What a fraught few months it's been for Australia's sporting fraternity, what with the contested Australian Olympic Committee elections, a pay dispute at Cricket Australia and whatever you call what's going on at the ARU.
But there was no biffo on Thursday at Sydney's Park Hyatt for the Sports Australia Hall of Fame's annual "Australian Spirit" luncheon, fronted by former prime ministers Bob Hawke and John Howard. The pair seem to be doing a roaring trade as dual headliners!
Hawke was flanked by hall of famer Dawn Fraser and Central coastie John Singleton while Howard sat between Fox Sports boss Patrick Delany and veteran rugby boss, now Star Entertainment chair, John O'Neill.
Also along were vitamin Rich Lister and sailor Marcus Blackmore, swimming legend Kieran Perkins, AOC chief executive Matt Carroll, America's Cup captain and now Swimming Australia president John Bertrand, former Wallaby turned Bell Potter broker Simon Poidevin, Tourism Australia's John O'Sullivan, Fairfax Media's banker at Macquarie Capital Darren Keogh and Goldman Sachs' Australian CEO Simon Rothery.
Hawkie was telling epic sailors' jokes but unfortunately it was off the record.
