Cox)

Fremantle Dockers desperate for AFL glory ...continued from p16 At one stage, Fremantle had 2.10 to their name before straightening up to finish with 14.15.

Lyon fears another wayward effort in the grand final could cost his team the flag.

Hawthorn has first-hand experience of that after their return of 11.15 cost them victory against Sydney in last year’s premiership decider.

Although blustery conditions were to blame for Fremantle’s inaccuracy against Sydney last week, Lyon told his team to brace for a similar challenge at the MCG. The former Saints coach said it was important his players paid close attention to early shots on goal in order to figure out how best to deal with the wind.

“Malcolm Blight talks about first shot at the MCG, kick it dead straight, see where it goes and everyone goes to school on it,” Lyon said.

“Teams often kick 7.22 there, and I hope it’s not us.

“We certainly didn’t go to school on the wind (last week).

“I can tell you in the review eight of them missed to the right. You need to go to school.”

Hawthorn also need to do their homework after kicking 14.18 in their five-point win over Geelong at the MCG last Friday.

The Hawks are hungry for success after underachieving since their shock 2008 flag win.

But Fremantle are also desperate to taste premiership glory after being starved of success during their 19year history.

Lyon twice came close to winning the flag as coach of St Kilda, and said

Australian teams perform admirably at Provincial Challenge

By Phillip Browne The Try Tag Rugby Origin weekend was held last Saturday at Twyford Avenue Sports Ground in Acton. London based New South Wales and Queensland teams performed extremely well at the inaugural Provincial Challenge tournament.

New South Wales managed to cruise through the pool stages of six matches with four wins, a draw against North England and just one loss which was 5-4 to the London New Zealand North Island team to reach the semi finals. Queensland also managed to secure four wins, a draw against London New Zealand North Island and a loss to New South Wales to reach the semi finals.

As it turned out, both Aussie teams would have to play each other in the semi finals with one going through to the grand final and the losing team heading into the third place playoff match.

After being defeated 6-2 by New South Wales in the pool stages, this time around, the Queenslanders got one back on their southern counterparts with stand out performances from Chris Jurotte and Shannon Bennett to walk away with a 7-4 victory.

In a thrilling final which had it all, in the way of sensational line running, side stepping, kick chases and diving tags, it was not to be for the maroons as the New Zealand North Island team walked away with the inaugural Provincial Challenge title with a 5-1 victory.

With Queensland finishing in

Image by Thomas Ralph

second position, New South Wales managed to defeat North England to take third place which was a good result for the two Aussie teams.

Origin weekend also encompassed the 2013 London Origin Tag Rugby series in which the best tag rugby players in the capital battled it out for either North London or South London to see which side of the Thames reigned supreme.

In the nailbiter, South London defeated North London 10-9 in the men’s division with North London bouncing back in the mixed to win 11-8 to clinch the series on points differential. Proud Aussie Tom Peel who played for North London won the 2013 London Origin player of the series.

The next one day tournament will be the Finsbury Park Tag Rugby Festival on Saturday, 12 October.

Team and individual registrations are now open.

If you would like to get involved in a Try Tag Rugby competition or event before the big cold comes back to London, go to www.trytagrugby.com or email info@trytagrugby.com for more details.

In2Touch Honourable Mentions

By Tracey Andrew of In2Touch With 16 venues around England, over 600 teams playing in the London leagues alone, and over 1,000 teams playing country wide, touch rugby is taking the nation by storm. As the 2013 Spring and Summer seasons are finished we are honouring teams in the In2Touch Leagues who have shown great spirit and enthusiasm towards touch.

BROTHERS IN ARMS: Michael Walters and Danyle Pearce of Fremantle celebrate a goal against the Swans on their way to this Saturday’s AFL Grand Final. (AAP Image/Theron Kirkman) both Fremantle and Hawthorn had plenty to prove.

“They (Hawthorn) lost a grand final last year. I’ve been on the end of two losing grand finals and it’s not fantastic for the ego,” Lyon said.

“So they’ll feel the internal pressure themselves trying to get across the line.

“But we’ve got as much to lose.”

Defender Zac Dawson and midfielder Danyle Pearce are the only two players in Fremantle’s team who have played in a grand final before.

In contrast, Hawthorn boasted 18 in last week’s win over Geelong.

Lyon said the difference in experience wouldn’t mean anything come Saturday.

“It’s certainly not relevant to us.

It’s not about perception, it’s about action,” Lyon said.

“Like Hawthorn in 2008 - you get in there and you try to take your opportunity.”

The Hawks have won their past four matches against Fremantle, including a 42-point triumph in Launceston in round four.

Fremantle were missing the likes of Matthew Pavlich, Aaron Sandilands, Luke McPharlin and Zac Clarke that day, and Lyon says his team are now playing far better than earlier in the season.

By Justin Chadwick in Perth

Misfits — Tuesday Night Mixed — Clapham Common Created in 2007 from a motley crew of British Claphamites and a band of wandering southern hemisphere travellers, the team has evolved enormously over the years. They admit their off-field ability has often overridden any expectations on-field but the Misfits are no strangers to silverware.

enthusiastic individual players. Let’s just say it was love at first touch. They continue to get to know each other and gel as a team on the pitch, greatly assisted by their post-match socials in the pub. They’ve taken a few defeats as good experience and enjoyed their first win, which allowed them to roll out their highly anticipated MC Hammer inspired victory dance.

Jim’ll Touch It — Thursday Night — Clapham Common Rising from the ashes of former team ‘TBA’ Jim’ll Touch It now boast perhaps the most international team on the Common – nationalities include: American, Australian, English, Irish, Kiwi, and Swedish. Despite their new identity, and many new faces they’ve managed to maintain their core style of fast free-flowing play on the pitch, and fast free-flowing beer off the pitch!

Gene Hackman — Mixed league — ­ Clapham Common A smattering of Irish, English and Australians they were initially going to call themselves Mel Gibson, but decided on Gene Hackman, because he is the right type of ordinary that the common man can relate to.

Their ambition is to make Gene Hackman proud and if he were to turn up to one of their games then that would be super. If they could start and win one fight that would also be great (but they admit unlikely). Other than that they hope to score more tries than they let in.

Hammertime (U can’t touch this) — Tuesday Mixed — Clapham/ Wandsworth Not knowing each other a week before the league started, this team was drawn together as an assortment of

For more information or if you would like to register for an O2 Touch league or competition, go to www.in2touch.com/uk or e-mail info@in2touch.com or call the London office on 020 85420827

RUBDOWN

SPORT Bracing for grand final THE

Every Docker has its day

P14

Back to school for Dockers in AFL Grand Final

n

Emotionally draining, a distraction, a fun few days. Grand final week can be all three for an AFL player.

...continued on p15

By Greg Buckle in Melbourne HAWTHORN’S advantage, apart from being the home team at the MCG on Saturday against Fremantle, is they’ll have a lot more grand final experience in their line-up than their rivals from Western Australia.

Hawthorn midfielder Shaun Burgoyne will play his fourth grand final on Saturday and 17 of his teammates have also tasted the atmosphere of the big one.

Burgoyne, 30, joined the Hawks for the 2010 season. The onballer was a premiership player with Port Adelaide in 2004 and played in the 2007 loss to Geelong.

But even he’s still learning about what’s required on the big day.

“Last year (Hawthorn’s grand final loss to Sydney) probably taught myself that we’ve got to dig a bit deeper, pull something out mentally and physically, push yourself to where you haven’t been pushed before,” Burgoyne said on Monday.

“Going through the process that some of the younger guys went through last year, it definitely gives you an understanding of what happens throughout the week.

“It can be distracting if you allow it to be.

“It’s a fun week as well.

“We came so close last year and hopefully going through that process will give them more confidence this year.

“We’ll definitely be talking to some of the younger guys who may not have went (sic) through it last year.

“It (grand final experience) is definitely a positive.”

Hawthorn’s side to be named on Thursday is likely to contain at

FREMANTLE players have the chance to become part of AFL folklore on Saturday. But first, coach Ross Lyon wants them to go back to school.

The Dockers reached their first ever grand final with a 25-point win over Sydney last week, setting up a dream showdown with Hawthorn in the decider.

Fremantle’s unrelenting pressure proved too much to handle for Sydney, but the Dockers’ shoddy goalkicking left Lyon a tad concerned.

Souths deny dirty tactics

FOOTY FEVER

Where to watch the big one in London | P14 FANATICALLY FREO: Fremantle Supporters celebrate the final siren against Sydney at Patersons Stadium in Perth, signalling the Dockers' entry into their first ever Grand Final. (AAP Image/Theron Kirkman) least 18 players with grand final experience.

Fremantle, who joined the AFL in 1995, are playing in their first decider.

Port Adelaide recruit Danyle Pearce and ex-Saint Zac Dawson are the

only two Dockers’ with grand final experience.

Hawthorn’s most notable debutant on Saturday will be former Western Bulldogs’ fullback Brian Lake, a 217game veteran in his first season with the Hawks.

“I’m going to enjoy the week,” Lake said.

“The kids at home, they’re pretty excited for the parade (on Friday) and the family day on Thursday for our last training session.

“They’re stoked.”

JUST days out from their first sudden-death game of 2013, South Sydney have been forced to defend themselves against accusations of dirty play in a bid to end 42 years of premiership futility.

Having enjoyed a week out of the limelight as they took a low key approach to Friday night’s NRL preliminary final against Manly, the spotlight was back on the Rabbitohs pack on Monday — and in particular the tactics employed by forward enforcers Jeff Lima and Sam Burgess.

The pair were suspended for their involvement in unsavoury on-field ...continued on p15

Fifita headed for World Cup

CRONULLA prop Andrew Fifita is one step closer to completing a meteoric rise to Test footballer after being added to the Kangaroos train-on squad for the end of year World Cup. Fifita was one of eight players added to the squad on Monday, but was the only uncapped addition alongside Sharks teammates Todd Carney, Paul Gallen and Luke Lewis.

Melbourne quartet Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk, Ryan Hoffman and Kangaroos skipper Cameron Smith were also added following ...continued on p15