‘Don’t screw it up’: NFL takeover of Melbourne moves up a gear

The NFL takeover of Melbourne has moved up a notch, with American football boss Roger Goodell touching down on Wednesday and heading straight to a Leaders and Legends lunch.

Given the deference shown in the room to the 67-year-old US sporting identity, CBD initially wasn’t sure which category Goodell, who has been NFL commissioner since 2006, fell into. We settled on both.

A high-powered room gathered to clap eyes on Goodell. Attendees included Eddie McGuire; Foxtel’s Brian Walsh; Visit Victoria’s Andy Penn; NGV president Janet Whiting; Victorian Chamber of Commerce chief Sally Curtain; Crown Melbourne boss Ed Domingo and chair Martin Pakula; business heavyweights Larry Kestelman and Gerry Ryan; Visit Victoria chief executive Brendan McClements; Melbourne Park chief John Harnden; the MCC’s Stuart Fox; Victorian Institute of Sport boss Nicole Livingstone; and Bulldogs president Kylie Watson-Wheeler.

Pretty hard to miss in the crowd at the Crown Palladium was towering ex-AFL boss Gillon McLachlan. Current AFL chief Andrew Dillon was also among the footy – of the American type – crowd.

CBD spotted Collingwood champion Nick Daicos sidling up to the NFL’s Vince Lombardi trophy, which was on show in the Palladium foyer, for a quick selfie. A trophy is a trophy regardless of the game!

Los Angeles Rams president Kevin Demoff told the room that the Rams were boarding their chartered Qantas A380 on the way from LA to Melbourne as the entree was served.

“I’ve told medical staff this will be the most important 48 hours of your career; don’t screw it up,” he quipped.

But the Rams are not the only big names flying in for Friday’s historic NFL match at the MCG.

CBD hears Gerry Cardinale, founder, CEO and owner of RedBird Capital Partners, will arrive in Melbourne on Thursday.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday night, the most exclusive ticket in town was a dinner for 270 guests at Government House to welcome the NFL and the competing teams to Melbourne. CBD hears guests making the cut included Goodell, naturally, McGuire and Premier Ben Carroll.

Like father, like daughter

If during Victorian One Nation leader Warren Pickering’s can’t-look-away press conference on Tuesday, where he repeatedly noted his political inexperience while fessing up to past illicit drug use and drink-driving offences, you thought perhaps his daughter looked familiar, you would be right.

Jhett Edwards-Scott lined up behind her dad to declare him an excellent father, no less than “perfect” in the extraordinary media moment.

The impression given was that she had been pulled from an otherwise apolitical existence into a full media soap opera involving infidelity, drugs and familial hostility.

But on Wednesday CBD was pointed at the returns for the Victorian seat of Menzies in the 2025 federal election, where Edwards-Scott was listed as the candidate for none other than her dad’s party of choice, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.

She polled 2152 first-preference votes, comprising just under 2 per cent of the electorate. Labor’s Gabriel Ng won the seat by a whisker over Liberal Keith Wolahan.

One Nation confirmed on Wednesday Edwards-Smith’s history with the party. Edwards-Smith herself politely also confirmed her previous candidacy in Menzies, but declined to add anything further as she is “not speaking to the media at the moment”.

Johnny Young memorial

TV great Johnny Young’s life has been celebrated by some of the stars whose early careers he nurtured on his legendary show, in a private celebration in Melbourne.

Dannii Minogue and Tina Arena were among former Young Talent Time cast members who joined Young’s daughters Fleur and Anna and his wife, Marisha, at the Lakeside Pavilion in Albert Park for the heartfelt memorial on Sunday – Father’s Day.

Young, who created and hosted Young Talent Time, as well as finding success as a singer, songwriter, businessman and radio DJ, died on August 13 aged 79. He was privately laid to rest in Perth.

The Melbourne memorial was emceed by YTT alumnus Beven Addinsall. Other members of the show including Tim Nelson, Vince Deltito, Steven Zammit, Greg Poynton, Karen Knowles, Mark McCormack, Robert McCullough, Joey Dee, Joey Perrone, Jamie Churchill, Nicole Cooper, Debbie Hancock, Lorena Novoa and Rikki Arnot also attended.

Russell Morris, for whom Young wrote the classic hit The Real Thing, was also among the guests.

“It was all such a whirlwind, but it was absolutely beautiful. He was a mentor and great friend,” Addinsall told CBD.

“I read a tribute, Dannii did a tribute which was beautiful, and Tina did a tribute which was wonderful. John’s grandkids and his daughters also did tributes.

“The theme of the day was support, particularly acknowledging the support he gave everybody and the vision he had for young people and knowing they had talent before they even did.”

A video including footage of Arena performing Here Comes The Star, a song Young wrote, at Young’s induction to the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2010 was played, along with a montage of photos.

The now somewhat older Young Talent Team came together at the conclusion of the service to sing All My Loving – a perfectly fitting choice, being the signature song Young closed YTT with for 18 years.

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