Anthony Albanese has dedicated a cardinal sin in Melbourne that he would by no means even consider making in Sydney. And he simply retains doing it, writes PVO

So Albo donned a Hawthorn soccer scarf and entered the gamers’ change rooms after the Hawks’ first week finals win to have a good time, scoring some free media protection whereas he was there.

Apparently the PM is a diehard Hawks supporter, in response to his workplace, however that did not perturb Richmond nice Nathan Brown who took goal at Albo for looking for to make use of the Hawks win for political benefit. 

‘I really feel just like the Prime Minister, this was for the great of himself going into the Hawthorn rooms. This sickens me,’ Brown thundered.

‘Anthony Albanese, he had a take a look at the polls and he thought Peter Dutton is closing, he is in entrance… there is a hole. He seems like I must appear to be a standard man. I am going to enter the Hawthorn rooms.’

It did not take lengthy for social media to disclose Albo carrying all method of various AFL group scarfs: Collingwood, the Swans and Carlton – there could be extra.

At a Collingwood occasion Albo attended carrying a Magpies scarf and mentioned: ‘I’m a Hawthorn fan. However at present, I’m more than happy to be part of this magnificent occasion right here at Collingwood’.   

The narrative of ‘every manner Albo’ rapidly got here to the fore, peddled by conventional critics of the PM.

So are these criticisms truthful and affordable, and is Albo actually a diehard Hawks fan as his group of spin docs declare?

I’ve to confess that I did not realise the PM supported the Hawks. Maybe I ought to have. I am not a stalker, only a political commentator. I do not watch his each transfer.

Now that I’ve seemed into it, it is true, he has been a longtime Hawks supporter, and this is not the primary time he is attended a recreation and celebrated with the group afterwards.

I am unsure I might name him a diehard fan, nonetheless.

Diehard Hawks supporters would not put on one other group’s colors, until compelled to take action having misplaced a wager on the result of a recreation, for instance. 

In Melbourne soccer is sort of a faith, and loyalty to at least one’s group is sacrosanct. So whereas Albo could be a Hawks supporter, he is clearly no diehard, that is for positive.

No diehard: this is the Prime Minister in his Collingwood scarf in September final yr…

…and right here he’s in his Sydney Swans regalia in April…

…however again in a Hawks’ scarf for a photo-op in February

And it’s exhausting to disagree that politics was a minimum of a part of the equation when he entered the rooms afterwards and did some media, being pictured cheering on his profitable group.

Nonetheless, the PM is hardly the primary politician to try this with politics on his thoughts. Scott Morrison manufactured a love of rugby league to swimsuit his political narrative of being a person of the folks. He additionally invented the nickname ‘ScoMo’. 

At the least Albo has at all times been Albo.  

It is value noting that South Sydney was taking part in its final season recreation within the NRL the identical night Hawthorn performed its first AFL remaining. The South Sydney Rabbitohs is a group Albo is well-known to help. A diehard supporter at that.

However he was on the Hawks recreation as an alternative, relatively than cheering on his beloved South Sydney at their homeground derby in opposition to the Roosters. 

Souths have had a depressing yr to overlook within the NRL, and at the moment are immersed in a white powder controversy courtesy of star participant Latrell Mitchell.

Not parallels that swimsuit the politics of the second for the PM, that is for positive.

Maybe a troublesome political surroundings has turned the PM into a good climate diehard Souths supporter, if there may be such a factor. 

Possibly that is unfair – he is in all probability been to many dropping Souths house video games this yr, together with since they’ve been languishing on the backside of the ladder.

On the finish of the day if Albo is privileged sufficient to get entry to the Hawks gamers rooms after the sport. Good luck to him. One of many perks of being PM. If he can rating some free political protection whereas doing so, all the higher, his minders would say.

He isn’t the primary politician to take action and he definitely will not be the final.  

And Brown is hardly an neutral observer letting fly on the PM for doing what he did. Brown fronts the cameras spruiking Sportsbet playing merchandise, and with Albo seeking to clamp down on a few of what they do, maybe that was an element motivating his important observations.

Sarcastically the PM has obtained extra media recently condemning him for not going far sufficient in his anti-gambling clampdown. A window into the aggressive tensions political leaders are subjected to regularly. 

Another excuse why politics actually is a mugs’ recreation.

So the place does all of this depart us?

In my estimate, Albo is simply one other politician seeking to safe some mirrored glory from a profitable sports activities group. One he additionally occurs to help, when he is not off carrying different group colors as a result of at these moments in time it politically suited him to take action.

In the meantime, go the Hawks!