6 - 12 November 2012 – Issue: 437
STORIES FOR ADULTS
Mastering the magic of storytelling
THRILLER IN LONDON
Closer to home
SPORT P12
TRAVEL P7
Delights on your doorstep
Power surge to AFL victory
ENTERTAINMENT P6
SHOULD TURNBULL BE LIBERAL’S PICK? n
Abbott shrugs off latest polling showing Turnbull as preferred opposition leader.
TONY Abbott has played up his credentials as an opposition leader who takes the fight to the government, saying voters’ preference for frontbencher Malcolm Turnbull stems from his good work as a shadow minister. Mr Abbott’s comment came as Labor seized on the latest Galaxy poll result as positive for the government. The Galaxy poll, published by News Ltd, shows Mr Turnbull is preferred
as opposition leader by 60 per cent of voters, compared with 29 per cent support for Mr Abbott. The poll also shows the two-party preferred vote at 53 per cent for the coalition against 47 per cent for Labor – a three point improvement for Labor since June. Taking into account a three-point margin of error, the poll is roughly in line with the latest Newspoll which
showed the two-party vote Labor and the coalition 50/50. Mr Abbott told reporters in Canberra on Monday he was holding a “bad government” to account and laying the groundwork for a new coalition government after the 2013 federal election. “Every day I am out there with a positive alternative, as well as doing the essential job of opposition, which is to
Taking flight with Sydney DJ duo Flight Facilities INTERVIEW I P6
hold the government to account,” Mr Abbott said. Asked why Mr Turnbull was more popular, Mr Abbott said the opposition communications spokesman was making an impact in his portfolio. “I think Malcolm is doing a really good job as the shadow minister for communications,” Mr Abbott said. “The fact that more and more people are realising the national broadband network is the wrong way to go about giving Australians faster and more affordable broadband is in large measure testimony to his effectiveness in prosecuting that case.” Mr Abbott also said Prime Minister Julia Gillard – who trails Kevin Rudd as preferred Labor leader by 34 per cent to 49 per cent in the Galaxy poll – needed to answer questions about her past as an industrial lawyer at Slater & Gordon. “This isn’t just about what might have happened in the `90s when she was a partner at a law firm,” he said. “This is about whether the prime minister has been straight with the Australian people in the last couple of months in dealing with this issue.” The Galaxy poll would translate to Labor losing about 10 seats at a federal election. But Labor frontbencher Craig Emerson told reporters in Canberra the poll was “bad news for Tony Abbott”. “And it does confirm what other opinion polls have been indicating, and that is the Labor vote is recovering,” Dr Emerson said. “Labor will be very competitive at the next election.” - AAP
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Outback Royals THE Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have started the Australian leg of their 13day Pacific tour after arriving in Longreach, receiving a crash course in the Australian outback way of life. Prince Charles and Camilla visited the Stockman’s Hall of Fame during the brief Longreach leg of their Australian visit. The venue was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth in 1988, the last time a royal had visited. After being startled by the noise of a whip-cracking demonstration, Prince Charles was given his own six-foot (1.8-metre) leather whip as a memento of the visit. But it was a little orphaned joey kangaroo named Rooby Blue who stole the show, particularly when the duchess held her for the cameras. “Well, there’s a first time for everything,” she laughed as she held the animal before the delighted English media. Barcaldine couple Carley and Nicholas Walker are nursing the joey back to health after it was found in its mother’s pouch as she lay dead on the side of a road. “It’s a lovely thing they’re doing,” Camilla told her husband when he came to see what all the ...continued on p3
2 | News
6 - 12 November 2012
London attracts a touch of Gold Coast glitter n
With a recent crackdown by Queensland authorities on popular Gold Coast club ‘Players Showgirls’, PAUL BLEAKLEY investigates the differences between the UK and Australian exotic dancing industries, and why Australians are enjoying popularity in London clubs. Publisher: Bryce Lowry Editor: Alex Ivett Production/Design: Jackie Lampard Sports Editor: Tim Martin Contributors: Shannon Crane, Phill Browne, Paul Judge, Sepi Roshan, Erin Somerville, Melissa Shortal, Justin Ng, Gareth Mohen, George Katralis, Cameron Jenkins, Chris Ark, Lee Crossley, Mel Edwards, Will Fitzgibbon,
Bronwyn Spencer, Emily Banyard, Clare Boyd-Maccrae, Jonathon Waldheim, Paul Bleakley, Daniel Shillito, Mat Lyons, Sharon Spence Lieb, Nicole Crowley, Alex Bruce-Smith Advertising Manager: Dominic Young 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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When faced with the dilemma of how to combat vice crime and otherwise undesirable activity in society governments are often forced to employ a somewhat less direct approach in order to achieve their goals. Queensland authorities have taken this maxim on board in their mission to rehabilitate the image of the Gold Coast glitter strip, with its reputation for depravity and disproportionately overhyped ‘bikie war’ tarnishing perceptions of the city and endangering all-important tourism revenue in the lead-up to the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018. Earlier this month, long-running Gold Coast strip club Players Showgirls had its adult entertainment licence revoked by the Office of Liquor and Gaming as a result of the club going into receivership due to mounting debt of almost $1 million. Players Showgirls employees will be allowed to dance topless, however they will be unable to perform completely nude or make physical contact with customers. Patrons spending up to $60 for a private lap dancer have been urged in a statement by the Office of Fair Trading to lodge a formal complaint about the strip club for making ‘false or misleading representations’ regarding the nature of the services provided. The continued inability of Players Showgirls to provide adult entertainment will compound the club’s financial woes and may be the final straw for one of the glitter strip’s longest operating adult establishments. Despite its reputation, it appears exotic dancing is a profession Australians living in the United Kingdom have engaged in, with the financial benefits of the job appealing to the relatively transient lifestyle of young people living abroad. Renowned lap-dancer and blogger Sassy believes that the anonymity of living in another country makes exotic dancing a particularly tempting proposition for many travellers. “If you are abroad, you don’t have to worry about your reputation suffering, or seeing anybody that you know you can be a totally different person when you are far away from home and everybody’s expectations,” she told Australian Times. Known for the candid portrayal of lap dancing found on her website www. londonlapdancer.com, Sassy has worked
Your Say On: Aussie holiday visas to cost more for UK backpackers
They have to have a return ticket? That’s crazy! I just got detained at the UK border because I didn’t have one and had to prove my intention to leave, how do you know when you will either be ready to leave, or want to leave (within your visa!)? An open ticket can cost twice as much!
Trent N
Image by AAP
alongside Australian women in some of London’s finest gentlemen’s clubs and previously worked as a dancer while living in Australia. She claims that dancers from Down Under are able to earn considerable amounts of money in London clubs with their natural charisma and talent for dancing. Sassy says: “The Australian girls are usually hot on the pole. Guys in general, including Brits, respond really well to the bubbly attitude and hard-drinking nature of a party loving Aussie, so they tend to spend money on the Aussie and New Zealander girls. “I think they all have reawakened their schoolboy crushes from their Neighbours days.” According to Sassy, many Australian dancers prefer to work in the United Kingdom due to the differences that exist in the regulations governing the British industry: “A big difference is that the Gold Coast clubs allow contact whilst the UK has a fairly strictly enforced no-touching policy. So many girls quite enjoy working over here, although the money is better in the Gold Coast and Perth.” Exotic dancing has traditionally been considered a disreputable industry for travellers to become involved in, with strip clubs often notoriously linked to illicit activities from drug trafficking to prostitution. Earlier this year, Canadian authorities instituted a ban on temporary foreign workers becoming involved in the adult entertainment industry in an effort to prevent growing instances of sexual slavery in the nation’s strip clubs and brothels. It had been estimated that over 600 foreign nationals were lured to Canada each year under false pretences and forced to work within the sex industry.
Back in Australia, the government’s revocation of Players Showgirls adult entertainment licence comes amongst moves by Gold Coast clubs to tighten their entry restrictions, banning patrons believed to fit the image of a ‘bikie’. This includes individuals with neck tattoos as well as those wearing gold jewellery or bum-bags. Simon King, head of the Surfers Paradise Licenced Venues Association, has called these changes an attempt to keep “undesirables” out of the city’s nightclubs. Although she is a vocal advocate for the adult entertainment business, Sassy admits that exotic dancing is a naturally “sleazy industry” in which women are forced to develop a “thick skin, although a buffed, toned and tanned thick skin”. “You can dress it up all you want, but you are still baring your body and soul, night after night, in front of a bunch of strangers,” she said. “You can work in one of the more upmarket establishments, which has rules on touching and a better class of customer – but the occasional grope is still common.” Players Showgirls will continue to operate under an administrator, although it will be unable to resume normal business until a revised application is considered by the Office of Liquor and Gaming. These restrictions are expected to significantly impact the club’s profits during the GC600 racing carnival, a notoriously busy period for Gold Coast adult entertainment providers.
On: Fun Facts - Why are the Brits so bad at their own sports?
number one. What other country does better in world sports?
I can’t imagine how anyone can say Brits are bad at sport? You give examples of rugby, football, golf, tennis and cricket. England are currently rated 4th in World Rugby, and are current 6th Nations Champions. Golf has Rory Mcllroy, tennis - Andy Murray. In football England has been rated in the top eight regularly since 1966. Not bad when you consider how many countries play football. In cricket England were, until recently, world
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Paul L. Mansfield (Aussie ex-pat)
On: Why are the poms so unhappy?
Yes that is certainly my experience, we live in the country and the people couldn’t be friendlier. I must say I do get a bit sick of Aussies coming to the UK and whinging about everything, if you don’t like it here then go home.
Chris
? What’s your view Share your comments on these and more stories online: AustralianTimes.co.uk
News | 3
AustralianTimes.co.uk
?
Royals kick off Aussie Fun? ? Explaining the English: tour in Queensland Facts ? ? Aunt Mabel reveals all Continued from p1...
fuss was about. More than 1000 people lined the streets to meet the royals as they made their way from the Hall of Fame to a community barbecue. Gold Coast couple Pauline and Roger Stanley were on their way to Rockhampton in central Queensland when they made a detour after hearing of the royals’ visit.
“(Prince Charles) had a wonderful sense of humour,” Ms Stanley said. “He asked us whether we drove all that way just to see him.” The royal couple took their time to meet many of the people who lined the streets, further delaying a stretched schedule. They will meet locals at a community barbecue before leaving for Victoria in preparation for the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday. – AAP
Gillard warns Burma on human rights Prime Minister Julia Gillard has warned that Burma must make more effort to improve its record on human rights, adding to criticism which threatens to overshadow political reform in the once-isolated so-called pariah state. Despite acknowledgment of political reforms, the release of political prisoners and the election to parliament of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, major concerns remain about human rights abuses in Burma. Ethnic violence has broken out, with dozens of people killed and more than 100,000 displaced in clashes between Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims. A nominally civilian government led by President Thein Sein, who served as a general and then prime minister under the junta, was installed in March 2011. “We have seen changes happen, and as change has happened, every step of the way we have welcomed that change and we have shifted Australia’s foreign policy settings to recognise that change,” Ms Gillard told reporters in Vientiane. The comments came ahead of talks between Ms Gillard and President Sein in Vientiane on Monday, the first such meeting between an Australian prime
minister and a leader of Burma since 1984. “This meeting is another recognition of that change,” Ms Gillard said. But the prime minister said there was “still more to do”, and insisted that she would raise her concerns with the Burmese president. “I will certainly be saying as I have said here that we have continuing concern about human rights questions for ethnic minority groups,” she said. Australia has already lifted targeted travel and financial sanctions on 126 individuals in Burma, but there is still an arms embargo in place. The unrest and accusations of ethnic cleansing have prompted Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa to warn that Burma was a problem for the entire bloc of South-East Asian nations. “Of course the matter to do with the Rohingya, the Rakhine state is an issue of concern for ASEAN countries, for individual ASEAN countries,” Mr Natalegawa said. - AAP
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Is being SAD a real disease?
Think you’re alone in experiencing a touch of the winter blues? Well, not if you’re living in the UK. You could be suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a medical condition officially recognized by doctors and psychiatrists and thought to affect 2 million people in the UK and Ireland. With the gloomy winter months meaning many of us are spending less and less time in natural sunlight, our body clocks can’t cope - leading to lethargy, sleep problems, anxiety and depression. But do not fear! There are now medically certified SAD lights available to mimic natural sunlight otherwise in short supply. Happiness could be just a Puzzled by the Poms? Send your question to Aunt Mabel at editor@ flick of the switch away. australiantimes.co.uk with subject heading ‘Explaining the English’
4 | Voices
6 - 12 November 2012
Finding your speech an astute aussie in london
> SEPI ROSHAN
Sometimes the hardest part of writing a speech is deciding what you are going talk about. Picking a topic and deciding on content can be an anxious time. Despite having many experiences and stories to draw from, the mind suddenly goes blank. Avoid the “I don’t know what to say” trap by being clear on why you are speaking, and build a structure around it. Whether it is a sales pitch, a case for promotion or a wedding speech, thinking of what to say can leave some of us lost for words. One of the most daunting phrases a speaker can hear is “talk about whatever you like”. A lack of guidance or criteria can add stress to the speech writing process. Here are some top tips to help you take charge and find your speech.
Identify your core message
Your core message forms the foundation to build your speech around. Think of it as the concrete slabs under those great Aussie homes.
Without a core message, a speech can get messy: this is when the “ums” and “ahhs” tend to appear, making you sound unsure. Before you put pen to paper, ask yourself “why am I standing in front of the audience? What one thing do I want my audience to take away from my speech?”
Decide your conclusion
It might seem topsy turvey, but this checks whether your final words to your audience is aligned with your core message. If the conclusion you want is incongruent with your core message, you need to rethink one or the other. For example, if your core message is “I have earned that promotion” and your conclusion is “I have met the key performance indicators we have agreed on in my last performance review” then there is congruence. If however, your conclusion is “therefore, we all need to keep working together as a team” there is no clear link between the core message and the final thought you leave your audience with.
Structure your speech Now that you have a strong focus, you can structure your speech. A good speech structure has a beginning,
middle and end. Each section does not need to be equal in length. In fact, the middle is generally the meatier part – where most of the detail occurs. The beginning and the end are the bookends to your main points. The purpose of each section is: Beginning – sets the scene so your audience knows the starting point and can put what you are about to say in context. Middle – provides the detail of what your core message is. Here, you can discuss, for example, the benefits, research findings or funny anecdotes. End – provides an overview of where you started, your main points and what you want the audience to walk away with (i.e. your conclusion). Like everything, writing a speech requires planning, process and practice. Once you identify what message you want to share with your audience, you will be surprised by how easily your ideas start to flow. Next time someone says “speak about what you want”, these top tips will have you saying “no worries”. Sepi Roshan is Director of Astute Coaching & Development, helping Professionals become fearless presenters and leaders. Find out more at www.astutecd.com
An open letter to Hipsters. Dear London Hipsters, I’m writing to kindly ask you to please, just stop. Just for a while. Please stop being so achingly cool and reminding me of how daggy I am in comparison. Look at you, on your little fixie bike. Look how cute it is. I rode one of those once, and nearly fell off it. I need bikes with gears and brakes just to make it to the shops in one piece. Look at you, with your moody fringe and vintage jumper. (Or is it American Apparel? I can never quite tell). I can never get the whole fringe look quite right. When I’m not pinning it up out of
sheer frustration, I am awkwardly angling my head because the damn thing grew too long again. How effortless you look with bits of hair dangling in your eyeballs! And look at you hipster boys, with what I can only presume is a small rodent on your face, because surely people don’t have the time to dedicate to proper beard-growing. If I were a boy, I’m positive I could only manage a bit of fluff on the end of my chin, and even then it may just disappear in a light breeze. And lets not forget where you live. Is it a flat? Good grief no, it’s a WAREHOUSE. You and your ten flatmates can smoke
inside, and paint on the walls, and in the cookie jar you will find some happy pills. To be perfectly honest, that sounds nothing short of exhausting. I’ll take my smaller flat with three flatmates and a cat for company, thank you very much. Yours affectionately, Alex
Quirks and queries: Alex Bruce-Smith adapts to and adopts all things English. Next week - an open letter (of love) to her bicycle.
Getting to know Guy Fawkes: a UK tradition explored By Paul Bleakley My uncle grew up in one of Sydney’s outer suburbs during the 1960s, at a time when Australia was in a somewhat awkward ‘teenage phase’ itself – only just beginning to rebel against its imperial parent, the UK. Even up until 1966, Australian children still bought sweets with pounds and shillings rather than dollars and cents. Listening to stories from this era makes a young Australian feel like they are looking at a portrait that is only half completed: recognisable, yet almost uncomfortably different to that image of Australia we have come to expect. One story of my uncle’s always stood out – ‘Cracker Night’ – a marvellous and mysterious Australian tradition that seems to have disappeared into obscurity. Cracker Night was celebrated on one of two dates: either 24 May in commemoration of Empire Day, or 5 November, honouring the traditional
Guy Fawkes Day celebrations that continue to be practiced across Britain every year. Both of these holidays have gradually been erased from modern Australian culture, and as a by-product the wanton explosive mischief of ‘Cracker Night’ disappeared as well, until all that was left were the wistful memories of a generation. But, with a move to London came an opportunity to reclaim the spirit of Cracker Night that my uncle had spoken about over the years! Suddenly the stories of ‘ha’penny bungers’ (apparently a common form of firework back in the day) were no longer relegated to myth and legend. They were within grasp. Guy Fawkes Day is a national pastime that, like many things in the UK, has a twisted and macabre history. Guy Fawkes was immortalised on the 5th of November, 1605, when he was discovered guarding barrels of gunpowder that had been stashed underneath the House of Lords in a Catholic plot to
eliminate the established hierarchy – a protest against the policies of King James I. Over the centuries the commemoration of the Gunpowder Plot’s failure has been a flashpoint for both religious and social class orientated conflict. These days it is essentially just a state-sanctioned excuse to let off fireworks and burn things while dancing around like you are at a pagan bacchanal. Lighting the fuse on a firework and watching it burst into colour is like reaching back into our past and feeling the same joy that the generations before us did decades ago. Actually, who am I kidding? With or without the nostalgia attached, setting off fireworks would be awesome either way. That very human instinct transcends all borders and generations.
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6 | Entertainment
What we’re following #sandy In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the twitterverse responds: The Illuminati @ThelIluminati #Sandy is just the beginning of what to expect in December 2012.
6 - 12 November 2012
Taking Flight
Aussies to spin a yarn at London Storytelling Festival
n INTERVIEW I Ahead of their gig in hipster n Can Australians tell a tale to top all others?
heartland Dalston this Thursday night, ALEX Aussies share their fables with flair at the IVETT chats with Sydney DJ duo Flight Facilities London Storytelling Festival 9-18 November. about why there is much more to good DJ’ing than flavor into a packed program of featurelength storytelling shows, workshops just sticking a USB in a laptop and pressing play. and showcases is screenwriter and comic Deborah Frances-White and comic storyteller Asher Treleaven. Both Sarah Bennetto and Deborah Frances-White will offer up their own years of collective wisdom on turning a tale in two separate workshops, whilst Asher will entertain audiences with an award-winning comic tale of his failed career as a circus-performing promotional biscuit mascot.
Huffington Post @HuffingtonPost Devastated N.J. shore towns become “crime scene” as looters descend. #Sandy NYC Mayor’s Office @NYCMayorsOffice City staff, National Guardsmen and Salvation Army volunteers distributed 290,400 meals and 522,840 bottles of water today. #Sandy BBC News US @BBCNewsUS “The reality is much worse than what you can see in the pictures or on TV.”#Cuba starts recovery from #Sandy Michael Moore @MMFlint For Halloween, Sandy came dressed as the future. #climatechange #Sandy Check out what we’re following today on AustralianTimes.co.uk and follow us on Twitter @AustralianTimes
What’s On Melbourne Cup Celebration 6 November @ Australia House, London Flight Facilities 8 November @Birthdays, London Gotye 12 November @ Hammersmith Apollo Ladyhawke 14 November @ London Forum Parkway Drive 17 November @ The Roundhouse The Cat Empire 10 December @ O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire The Australian Pink Floyd Show 25 February 2013 @ London 02 Arena Tommy Emmanuel 16 March @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire Pam Ann 28-29 March @ Hammersmith Apollo
For full details...
...and more Aussie gigs go to: AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment
Festival favourites not to miss: By Alex Ivett You’re playing in London this Thursday as part of a US/ European tour. What’s it like playing so far from home? All the shows have been really good so far. The London show will be the first event we’ve organised overseas by ourselves so it should be a really interesting test of the waters. We never try to hold our expectations too high but we’re quietly confident it will be a fun night. Do you think the crowds are made up of a lot of Aussies keen to get their Flight Facilities fix away from home? Every now and then you’ll find a really proud Australian in the crowd. We had a guy run to the booth in Washington DC to let us know we weren’t alone. We’re sure it’s as much a homely connection to them as it is to us. It’s also relieving to know that we’ve got some locals spreading the word to the far corners of the globe Following the release of the hit ‘Crave You’ in 2010 and ‘Foreign Language’ in 2011, came ‘With You’ at the beginning of this year. A slow burn of hit singles rather than a rapid fire – are you deliberately trying to build anticipation? We think it’s the way music is being released now. The age of the album seems to be drawing to a close, at least with respect to particular forms of music. We have nothing against albums and there are still some unbelievable pieces of work being put forward by a lot of great musicians, but now there are other ways of making an impact or approach in the industry. We’re sitting at the start line of a new dawn of marketing and publicity. Experimentation and risk are paving the way. It may well blow up in our faces but right now, we humbly feel as though “so far, so good” applies to us. Next up is single ‘Clair De Lune’ featuring New York vocalist Christine Hoberg – what would you describe as the influences? Our main influence would have to have been Claude Debussy’s song of the same title ‘Clair de Lune’. This has been our most self-indulgent song so far. We made it entirely to satisfy our own eardrums. Three minuteconventional-radio-style be damned. Yet it seems to have had an incredible response before it has even been released. Sometimes just satisfying your own musical curiosity can really translate to an audience better than a
tailor made pop song. All we wanted to show with Clair De Lune was a little diversity and belief in what we do. We don’t want people to expect 115125BPM pop songs from us all the time (although we do love to make them). Your video for Foreign Language is a kind of Instagrammed ode to 70’s spy films full of high cut swimwear, double-breasted suits and highkicks in and around Sydney harbour. Is this what you wish life was like? We definitely wish we could have seen some of the 70s/80s through our own eyes. Most of the music then is still inspiring artists today (us included). We couldn’t be happier to have a music video that portrays our love for the era. Every time we watch it we’re split between wishing we could have lived through that time and knowing that the clip was made in our backyard only a year ago. We really got the best of both worlds. The Australian music scene is lucky in the support it receives from Triple J, do you think we’re unique in that way? The most unique thing about the Australian music scene is the ‘universal’ aspect of triple j. There aren’t many countries that broadcast one feed to an entire country on an FM radio. That’s something very special. It certainly presents a bit of a monopoly but thankfully triple j is, more often than not, diverse in its broadcasting. What advice would you have for aspiring DJ’s? Play what you love. Everyone has individual music taste. Let yours show and reap the rewards of setting yourself apart. Anyone can play the top 40. It requires an internet connection, a USB stick and a few nights of practice. Once you’ve learned how to play a warm up set, a main set and a closing set - start trying to edit songs and even play with production. You’ll get a good feeling for what works and what doesn’t. Playing a song in a club, sometimes you wish something was longer or shorter or perhaps it would sound better if spliced with something else. These are the perfect natural steps to take to be able to read a crowd.
Read the full interview online
AustralianTimes.co.uk/entertainment
An engaging storyteller. A brilliant raconteur. Dinner party guest extraordinaire, and all-round entertainer. Who wouldn’t love to hear those words said about them. To be known as an ingenious orator, a master narrator and skilled speaker. To have friends clamoring at your door with invites to the next soiree to enthrall their guests with their titillating tales. But what is it that makes a good storyteller? Is it the ability to weave together the loose threads of mundane everyday existence and recount them in a way that engages, or inspires, or persuades? Or do you just need to be able to make someone laugh? These questions and more will be asked, explored and declaimed at the London Storytelling Festival, held at Leicester Square Theatre from 9-18 November, in a ten-day celebration of the magic of the story. With an Australian at the helm as artistic director, Sarah Bennetto, this festival is sure to help seal our national reputation as weavers of a good yarn. Also injecting a further Antipodean
Sarah Bennetto is Lucky Wednesday 14 November Sarah Bennetto is lucky. She’s won it all: concert tickets, holidays, shopping sprees, the lottery, a car, 27 cans of hairspray. People always tell Sarah she’s lucky. But what is luck? Can you make your own? And should you? The truth is, there’s a point at which most people eschew luck in the name of having a nice, normal life. Not Sarah. Sarah’s critically-acclaimed first ever full-length solo comedy show is sure to impress, and inspire! Deborah Frances-White: Cult Following Friday 16 November Atheist comedian Deborah FrancesWhite used to be a Jehovah’s Witness. Fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe, this is the surprisingly hilarious story of what she learnt knocking on your door and how it prepared her for stand-up comedy. For the full program of events, from the cult comedy collective Storytellers’ Club through to solo soliloquies, go to www. londonstorytellingfestival.co.uk.
travel
UK travel special | 7
AustralianTimes.co.uk
tting This week we’re pu
Newcastle on the map
n An
impulsive whirlwind weekend away brings PAUL BLEAKLEY face-to-face with the braying brashness of Geordie Shore’s Newcastle nightlife, and wins him over in the process.
Image by Yoshimai
Travellers are an impulsive breed by nature, rejecting the comforts of home in favour of uncertainty and adventure. Most of the time the risk pays off and the benefits of the traveller’s spirit pay dividends; even so, spending seven hours on a crowded bus with a world-class headache is enough to shake anyone’s faith. Six hours earlier I had no intention of going to NewcastleUpon-Tyne, far beyond London in England’s North-East corner. I had been happily settled in a Hammersmith bar when I received a call (from a girl, of course) jokingly suggesting that I make the trip and experience ‘the real England’. At the time I thought that the idea was absurd, completely insane and entirely out of the question. The next morning I was on a bus to Newcastle, wondering what on
Earth I had agreed to the night before. The beauty of a bus trip across the country is that it gives you plenty of time to think, and to envision what you are going to be walking into on the other side. In the harsh light of day I began to think that my spur of the moment trip to Newcastle was going to end horribly, and that I would find myself alone in Newcastle desperately wondering where it had all gone wrong. The girl that had sparked this challenge to conquer the untamed north of England was waiting at Newcastle station when the bus pulled in, braving flash-flooding to collect the Australian friend she could only describe as ‘completely mental’. Image by The Premier Blogging Team
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne is an unassuming city with a distinct culture that cannot be found anywhere else in the United Kingdom. Its people proudly
identify as ‘Geordies’: they are blunt, direct and wickedly funny. The thing a Geordie respects above all else is ‘banter’, and as such the laconic Australian humour is a natural fit with the local population. More commonly known as the home of MTV’s Geordie Shore, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne is a mecca of English nightlife. Particularly noteworthy is the Riverside bar at Quayside, situated on the banks of the Tyne River. The bar offers an atmosphere that is second-tonone with drink prices that are amongst the most competitive in the country. Riverside is a hot-spot for Newcastle socialites, so expect to rub shoulders with the likes of Premier League footballers or popstar Cheryl Cole. A walk through the area known as Bigg Market will provide tourists with a slightly seedier experience of Newcastle’s nightlife. Nightclubs like Kiss serve as a crash-course in Geordie culture, with international DJs entertaining seething crowds with a standard mixture of house and club music. Despite the density of bars and clubs in the Bigg Market district, this area of Newcastle guarantees visitors to the city a night that they will never forget. If the night is young and the bars
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are closed make your way to Aspers at the The Gate, a casino opened twenty-four hours a day and located only one hundred meters from the Bigg Market district. The casino provides a laid-back atmosphere with reasonable prices, and is an ideal venue to wind down at the end of a long night on the town. My impulsive voyage to Newcastle ended after a whirlwind twenty-four hours with a trip to famed live music venue The Cluny, perhaps more well-known locally for its high standard of pub cuisine. This alone makes it the ideal location to end a weekend in Newcastle, aside from being the perfect way to get in touch with the Newcastle beyond the sticky-floors of the Bigg Market bars.
A strange feeling crept over me as I left Newcastle at the end of my weekend of madness: I did not want to leave. The people I had met were some of the most genuine and hilarious people I had come across since being in the United Kingdom. They had taken me under their wing and given me an insight into the Geordie lifestyle that I would never have been able to experience otherwise. In the course of one weekend, I had been adopted as a honourary Geordie. Do yourself a favour. Make the impulsive decision. Go north.
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8 | UK travel special
6 - 12 November 2012
n Built by Prince Regent George IV, a royal not known for his restraint with public
finances, the Royal Pavilion in Brighton is an ode to extravagance and excess. SHANNON GILLIES raises a glass to his reign and experiences a tour with a difference. Can anyone start a travelling tradition? Not waiting for an answer to that question, two travelling Antipodean media lovers attempted the task on a trip to Brighton. Brighton is often referred to as ‘Little London’ and serves as a weekend location for hen and stag parties. In a time before the town was a popular drinking hole for Londoners, it was a base for the Prince Regent, George IV. When in town he stayed
at what has now become one of Brighton’s modern day tourist attractions, The Royal Pavilion. The Pavilion was built and designed for the prince over a period of 35 years, finally receiving its finishing touches in 1823. The place was famous for wild parties, as well as George’s extravagant use of money to design and fit out his pad. In the name of tradition, and gonzo styled journalistic practice, we therefore felt we owed it to George to see the former palace as he had intended – following a tipple in tribute to the King himself, a man not afraid to enjoy the pleasures of his kingdom. The palace is supposedly representative of a man with eccentric tastes. There is a dragon that hangs from the ceiling in the main dining hall, and the place has secret passages for at least two to three toilets. There is also terrible patterned carpet everywhere. On the second floor, after deciding the audio guide script to the palace was informative, but not representative of its reputation as purveyor of parties,
we went rogue. Shots of whiskey in the Pavilion toilets was a decision we felt the King would have supported. Once the tour finished the conclusion reached was that George was a man of little taste. He had money and no idea how to use it. The description, ‘extravagant’ is just used to hide that George was out of touch with the reality of what looked good, and a way to dress George up as some type of rebel king. For those with discerning interior design tastes, you may be better off skipping the palace tour and enjoying instead the former palace’s grounds. If you do decide to go, then perhaps a whistle of whiskey before entering may enhance the experience. It is what George would have done.
Jobs & Money | 9
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When a Buy-To-Let property Dollar Review meets a ‘pain-to-get’ mortgage Aussie Dollar softens ahead of expected interest rate cut n In the current environment, many lenders can no longer provide expat or non-resident investment (BTL) loans, and others have adopted much more stringent criteria. > Daniel Shillito
THERE are some very important points to note right now, if you plan to buy or manage your UK home or investment property from Australia. The most important one is this: most lenders in the Buy-To-Let (BTL) market simply won’t deal with UK expats or non-residents anymore (well, at least right now). There are fewer players in this market, and those that remain have created strict lending criteria for Brit expats and Australians. It may be that for you, it’s simply the wrong time to sell, or that you want to keep that UK property for security reasons (thinking one day you might come back to it). Either way, many Aussies will return home to Australia with a UK property of their own in tow, and for that matter a large proportion of emigrating Brits will still own their UK home or have a BTL mortgage when they arrive in Australia. If this is you, then it’s time to appreciate the state of the current mortgage market for BTL properties owned by non-residents. Banks have re-rated the risk associated with mortgages, BTL properties, and owners who live overseas and earn income in foreign currencies. In the current environment this means many lenders can no longer provide expat or non-resident investment (BTL) loans, and others have adopted much more stringent criteria. Here below is what standard expat BTL and non-resident loan criteria look like today. Maximum Loan Ratios BTL loans today typically will be available up to a maximum of between 60-75% of the property amount, depending on the lender. So if you are buying you will need to factor in a 2540% deposit plus costs associated with the purchase. Minimum Rental Income Almost all available lenders for new BTL lending require that the proposed rental income from the property exceeds a minimum amount. This amount is expressed as a percentage of the anticipated interest payable on the proposed loan. This ‘rental-income hurdle’ ranges between 125-135% of anticipated monthly interest. Fail to meet this hurdle and lenders won’t consider your application. If we assume an average borrowing ratio of 70% of the purchase price, then this hurdle can be translated into a minimum gross rental yield of approx 4.8% required for the property of your choice. Existing UK or Australian mortgage required Nearly all of the lenders to which this author has access to for BTL loans require the borrower to have an existing UK or foreign mortgage at the time of application. This can be proven by 12 months existing mortgage statements, and reflects an increased desire for UK lenders to only deal with experienced property investors/owners. Higher establishment costs BTL mortgages today are also more
expensive to start, for expats and Australians. Bank establishment fees (excluding valuation or legal fees) are commonly between 1% and 3% of the original loan amount and interest rates are higher than homeloans. The providers in the market can price their products higher and still accept willing buyers who have limited choices. Note these establishment fees exclude any service fees you might pay to a mortgage broker to source the loan for you. Bridging-style finance In some cases, depending entirely on your situation (and generally speaking where you have left the UK and you are not a British citizen) your only loan option may be bridging-style short term finance of 2 or 3 years, from a shortterm lender. There are many of these lenders available in the UK, and they usually charge interest rates and fees at a significant premium to the market for an ordinary mortgage. In some cases it may just be the only option available to you. It should be clear that a good BTL broker is a valuable resource in this situation, sourcing loans and products which may not be easy to find at all, and especially once you have left the country. It should also be clear that before you make plans to move to Australia, organising your loan whilst you are still a UK resident is a much preferred plan of attack. Now in considering the above lending criteria, higher rates and fees, and the challenge of finding an appropriate lender, you might easily wonder if buying or keeping that rental property in the UK is really worth it. This depends on the characteristics of your actual property of course, but also it depends upon your plans, and your property investment strategy. Do you have a long-term strategy or a short term one? If you have the desire or objective of making as much money as possible in the short term (2 to 5 years), so that interest rates and fees that are higher initially than you expect will put you off buying a BTL property, then you should not be considering investing in property in the UK today. If you have a longer term investing horizon, and you appreciate that lending costs will fluctuate over time (as will house prices) then you will measure the additional costs of obtaining finance today, against the potential benefits of owning property over 10, 15 or 20 years or more. It is important to note that bank policies can and do change, and as increased competition returns to the market one can expect these strict conditions to relax somewhat. However the above represents the current situation as this article goes to press.
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strategist for Westpac, told The Wall Street Journal, “I suspect (that) once the election is done, you might get a bounce in risk appetite, pushing the Aussie Dollar higher,” he said. “Just a fact that the event is out of the way would be a positive.” AUD/GBP: 0.6450/1.5503 AUD/EUR: 0.8052/1.2419 AUD/USD: .0336/0.9674 GBP/USD: 1.6024/0.6240 Exchange rates at 09.00am, 5 November 2012
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Daniel Shillito is a Financial Adviser, Mortgage Broker, CPA and Expat specialist at Aussie Finance and Property, qualified both in Australia and Europe. Daniel can be contacted on Ph. 0203 2390479 or in Sydney +61 2 80033472. www.aussiefpgroup.com Please note: Buy-to-Let mortgages are not regulated by the Financial Services Authority in the UK.
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0.4% increase for the month of September. Looking ahead though, investors expect a cut in the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA’s) cash rate target to 3.0% from 3.25%. This is partially due to the elevated currency causing damage in exporting industries such as manufacturing. Such a cut in the cash rate would induce speculators to expect weakening in the Australian Dollar. Monday morning trading suggested some softening in the Aussie ahead of the RBA decision. Economists are also expecting data this week to show Australia’s unemployment rose from 5.45 per cent in September to 5.5 per cent October. The outcome would provide immediate justification for the expected RBA rate cut. On the international front, all eyes will be on the outcome of Tuesday’s US elections. Imre Speizer, a senior market
Composed by Saskia Johnston of 1st Contact :: Note: The above exchange rates are based on “interbank” rates. If you want to transfer money to or from Australia then please register/login on our website, or call us on 0808 141 2335 for a live dealing rate. Make use of a Rate Notifier to send you alert when the Australian exchange rate reaches levels you are looking for.
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THE Australian Dollar began trading last week at around 0.6443 British Pounds and 1.0377 US Dollars. The Aussie strengthened throughout the week to close at GBP 0.6445 and USD 1.0399 on Friday. That strengthening of the Australian currency is in part attributable to the suspected end of China’s economic slowdown. On Thursday, the release of positive Chinese manufacturing data helped spur on the strength of the Aussie. China’s affirmative economic data has been met with worldwide increased risk appetite, thereby increasing demand for the Australian Dollar. The Australian and US currency pair traded higher this Monday morning after the release of Australian retail sales and trade data. Retail sales rose better than anticipated at a seasonally adjusted rate of 0.5% (month on month) compared to expectations of a
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10 | Sport
Men’s team fly the flag for Australia
London Aust Men’s: The victorious London Australia Men’s squad at the Try Tag Rugby International Cup tournament Aussies. With pool stage victories By Phillip Browne over Great Britain and Ireland (3-2), Try Tag Rugby’s last one day London Scotland (13-0), England (5-1) festival of the year, the International and London New Zealand (3-0), they Cup tournament, was held on topped the pool and booked a semi final Saturday at Wasps Twyford Avenue berth against London New Zealand. Sports Ground in Acton. The Men’s squad put on an With the weather gods smiling again impressive 8-0 victory in the semis on the London Tag Rugby community, over the Kiwis and booked their place a cool but sunny nine degree day and in the final against the Great Britain little wind made for perfect conditions and Ireland World Cup squad. With the for the record 21 team tournament. challengers taking an early 2-0 lead, The London Australia Mixed A the Aussie’s backs were against the grade & Men’s teams were defending wall. In true Aussie fighting spirit the champions, and the Aussie Mixed lads kept their heads up and bounced Social team had finished 4th (out back with 3 unanswered tries to secure of 10) at the previous International the title with a 3-2 triumph. Cup tournament last held in June. The Aussie Men’s teams have boasted All Aussie teams were looking for an outstanding record at Try Tag strong performances, and fielding Rugby’s International Cup tournaments experienced and skilful line ups. with only one single game loss recorded The Aussie Mixed A grade team in five tournaments. A record to be finished 3rd in the pool stages with proud of. narrow losses to the Great Britain and In other news, Try Tag Rugby’s Ireland World Cup squad, and London Late Autumn season will be the last NZ. The team were set to play the competition of 2012. There is still Great Britain and Ireland World Cup limited space to join some leagues. squad in the semi-final, and again After this season, the capital takes a try narrowly fell short (5-4) and finished tag winter break, so this competition the tournament in 3rd position. is the last chance for your teams to get The Aussie Social team, captained by amongst the action for 2012. Amos Rojter, went through the pool Late Autumn season competitions stages with an impressive four wins and will take place at the following venues: one loss to finish 2nd in pool A. They Acton, Balham, Barnes, Bermondsey, were knocked out of the tournament in Borough, Rotherhithe, Shoreditch Park the semi final to London South Africa, & Tooting Bec. with the South Africans finishing up with the social grade title. To register for a Try Tag Rugby The Aussie Men’s team, who were competition or event, go to www. captained by the experienced Steve trytagrugby.com or email info@ Leary, were the shining light for the trytagrugby.com for more details.
6 - 12 November 2012
NRL pre-season predictions for 2013 Penrith need a No.6, St George Illawarra a No.7 and Canberra have to fit three options into two spaces welcome to the NRL’s version of your morning sudoku. Seven NRL clubs joined already hard-at-work Penrith in returning to pre-season training on Monday. The remainder of their NRL rivals resume shortly and, while runs up sand hills and hours in the gym will no doubt be a feature, there’s some sorting out to be done as well. Here’s a look at what does each club needs to ponder this pre-season to boost their chances of success in 2013: BRISBANE How does Scott Prince fit into the Broncos picture? For so long the main main at both the Titans and Tigers, Prince wouldn’t seem a likely candidate for a back-up role. What then for first-choice halves Peter Wallace and Corey Norman? Someone won’t be happy. CANBERRA The Raiders need to get Josh Dugan’s body right this off-season. They are a different side with him on the paddock, but he spends far too many games on the sidelines injured. The return of captain Terry Campese also creates a headache with who to leave out in the halves Josh McCrone or Sam Williams. CANTERBURY Fitting ex-Manly star Tony Williams into a game plan which is already forward-dominated won’t be too difficult. Halfback is still a problem for coach Des Hasler, with Kris Keating falling short of the mark in the 2012 grand final. CRONULLA Consecutive years of brilliant recruitment have the Sharks brimming with talent, but coach Shane Flanagan has a task bringing all his players together in the same game plan. Michael Gordon’s stated desire to play fullback could be a problem if Nathan Gardner is fit.
GOLD COAST Since their inception in 2007 the Titans have searched without success for someone to help ease the playmaking burden on halfback Scott Prince. Now with Prince shipped out, they have a hole at both No.6 and No.7, which must be coach John Cartwright’s focus in coming months. MANLY Coach Geoff Toovey has to find some youth to take the burden off an ageing forward pack, with Tony Williams and young duo Daniel Harrison and Darcy Lussick having left the club. Toovey also needs to help five-eighth Kieran Foran rebound from a slightly disappointing campaign. MELBOURNE Having finally captured an NRL title to keep, how will coach Craig Bellamy keep his troops motivated next season? The return of Brett Finch adds depth around the halves, but Bellamy’s main job will be mental rather than tactical this pre-season. NEWCASTLE Pre-season will all be about conditioning for a Knights squad that is starting to resemble Dad’s Army, with veteran recruits Jeremy Smith, Beau Scott and David Fa’alogo joining the likes of old heads Danny Buderus, Willie Mason and Timana Tahu. NORTH QUEENSLAND The Cowboys’ most important preseason move may not come on the field or in the gym but in the office, with the re-signing of marquee man Johnathan Thurston a priority. And is Anthony Mitchell the fulltime answer to the vacant hooking role? PARRAMATTA What to do with a problem like Jarryd Hayne? Even if they snare Israel Folau, Hayne remains Parramatta’s most dangerous player, but what position is his best? New coach Ricky Stuart last year said he didn’t see Hayne as a fullback, but he has
struggled when moved to five-eighth. PENRITH Who do the Panthers play at fiveeighth? Lachlan Coote impressed when moved there midway though last year, but that would leave the fullback role open. What coach Ivan Cleary would give now to have been able to hold onto Michael Gordon. ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA The Dragons don’t have a stand-out first choice for the halfback role, with an untested rookie (Josh Drinkwater), veteran utility (Nathan Fien) and an injury-prone playmaker (Kyle Stanley) all battling it out for the No.7 jumper. SOUTH SYDNEY After a brilliant rookie campaign, coach Michael Maguire will need to ensure halfback Adam Reynolds has enough support to ensure he doesn’t suffer a dose of the second-year blues. SYDNEY ROOSTERS How do you prepare for a season in which the player who is likely to be central to your plans, Sonny Bill Williams, won’t be there for nearly all the pre-season because of rugby union and boxing commitments? WARRIORS New coach Matthew Elliott wasn’t the man the players wanted, so getting the players to buy into his plan will be a tough early task. Then he has to unlock the magic that went AWOL in 2012. WESTS TIGERS After claims key players wielded too much power at the Tigers, new coach Michael Potter first needs to establish that he is the boss. And with Benji Marshall having said he wants to return to the No.6 jumper, Potter may then have to work out what to do at halfback and with his two other five-eighth options, Braith Anasta and Curtis Sironen. With AAP
You don’t want to let your teammates down: Eckstein Continued from p12...
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world surf lifesaving championships starting in Adelaide on Wednesday. Since 1998, Australia has won every world title in an event held every two years. But Eckstein and his compatriots know the Kiwis are coming. New Zealand has named four Olympians in their team for the November 7-18 championships, hoping to knock off the Australians on their home patch. “It’s going to be close,” Eckstein said. “We are just concentrating on what we can do, especially in the pool which is a bit different to what Australians think of surf lifesaving. “With the lifesaving pool races, you can only swim as fast as you can in your lane and try and swim personal bests. “And I think if we do that, we’ll be in good position going into the weekend in the surf.” Eckstein carries extra motivation in Adelaide, apart from captaining Australia’s world title defence - an individual ironman win would be his fourth world title, equalling Australian icon Trevor Hendy. “For me, it goes hand in hand,” he said of team success and personal glory.
IRON MAN: Northcliffe’s Shannon Eckstein is wary of the Kiwi threat. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt) “I’m trying to not let my teammates down in the team events so I have been putting in the training to do that, and then the individual stuff will take care of itself. “It’s my profession but these events here, you don’t want to let your teammates down and I think that is the motivation for the couple of months leading into this.” And Eckstein, 29, was also being motivated by an unlikely source - his seven-month-old girl.
“The last two years for me, I was a little bit going through the motions with training and racing,” he said. “But I think having a baby, you realise you are getting older and you want to make the most of these opportunities.” By Steve Larkin
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Parkinson and Slater face-off for surf crown Australia’s Joel Parkinson and Kelly Slater are set to duel for this year’s ASP world surfing title after two contenders stumbled in the penultimate event in California. Hawaiian John John Florence’s hopes were extinguished when he was upset by NSW surfer Matt Wilkinson in the second round of the O’Neill Coldwater Classic at Steamer Lane in Santa Cruz. And Mick Fanning’s chances of claiming a third world title are hanging by a thread after Brazilian Jadson Andre pipped the Australian, also in round two.
Standings leader Parkinson and 11time world champion Slater are safely through but no matter who banks the most points in California, the seasonending Billabong Pipe Masters in Oahu, Hawaii in December will decide the title. Slater survived a hard-fought battle with Dusty Payne in the third round to eliminate the chance of Parkinson sewing up the world crown. “I just can’t seem to figure this wave out,” said Slater. “So I better figure something out quick. Parkinson was far too good for
American Nat Young as the 31-yearold Coolangatta natural footer chases his maiden world title after finishing runner-up in 2002, 2004 and 2009. “I need a win here,” Parkinson said. “It’s what I’m striving for and I can’t really control what everyone else does, so I’m just worrying about myself.” Fanning’s shock 0.06-point defeat by Andre means he’ll be relying on Slater and Parkinson not to make the final and will then need to win the Pipe Masters. Andre was later beaten by 34-year-old Australian veteran Taj Burrow.- AAP
Port clinch thriller in AFL at the Oval
Selectors opt for confident Quiney Continued from p12... Shane Watson. Quiney has won his spurs on the back of two consistent years of Sheffield Shield performances, topped off by player of year honours last season plus 85 for Australia A against the Proteas’ high-quality pace attack at the SCG. Despite turning 30 in August, and previously being viewed as a hardhitting white-ball specialist, he never gave up on the dream of playing for Australia after just missing out on debuting for the Twenty20 side in 2009. “No, I guess my last two years were my most consistent and I thought there might be a little window, over 12 or 18 months, where I could try and get my foot in and I’ve needed to continue to make runs,” Quiney said. “Fifty-odd first-class matches, I hope that helps. “We’ve seen in the past Mike Hussey is probably the greatest of them all but when Marcus North first came in he started pretty well as well. “Only time will tell but I’m hoping my maturity will help me.” Quiney beat younger men Phil
Hughes, Usman Khawaja and Alex Doolan to the post after the national selectors opted for a specialist batsman to replace Watson. Coach Mickey Arthur described the Victorian as the stand-out domestic player in the land and felt the matchhardened stalwart was tailor-made for an intense heavyweight battle. “Against a nation like South Africa right now - we’d probably do the same with England and we’d probably do the same with India - you want an experienced head to come in,” Arthur said. “You can’t blood a youngster against a team like South Africa. We want a guy that’s very confident in his ability and knows his game backwards.” Quiney’s selection, plus Australia’s confidence Watson can return for the second Test at the Adelaide Oval, heaps extra pressure on dogged opener Ed Cowan, who is averaging 29.83 from seven Tests. “There’s no secret that we’ve looked to increase our depth pool with our top six,” Arthur said. “If (Quiney) has success he’ll obviously keep his place.
POWER PAIR: Match winning goal kicker Brad Ebert and his Acting Captain Hamish Hartlett after the game. (By Mat Lyons) Continued from p12...
LATE CALL: Victorian opener Rob Quiney will make his Test debut this week against South Africa, replacing the injured Shane Watson. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt) “A bit of competition is always good and a bit of competition brings out the best in all players.” While showing form against Proteas’ new-ball duo Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander on the dead SCG track, Quiney is looking forward to also combating them at the pacey Gabba where he smashed 119 in an interstate one-dayer last month. “I’m sure as a pace unit they will be licking their lips at a quicker wicket than Sydney,” he said - By Jim Morton
Mick has great AFL expectations for Gibbs NEW Carlton coach Mick Malthouse has already enjoyed an up-close glimpse of what Bryce Gibbs could deliver in the AFL. Malthouse has great expectations for the 2006 No.1 draft pick, who was a big disappointment for the Blues as they dropped out of the top eight to 10th this season. There is a sense that Gibbs’ career has stalled, with the highly-rated player having minimal impact across half-back. Two years ago, Malthouse coached Gibbs during Australia’s International Rules tour of Ireland and came away a big fan of the utility. “He was simply outstanding over there,” Malthouse said.
“Let me say, there wasn’t any `good’ he was outstanding. “So I know his capabilities. “He has to be thrown the ball and (we) say `right, now you have to run with it’.” Malthouse also made it clear that he sees Gibbs as a midfielder, first and foremost. “I’d like to think he’s going to be playing in the middle, but it’s coupled with half-back and half-forward,” Malthouse said. “He certainly has to come up that next level. “There’s 20 minutes there (each quarter) - he has to be able to do eight to 10 minutes and that’s quite significant. “That takes half a quarter away from others, to give them a little bit of
revamped their backline since their doomed 2012 campaign, when they only narrowly avoided the wooden spoon. Former Cheetahs five-eighth Sias Ebersohn, Junior Rasolea, Sam Norton-Knight, Ed Stubbs, Jayden Hayward and Chris Tuatara-Morrison are among the new arrivals, along with Mathewson. But the most intriguing question is who out of Sheehan and Mathewson will get the nod at halfback. Foley doesn’t yet have the answer, but it’s a question he’ll ponder heavily over the next few months as he runs his
charges through a typically gruelling pre-season campaign. “It definitely will be a battle. All good nines have that type of personality anyway,” Foley said on Monday. “We are extremely lucky to have two international nines. Nine is the position that touches the ball more than any other. “Temperament at nine and 10 is critical. “I can think of any number of nines and 10s that have a complete skill set and physically they’re good. “But when the pressure really comes on, their decision making fails them. “So temperament will be very important - making the right decision at
Final score Port Adelaide 14.4 (88) defeated Western Bulldogs 13.9 (87) Goals Port Adelaide: Monfries 3, Hitchcock 2, Ebert, Hartlett, Trengove, Newton, Moore, Pittard, Redden, Hombsch, Lobbe. Western Bulldogs: Higgins 3, Picken 2, Veszpremi 2, Cordy, Dahlhaus, Jones, Greenwood, Stevens, Liberatore.
relief and also be able to play in other positions, which I’m pretty keen to do.” Malthouse took charge of Carlton training for the first time on Monday, a month after the tumultuous end to this season. The Blues sacked Brett Ratten before their last match and soon after appointed Malthouse, the three-time premiership coach. Carlton were keen to recruit Collingwood key forward Travis Cloke, but once he re-signed with Malthouse’s old club they had a minimal role in the trade period. That reflects Malthouse’s confidence that this group has plenty to offer.
Coaches pleased with successful AFL exhibition
By Roger Vaughan
By Mat Lyons
Selection headache facing new Force coach Michael Foley Continued from p12...
stanza, with Acting-Captain Shaun Higgins on fire. His pinpoint passes, combined with new recruit Koby Stevens’s gritty debut ensured the ‘Dogs had all the ascendancy. And when Liam Picken goaled after launching himself onto the shoulders of Port’s defenders to pluck a classic mark, the Dogs went to the main break with a solid 25-point buffer. The Power’s woes continued when the battle recommenced, as the Bulldogs skipped out to a seemingly unassailable 38 point lead, compliments of majors from Stevens and 19-year old Alex Greenwood. With Port staring down the barrel, Monfries lifted with a series of ruggedly brilliant passages which resulted in goals, while stand-in skipper Hamish Hartlett combined with exciting forward Andrew Moore to bridge the gap and suddenly the Bulldogs had a wobble. Man-mountain Matthew Lobbe began to get on top around the stoppages to enable the creative Cameron Hitchcock to put Port Adelaide within striking distance right on three quarter time. The resurgence brought the crowd to life and the players responded, with the intensity rising notably as scuffles broke out across the ground. The Battle of Britain became an arm wrestle in the final term, with
Port hitting the lead for the first time in the match. They then threatened to nail the Bulldog’s coffin with backto-back goals, as Monfries somehow put the Power 14 points ahead. Stunned into action, the Bulldogs responded in a dramatic five-minute period which included and a clutch of goals from Bulldogs midfielders to regain the lead, and a pitch invasion from a semi-naked man in a lion mask. But there was to be time for one more twist in the game: Ebert’s kick sailed through the big sticks to put his team in front by a point, and the Power hung on to give the crowd an exhilarating finish to the AFL’s welcome return to London.
the key times.” Whichever way Foley goes, he will be safe in the knowledge a quality No.9 will be running the play for the Force. Mathewson notched four Tests for the All Blacks in 2010 and spent the previous three seasons with the Blues. Sheehan’s international career was revived during the recent Rugby Championship following a raft of injuries to Australia’s scrumhalf stocks. “Both of them have a nice running game around the edge of the ruck and they’re tough, so they’re not frightened to get close to big forwards and play our guys through those holes,” Foley said. “And both of them have a good pass.” By Justin Chadwick
FOLLOWING the AFL European Challenge match played in London on Saturday, both participating clubs reflected on what was a successful and entertaining exhibition match and a fantastic advertisement for Aussie Rules. “It was a great performance”, victorious Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley told Australian Times. “Both sides put on a really good game for the fans, obviously with a one-point game.” Hinkley, coaching in his first match, was pleased with the result and had faith in Ebert to kick the winning goal at the end: “I’ve seen him kick goals before, so I’m glad he kicked that one.” He was also full of praise for Angus Monfries who gave the Power a lot of bite against the Bulldogs and described his move to Port Adelaide from Essendon as “an opportunity to freshen
Best Port Adelaide: Monfries, Hartlett, Moore, Ebert, Hitchcock Western Bulldogs: Picken, Higgins, Veszpremi, Howard, Stevens
himself up” and that he was enjoying playing in a variety of positions. For the Bulldogs, Coach Brendan McCartney reflected that his team had its chances but allowed Port back into the game. “A couple of the younger guys were a bit slow to react to what was happening”, said McCartney. “They (Port) played really well and got a bit of momentum.” McCartney used the match as an opportunity to give players a greater degree of responsibility on the field, continuing his mantra of giving his young troops opportunities to learn and develop. At the pre-match function, AFL International Development Manager Tony Woods said that the winner of the match will be invited to return to defend their title when the fixture is next played in London, probably in 2013.
AUSSIES TAKE TAG TITLE Victory for Aussie Men’s team in International Cup P10
DOGS SHOCKED BY POWER SURGE n Port Adelaide stage a stunning comeback against the Bulldogs to snatch victory
in a nail-biting European Challenge, marking the AFL’s triumphant return to London.
By Mat Lyons WITH just 40 seconds remaining on the clock, in front of almost 10,000 roaring AFL fans at London’s Kia Oval, Port Adelaide’s Brad Ebert rammed home a long-range shot from the boundary line. The goal snatched a remarkable onepoint win over the Western Bulldogs in a thrilling game of footy. Ebert celebrated the goal by kissing his black arm band in memory of
Power teammate John McCarthy who tragically died last month, before charging towards his jubilant teammates. “I thought I may as well have a crack. I knew there wasn’t long to go, but I felt quite confident and I went back and it sort of just snuck through”, Ebert told Australian Times after the match. “It was a great feeling.” Trailing by over six goals midway through the third quarter, it appeared
that Port Adelaide were headed for a hefty defeat, as the nimble young Bulldogs led them on a merry dance. But an inspired second half from former Essendon livewire Angus Monfries ignited the Power, who piled on nine consecutive goals to conjure a memorable victory. The Bulldogs started the game in slick style, with tall targets Ayce Cordy and Liam Jones each converting from set shots and zippy
midfielder Luke Dahlhaus slotting a trademark running goal. Despite a limited preparation, having only arrived in London three days before the game, the ‘Dogs controlled the play, with Christian Howard and Pat Veszpremi particularly creative from half back. Having led by 17 points at quarter time, the Bulldogs extended their advantage further in the second ...continued on p11
Quiney slots in to top-order
A 30-year-old carpenter’s apprentice, Rob Quiney admits he’s crawled through a small window of opportunity and he’s now determined to build something big. Hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow late-blooming left-hander Mike Hussey, Quiney believes his experience can see him hit the ground running in his Test debut against South Africa on Friday. The Victorian opener will slot into No.3 in the inconsistent Australian top-order at the Gabba after being called in to replace injured allrounder ...continued on p11
Kiwi threat to Aussie lifesaving dominance
A couple of months ago, Australia’s ironman champion Shannon Eckstein just wanted to walk properly again. Surgery to release compression in a leg artery had crippled the triple world champion in April. “I had a few complications,” Eckstein said on Monday. “It took a couple of months to really start walking again. “I wasn’t too confident in it, but it has come good really quickly.” So rapid has the progress been, Eckstein will captain Australia at the ...continued on p10
Western Force set for halfback showdown
SET FOR SHOWDOWN
Parkinson will face off with Slater for World surf crown | P11 WOULD-BE KING I Australia's Joel Parkinson (AAP Image/ASP, Kelly Cestari)
ONE is currently playing for the Wallabies and has been a mainstay at the Western Force since 2010. The other is a former All Black who has been lured to the Perthbased franchise as their marquee international player. Welcome to the selection headache facing new Force coach Michael Foley, who must choose between 33-year-old Brett Sheehan and 26-year-old Kiwi Alby Mathewson for the starting halfback role. The Force have completely ...continued on p11