AFL world mourning death of high-flying cult hero Peter Bosustow after cancer battle
The AFL are in mourning after the death of former Carlton fan favourite Peter Bosustow, aged 67.
Bosustow died surrounded by family overnight after battling cancer.
He leaves behind his wife Shelley, son Brent and daughter Brooke, who were all with him to say their goodbyes.
Known affectionately as 'Buzz', the cult hero only played 65 games across three years at Carlton, but was an instant fan favourite for his ability to take high-flying marks.
As well as playing in the Blues' premiership sides in 1981 and '82, Bosustow is one of only two players in history to win both the Mark and Goal of the Year in the same season (1981).
Either side of his three-year stint at Carlton, Bosustow played for Perth in the WAFL, kicking 379 goals from 141 games.
He was selected in Perth's Team of the Century (1899-1999) and also played eight state games for Western Australia.
Bosustow was also inducted in the WA Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
Former Carlton teammate Ken Hunter paid tribute to the much-loved figure.
'I look back on him in his first year, winning Mark of the Year, Goal of the Year and a Grand Final – him being a half forward, me being a half back,' Hunter told Carlton's website.
'He used to joke that I was the extrovert and him the introvert, when it was obviously the other way around. He was a unique character and a rare football talent in equal measure. That talent was obvious in Perth but it went to another level when he came to Melbourne.
'The Carlton people loved 'Buzz' and he loved Carlton.'
Former coach David Parkin remembered Bosustow as an 'exceptional talent'.
'I've coached some outstandingly talented players, but on his day Peter could do things on a footy field few could emulate – a case in point that smother, gather and goal,' he said.
'Peter had remarkable capacities in the air and on the ground, and was probably as exciting a player to watch as we ever had.
'What was really good was that despite the ups and downs of a coach/player relationship we remained really good mates and shared so much over the journey. We used to call, text or email eachother a lot, particularly through the course of his illness which began 18 months ago. As a player he tested me like nobody else, but he was always quick to apologise to me and the players and it was just a bit sad that he decided to go home. But he was a gem of a bloke.'
Fans also paid tribute to their hero.
'RIP Buzz. You gave us so many great games and lifetime memories. We went to the footy to see you play. Your magical goals and skyscrapping marks we're breathtaking to witness. A True Blue Bagger to the end,' one fan tweeted.
'Absolute star of the game. RIP Peter,' another added.
'Condolences to his family. What an absolute star I got to watch growing up. Mark/Goal of the year too show how talented this bloke was. Left it all out there in footy and life. Rest easy Buzz,' another said.
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The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Luai answers Blues' SOS call for State of Origin II
History has repeated itself with NSW forced to call upon a player they had initially dumped as the Blues hunt a series victory in Perth. Jarome Luai answered coach Laurie Daley's SOS call on Thursday after Moses was rubbed out of game 2 because of a calf strain suffered in camp. The Wests Tigers co-captain, who had been overlooked for Moses in the game one win, was contacted by Daley and team performance manager Frank Ponissi. Five-eighth for last year's series win, Luai heeded the call and will reunite with former Penrith teammate Nathan Cleary in the halves for his 11th Origin cap. "I've done the work, I've been here before. I know what it takes," Luai said on arrival at the team hotel in Leura on Thursday night. "We've got a good squad so I just need to do my job and give the other boys confidence as well." 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When it comes to Origin football they'll be a dangerous threat," said winger Xavier Coates. Daley was impressed by Luai's attitude after he was overlooked for game one and felt he would respond to the pressures of a last-minute call-up with similar positivity. "Luai handled it (the initial rejection) with such class and he said if I needed him, he'd be ready to go," Daley said. "So when I rang him, he said, 'Sweet, I'm ready to go'. That filled me with confidence. "I don't think anything fazes Jarome. He's always up for a challenge and the bigger the challenge, the better he goes." History has repeated itself with NSW forced to call upon a player they had initially dumped as the Blues hunt a series victory in Perth. Jarome Luai answered coach Laurie Daley's SOS call on Thursday after Moses was rubbed out of game 2 because of a calf strain suffered in camp. The Wests Tigers co-captain, who had been overlooked for Moses in the game one win, was contacted by Daley and team performance manager Frank Ponissi. Five-eighth for last year's series win, Luai heeded the call and will reunite with former Penrith teammate Nathan Cleary in the halves for his 11th Origin cap. "I've done the work, I've been here before. I know what it takes," Luai said on arrival at the team hotel in Leura on Thursday night. "We've got a good squad so I just need to do my job and give the other boys confidence as well." It marks the second time in as many series NSW have been forced to lean on a key player they initially rejected, having called fullback James Tedesco in at similarly late notice for last year's series opener. Tedesco was dropped from the team once Dylan Edwards recovered from injury for Origin II last year. But Luai said he was not yet considering his selection prospects should Moses be fit in time for Origin III. "I'm not worried about what's next. 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"(Burton) would be disappointed, you'd want him to be disappointed, but he gives us a bit more versatility in that 18th-man role," Daley said. "He can play a few more positions. I just think Jarome and Nathan's combination, they've had so much success." Queensland are wary of the dangers posed by the Cleary-Luai combination, first forged a decade ago in Penrith's junior system. "They've played all their footy together at the Panthers. When it comes to Origin football they'll be a dangerous threat," said winger Xavier Coates. Daley was impressed by Luai's attitude after he was overlooked for game one and felt he would respond to the pressures of a last-minute call-up with similar positivity. "Luai handled it (the initial rejection) with such class and he said if I needed him, he'd be ready to go," Daley said. "So when I rang him, he said, 'Sweet, I'm ready to go'. That filled me with confidence. "I don't think anything fazes Jarome. He's always up for a challenge and the bigger the challenge, the better he goes." History has repeated itself with NSW forced to call upon a player they had initially dumped as the Blues hunt a series victory in Perth. Jarome Luai answered coach Laurie Daley's SOS call on Thursday after Moses was rubbed out of game 2 because of a calf strain suffered in camp. The Wests Tigers co-captain, who had been overlooked for Moses in the game one win, was contacted by Daley and team performance manager Frank Ponissi. Five-eighth for last year's series win, Luai heeded the call and will reunite with former Penrith teammate Nathan Cleary in the halves for his 11th Origin cap. "I've done the work, I've been here before. I know what it takes," Luai said on arrival at the team hotel in Leura on Thursday night. "We've got a good squad so I just need to do my job and give the other boys confidence as well." It marks the second time in as many series NSW have been forced to lean on a key player they initially rejected, having called fullback James Tedesco in at similarly late notice for last year's series opener. Tedesco was dropped from the team once Dylan Edwards recovered from injury for Origin II last year. But Luai said he was not yet considering his selection prospects should Moses be fit in time for Origin III. "I'm not worried about what's next. I'm worried about the present moment," he said. "I'm really excited and I'm grateful for the opportunity. I know there were a few options they could've went with but I'll make sure I repay that faith." The NRL has already granted the Blues an exemption to bring Luai into the team from outside the 20-man squad Daley had named on Tuesday. Daley defended the Blues' call to pick Luai ahead of Canterbury five-eighth Matt Burton, who was already in camp as replacement player. 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The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Crows coach laments 'unfair' report involving veteran
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Wanganeen-Milera's management immediately denied the report while the St Kilda star reportedly called Walker to say the incident was not a factor in his decision regarding where he will play next year. When asked if he had gotten involved after the story emerged, Nicks said: "No, other than putting support around the people I felt needed support. "I didn't like the way it played out at all. I think it was unfair to a lot of people. "But no, I didn't get any more involved than checking in with Taylor, for example, just to make sure that he knows that I'm proud of what he's done since what was an unacceptable moment four years ago. "He's done a lot of work on educating himself and he's actually probably done more than anyone at the footy club, but our whole footy club's improved off the back of that. "Other than that, no, not involved." Nicks conceded in-season speculation around players' futures was part of the modern environment. "It's part of the deal: pressure to perform on field, but there's also pressures that come off field," he said. "As I mentioned before, some of it I'm not a fan of, the way it plays out. "There's a little bit of a lack of accountability there, but I think our players deal with it really well." Nicks refused to comment on whether he believed Adelaide were still in the mix to secure Wanganeen-Milera. "We don't talk about players from other footy clubs," he said. Nicks instead wanted to focus on a huge clash with Hawthorn, who have lost James Worpel (corked quad) and dropped Finn Maginness. Nick Watson returns from illness and Henry Husthwaite has been recalled, while Adelaide named Lachlan Murphy in place of James Peatling (suspended). "They're in good nick, we're in good nick, so it should be a great contest," Nicks said. "They've sorted us out, especially last time we met here at AO (Adelaide Oval). They put us to the sword, their small forwards. "They're a very dynamic group. If they can get the game on their terms, nearly impossible to stop." Third-placed Adelaide (9-4) will be looking to extend their winning streak to four matches against sixth-placed Hawthorn (8-5). Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks has lamented an "unfair" report suggesting Taylor Walker's racism incident in 2021 could affect the AFL club's pursuit of St Kilda star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera. The third-placed Crows are due to travel to Launceston for a blockbuster clash with sixth-placed Hawthorn on Friday night. But the game has been overshadowed by a report on the Nine Network on Monday, which said Indigenous young gun Wanganeen-Milera had indicated he would not join Adelaide due to Walker's racist comment in 2021. Classy half-back Wanganeen-Milera, 22, is out of contract at season's end and both the Crows and Port Adelaide are attempting to lure him home to South Australia. Walker, 35, received a six-game ban and $20,000 fine from the AFL in 2021 after he was overheard making a racist comment about North Adelaide's Indigenous player Robbie Young at an Adelaide SANFL match. Wanganeen-Milera's management immediately denied the report while the St Kilda star reportedly called Walker to say the incident was not a factor in his decision regarding where he will play next year. When asked if he had gotten involved after the story emerged, Nicks said: "No, other than putting support around the people I felt needed support. "I didn't like the way it played out at all. I think it was unfair to a lot of people. "But no, I didn't get any more involved than checking in with Taylor, for example, just to make sure that he knows that I'm proud of what he's done since what was an unacceptable moment four years ago. "He's done a lot of work on educating himself and he's actually probably done more than anyone at the footy club, but our whole footy club's improved off the back of that. "Other than that, no, not involved." Nicks conceded in-season speculation around players' futures was part of the modern environment. "It's part of the deal: pressure to perform on field, but there's also pressures that come off field," he said. "As I mentioned before, some of it I'm not a fan of, the way it plays out. "There's a little bit of a lack of accountability there, but I think our players deal with it really well." Nicks refused to comment on whether he believed Adelaide were still in the mix to secure Wanganeen-Milera. "We don't talk about players from other footy clubs," he said. Nicks instead wanted to focus on a huge clash with Hawthorn, who have lost James Worpel (corked quad) and dropped Finn Maginness. Nick Watson returns from illness and Henry Husthwaite has been recalled, while Adelaide named Lachlan Murphy in place of James Peatling (suspended). "They're in good nick, we're in good nick, so it should be a great contest," Nicks said. "They've sorted us out, especially last time we met here at AO (Adelaide Oval). They put us to the sword, their small forwards. "They're a very dynamic group. If they can get the game on their terms, nearly impossible to stop." Third-placed Adelaide (9-4) will be looking to extend their winning streak to four matches against sixth-placed Hawthorn (8-5). Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks has lamented an "unfair" report suggesting Taylor Walker's racism incident in 2021 could affect the AFL club's pursuit of St Kilda star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera. The third-placed Crows are due to travel to Launceston for a blockbuster clash with sixth-placed Hawthorn on Friday night. But the game has been overshadowed by a report on the Nine Network on Monday, which said Indigenous young gun Wanganeen-Milera had indicated he would not join Adelaide due to Walker's racist comment in 2021. Classy half-back Wanganeen-Milera, 22, is out of contract at season's end and both the Crows and Port Adelaide are attempting to lure him home to South Australia. Walker, 35, received a six-game ban and $20,000 fine from the AFL in 2021 after he was overheard making a racist comment about North Adelaide's Indigenous player Robbie Young at an Adelaide SANFL match. Wanganeen-Milera's management immediately denied the report while the St Kilda star reportedly called Walker to say the incident was not a factor in his decision regarding where he will play next year. When asked if he had gotten involved after the story emerged, Nicks said: "No, other than putting support around the people I felt needed support. "I didn't like the way it played out at all. I think it was unfair to a lot of people. "But no, I didn't get any more involved than checking in with Taylor, for example, just to make sure that he knows that I'm proud of what he's done since what was an unacceptable moment four years ago. "He's done a lot of work on educating himself and he's actually probably done more than anyone at the footy club, but our whole footy club's improved off the back of that. "Other than that, no, not involved." Nicks conceded in-season speculation around players' futures was part of the modern environment. "It's part of the deal: pressure to perform on field, but there's also pressures that come off field," he said. "As I mentioned before, some of it I'm not a fan of, the way it plays out. "There's a little bit of a lack of accountability there, but I think our players deal with it really well." Nicks refused to comment on whether he believed Adelaide were still in the mix to secure Wanganeen-Milera. "We don't talk about players from other footy clubs," he said. Nicks instead wanted to focus on a huge clash with Hawthorn, who have lost James Worpel (corked quad) and dropped Finn Maginness. Nick Watson returns from illness and Henry Husthwaite has been recalled, while Adelaide named Lachlan Murphy in place of James Peatling (suspended). "They're in good nick, we're in good nick, so it should be a great contest," Nicks said. "They've sorted us out, especially last time we met here at AO (Adelaide Oval). They put us to the sword, their small forwards. "They're a very dynamic group. If they can get the game on their terms, nearly impossible to stop." Third-placed Adelaide (9-4) will be looking to extend their winning streak to four matches against sixth-placed Hawthorn (8-5).
Sydney Morning Herald
4 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Why an investment banker with Roos blood in his veins stormed into John Elliott's office with a cheque
Every AFL club has a network of influencers who make things happen through their wealth, fame or political connections. This is our series on the football world's movers and shakers. See all 11 stories. Statues at football clubs are typically erected for champion footballers or the game's greatest coaches. At North Melbourne, the two chairmen who preceded Sonja Hood – James Brayshaw and Ben Buckley – are adamant a white knight who fits neither category deserves one at Arden Street. They will tell you there is no one more important to the Kangaroos' survival than philanthropist and businessman Peter Scanlon, who tipped in more than $10 million during Brayshaw's stint by the time he announced Scanlon's life membership nine years ago. It was no coincidence, then, that Scanlon was seated next to Brayshaw and Buckley on November 19, 2021, when they proudly revealed that North Melbourne were debt-free for the first time since 1987. That milestone day, Brayshaw reminisced with Scanlon and the club's former chief executive, Eugene Arocca, about eyeballing almost $9 million of debt – which threatened to get more out of hand from a crippling interest rate – and their fears about how they would ever wipe it. It was proof the Roos had come a long way since the dark days of 2007, when the AFL wanted them to relocate to the Gold Coast. The league's then-CEO, Andrew Demetriou, and commissioner Colin Carter even took North Melbourne's major shareholder (more on this later), Peter de Rauch, out for breakfast at a Collins Street haunt to extol the virtues of the Kangaroos moving north. De Rauch, like many others at Arden Street, had no interest in relocating. On December 7 that year, North's board voted to remain a Melbourne-based club – and for Brayshaw to be the new chairman. Brayshaw's brother, ex-player Mark, and fellow board member Ron Joseph were instrumental in him becoming president. One of Brayshaw's first pledges was to change their name back to North Melbourne, after they officially became the Kangaroos eight years earlier in an attempt to broaden their appeal. The original name change was targeted at recruiting new Australians, recalled then-CEO Greg Miller. The club even brokered a deal with a removalist company, whereby every time a migrant shifted their furniture to Australia, they got a North Melbourne membership. Reflecting on dodging the Gold Coast threat, Scanlon deflected credit to others, from Brayshaw, Buckley and Arocca to long-time directors de Rauch and Trevor O'Hoy, as well as rank-and-file club members. 'It was clear to James, Ron Joseph, myself and others that although it looked financially attractive, moving to the Gold Coast [would have been] the end of the 'Shinboners',' Scanlon said when the debt was wiped. 'The decision those guys made was we'd rather try and fail to keep that than give up, and I think, on behalf of all the members – if I can be so bold as to represent them – I just want to thank the people who did all the work … I've had so much more back than I've ever put in.' The Scanlon connection extends to Hood, who is the Scanlon Foundation's CEO and had his considerable support to be Buckley's successor as club president three years ago. Scanlon's son, Brady, also served on North Melbourne's board from 2012-21, while the club's community arm at Arden Street, The Huddle, was Scanlon's idea. 'The real truth has always been that without the towering backing of Peter Scanlon,' Brayshaw said at the 2016 Syd Barker Medal function, 'it didn't matter what else occurred or who else was involved – there would have been no option but to relocate.' Scanlon's contributions, including and beyond that torrid period, were not purely financial. He attended critical meetings with AFL heavyweights and provided counsel to Roos officials. 'When we walked in that room with the great Peter Scanlon, the air suddenly went out of the room and the AFL's whole demeanour changed,' Brayshaw said. 'It's very easy to stand out the front of anything with confidence when you have someone like Peter Scanlon standing behind you.' Buckley, a former vice captain who played 74 games for North Melbourne before serving as the club's president for nine years until early 2022, echoed Brayshaw's sentiments, while highlighting Peter Dwyer as another key contributor. 'Peter [Scanlon]'s always there and always giving of his time. He's been hugely influential in supporting the club through some pretty tough periods,' Buckley told The Age. 'I would stress that people like Peter, whether it's North Melbourne or at other clubs; a lot of the public commentary turns to financial support. But a lot of times, you just need that sounding board, to stress-test some of your decisions beyond the boardroom, which can get emotional. 'I always found Peter's counsel to be very objective – but with a great care for the people involved.' Why Carlton bought shares in North, and the buyback North Melbourne have long had to find innovative ways to make a buck, from starting the annual grand final day breakfast in 1967 to Friday night football, which has become the most coveted timeslot every week. They also championed pre-game and half-time entertainment – including one occasion in 1978 where a circus elephant, with a cheer squad member aboard, briefly panicked and threatened to stampede at Arden Street – and invited women to attend the once men-only luncheons. The Kangaroos went into a rebuild after winning two premierships with Ron Barassi as coach in the 1970s, and plunged into about $2.5 million of debt. North Melbourne continued to do things their way under then-chairman Bob Ansett's leadership, issuing three million $1 shares and listing the club on the Hobart Stock Exchange in the late 1980s. Ansett borrowed a significant amount of money from merchant bank Tricontinental to buy the shares, but later went bankrupt in a difficult financial climate. At that stage, a group of investors, including ex-Kangaroos players Kerry Good, Mark Dawson and Robert Smith, Good's business partner Peter Johnstone, ex-South Melbourne footballer Greg Miller, and de Rauch bought a large number of the shares. De Rauch's 10 per cent stake increased to 34 per cent after a deal where he helped a financially stricken fellow North director, which was why Demetriou and Carter wanted to speak to him. 'I got a phone call from Ron Joseph, and he said he wanted to come and talk to me, and he turned up with Mark Dawson,' de Rauch said. 'The club was in trouble. If we didn't buy the shares, Tricontinental might have taken over and sold the club to anybody.' Loading There were class A and B shares, with contrasting voting power, which Ansett did to make sure people with the club's best interests ended up with the biggest say. 'They were interesting times. It was not quite as serious as [having to do it for survival], but we wanted to get rid of a couple of million dollars [in debt],' Ansett told this masthead. 'It wasn't like we were out of business if we didn't do it. The shares were something that looked attractive and provided an opportunity to pay off the debt at the time.' Complications arose a few years later when Dick Pratt purchased a bunch of those shares for Carlton – some say it was 10 per cent, and others 20 – and held onto them for the next decade as part of a potential hostile takeover bid until John Magowan bought them back. Ansett said Magowan, a former CEO of the Australian branch of investment management company Merrill Lynch, could have saved his money, given the Blues had such an 'insignificant' percentage. Loading Miller, who became a long-time Kangaroos recruiter and administrator, is convinced that Ansett's innovative idea 'saved the club'. He also provided insight into Magowan's logic in buying Carlton's shares. 'The whole thing was a 'Jack' Elliott [former Carlton president] ego beat-up that wasn't reality,' Miller said. 'John Magowan went and bought them off Carlton. In the end, he said, 'The shares aren't worth anything, but Elliott carries on as if they are. F--- him, I'll go and pay'. He walked into Elliott's office, wrote him a cheque for $180,000, and got them all back.' The shares again became a major topic during the Gold Coast relocation talks between the league and North. Demetriou wanted the Kangaroos to revert from the shareholder arrangement to being a member-owned club, and Brayshaw and Joseph went to Noosa to meet with Ansett, who subsequently travelled south to the Gold Coast with them to discuss the matter with Demetriou. 'Both Ron [Joseph] and James [Brayshaw] didn't want me to consider selling the shares – and that was the end of it, as far as I was concerned,' Ansett said. 'My support was for North Melbourne, so I just tore them up. Most others did the same, but some with small quantities may have kept them as mementos.' The 22 years of private ownership officially ended in March 2009 and meant all Kangaroos members had an equal vote on club matters, as was the case with Victoria's nine other teams. The 17 people who relinquished their shares became patrons of the club, while de Rauch, Magowan, Dennis Morgan, Johnstone, Good and Andrew Carter received life membership. 'The fact that we were privately owned was a real stone in the AFL's shoe,' Brayshaw said at the time. 'They made no bones of the fact that they wanted us to have the same structure as every other club in Melbourne. 'We were in a position where our relationship with City Hall was compromised … [and] we want to have a great relationship with the AFL. They were of the opinion that we needed to sort this out.' The would-be Fitzroy merger If key North Melbourne people had their way, the Kangaroos rather than Brisbane would have merged with embattled Fitzroy in 1996. Early that year at Leonda By The Yarra in Hawthorn, the AFL presented each club with a package of incentives to convince them to merge with Fitzroy, from extra players to fixture perks and a $6 million bounty to cover the Lions' $2.3 million debt and help the merger succeed. Miller, North's chief executive at the time, went to the club's board with the proposal because the Roos had continued to struggle financially despite being an on-field powerhouse, led by Wayne Carey and coach Denis Pagan. 'Even though we were a very good side, it was an era where equalisation kind of wasn't around, and we still had a lot of financial problems,' Miller said. 'We decided as a board, 'We can do this', and we met with the Fitzroy board, and did all the things you expect behind the scenes … and then, of course, we kept winning, we were on top of the ladder, and the AFL realised, 'Hang on a minute, we're getting pushback here from what we've offered – will you take less?' 'I said, 'No, we're not taking less, we've got it in writing'.' De Rauch, too, worked on the would-be merger with the AFL's then legal adviser and future Collingwood president Jeff Browne. The new club would have been called North Fitzroy Kangaroos, but opposition teams feared they would become a 'super club'. Loading The Roos refused to budge from their stance of not accepting less when clubs met again that year at Punt Road – but by then, the league was negotiating for Fitzroy to instead merge with Brisbane Bears. In de Rauch's words, North Melbourne's rivals 'sabotaged' the concept. The other 14 clubs voted emphatically against the North-Fitzroy merger. 'Brisbane and Sydney were the two teams the AFL needed to work for the expansion of the competition, and I had no issue with that,' Miller said. 'But you can't offer something, then renege on it and blame us, so we were not going to change. The AFL gave the merger to Brisbane, and we won the premiership that year. 'We beat Geelong the next day by 60 points, and then we beat the two AFL sides – Brisbane and Sydney – in the preliminary final and grand final. We had to start looking for alternatives [to solve our financial issues], which was selling games interstate.' The Kangaroos won another premiership, which remains their most recent (at least in the men's competition), in 1999. The celebrity Shinboners There is no higher-profile North Melbourne supporter than former Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting, who was the club's No.1 ticketholder at the height of his legendary career. Loading Ponting was often on international tours throughout football seasons, and watching games was not as accessible then as it is now – but that did not stop him. He would organise to receive match videos before graduating, as technology improved, to friends ringing him then placing their phone against a radio to hear the commentary. That is how Ponting followed the Roos' 1999 grand final triumph. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Ponting has been overseas with coaching and other commitments for most of every football season, but he watches every game on the AFL website. Ponting went into business with North Melbourne premiership stars Glenn Archer and Anthony Stevens, while Ponting Wines became the Kangaroos' official wine partner last year. 'During my playing years, I was very lucky to be in and around our great sides of the '90s. Many of the players became close friends, and we have stayed in regular contact,' Ponting told this masthead. 'I was like a kid in a lolly shop back then.' Ponting has spoken to several iterations of North Melbourne playing groups, and worked with the club on charitable initiatives via the Ponting Foundation, including a Twenty20 game between the Kangaroos and Hawthorn in Launceston in 2017. They raised more than $300,000 for childhood cancer support in Tasmania that day, which is also remembered for a Peter Siddle bouncer that hit Alastair Clarkson on the helmet. Cricket ties run deep at North. Siddle is another passionate supporter, along with the Marsh brothers – Mitch and Shaun – who caught up with the players and coaches during their current trip to Western Australia. The Kangaroos twice asked Ponting to join the club's board, but he reluctantly said no because of his overseas commitments. They also offered him a semi-executive football department role after he retired as a player and relocated from Sydney to Melbourne, but the timing was not right, a 'flattered' Ponting said. North Melbourne's other celebrity supporters include actors Sigrid Thornton and Lisa McCune, singer Tim Rogers, leading horse trainer Lee Freedman, comedians Greg Fleet and Trevor Marmalade, Melbourne Storm star Ryan Papenhuyzen, tennis player Wayne Arthurs and basketballer Chris Goulding. Loading The club's ex-media boss, Heath O'Loughlin, attempted in 2009 to confirm rumours that supermodel Elle Macpherson was a North Melbourne supporter. 'I managed to hunt down Elle's email address through a friend at a talent agency who knew her brother,' O'Loughlin said, laughing. 'I almost fainted when she wrote back. It was something like, 'Oh, bless – thank you for checking. Unfortunately, I am not [a Kangaroos fan]. It's something that's always followed me around, but thank you for checking'.'
