It was a privilege and honour to be granted an audience with The King of Diamonds, "Rampaging" Roy Slaven and "The Ace up the Sleeve", H.G. Nelson in the Triple M soundproof booth. No topic was taboo. These beautiful brains dissected all the big sporting issues for The Sun-Herald ... why bringing Tiger Woods to Sydney is money well spent; how Carlos Smearson (aka Ricky Stuart) has got the Blues travelling in the right direction and an insight into how Newcastle ended up with a "lemon" in incoming coach Wayne Bennett.
It was an hour of power, a sonic wedge of cake up the date. Here is the full transcript from this world exclusive interview.
Sun-Herald: The footy finals are upon us. What's piquing your interest in the Festival of the Boot?
HG: Let's start at the other end of the table. We're hoping against hope that Parramatta end up with the wooden spoon. That will be a real treat, especially for people in the Parramatta area, who haven't experienced this in many, many years. We have followed, with some interest, the teams which did very well last year but have fallen off the tree ... but coming to your question, is we're hoping that the Balmain Tigers can somehow find enough magic between Benji, Galloway and Farah to be there on the big day. That would be a very entertaining match regardless of whoever they play.
ROY: I think there will be a royal commission into what has happened at St George Illawarra. You'd have ask what's gone on there. Has Wayne just lost interest as a result of signing with the Knights? You'd have to say it's very unprofessional what's gone on there. It wouldn't surprise if there wasn't some sort of coup to take place at the Taj Mahal, that is the St George Leagues Club.
HG: But on the other hand, haven't we made a fortune from their losses on the TAB.
ROY: For those in the know.
HG: Yes, for those who know what's going on. It's all very well to have a few cheeky bets on a Ryan Tandy penalty ...
ROY: I keep forgetting to have a bet. Thankfully, when I'm listening to the call I get reminded all the time. I think 'that's right!'. And then I go for 20 minutes and I think 'I haven't had a bet for, how long now?' and then I'm reminded again. And then I go and have another bet.
HG: It's fantastic, isn't it?
ROY: It's improved my enjoyment of the rugby league. Even a dull match – there aren't many 'who cares?' fixtures, but the odd one you come across – all of a sudden you're caring because money is on the line.
HG: And with the season coming to an end with the finals, we can reveal the future of Todd Carney, which I believe has been postponed. I'm looking forward to seeing the Carney defence.
ROY: Well, I think the defence would be that every club needs a personality. In the old days, we'd call a player like Todd a 'personality player'. Every club used to have one. Or two. Or 13, if you're lucky.
HG: Johnny Elias played as a personality player at a number of clubs.
ROY: The man with the Bowler Hat ...
HG: Yes, Chook Raper. Well, was it Monty Porter? Who cares? All you cared about was there was a personality in the Australian team and that's why they went. To see personalities run around.
SH: Do you suspect the postponement was because Mad Monday is just around the corner and, perhaps, Mad Monday and Todd Carney aren't a good fit?
ROY: It's just to do with historical context. Up until five years ago, players like Todd Carney - personality players - people looked forward to seeing what happened on Mad Monday. But now you've got this professionalism, role models and all this sort of rubbish. It's destroying rugby league. It's keeping the personalities out of the game. I tell ya, you don't have personalities, you don't have a game. People won't watch any more.
HG: We were at the jumping castle at Fortress Brookie the other day. And we were standing there and quizzing people while they went in. Most of them didn't have a player [to watch], but they wanted to see the bloke who did the window cleaning [Anthony Watmough]. They'd heard all about him from other sources - how stupid he was, what he got up to on the weekend, could he really clean a whole office building with one drizzle? That's what got them in.
ROY: Half where there to see him. Even if they didn't expect him to clean any windows. They just wanted to see what he looked like in shorts.
SH: Is it a shame Mad Monday is a bit like Christmas in that it only happens once a year?
ROY: Yeah. Of course, in the old days every Monday was Mad Monday. They were the golden years of rugby league.
HG: Monday night football has put a stop to that for some teams.
ROY: It has. For the two teams involved. Although, if you play the game at 7:30pm, you've got an hour-and-a-half to kick into a Mad Monday on that night. And don't tell me you can't get a skinful into you in an hour-and-a-half.
HG: Are you entirely persuaded by Monday night football?
ROY: No. I hate Monday night football. I think football should be at 3pm on a Saturday and Sunday afternoon and that's it.
SH: Chris Walker had an issue with the Melbourne Storm's tackling technique. Do you see an issue there?
ROY: I think they're really good at it. People looooove watching a bloke get turtled. Put on their back. They're the best at it. I don't know how they do it, but they do it every time. Wrestling has been great for rugby league. To see these technique. The grapple, sure, we had to get rid of that because people were dying on the field through being choked. But turtling a bloke – I just love that. You hearing the crowds, like when we were at Brookie the other night "Great turtle Watmough!!". I love that. I often think of the Greg 'Turtle' Conescue as a result of that. Poor old turtle. The one thing he couldn't do was turtle anyone. It was one of those ironic nicknames.
SH: Back on Bennett. Do you think the Knights are lamenting their decision to bring him to Newcastle?
ROY: We were in Newcastle during the week. There's a slow despond going through the town. They feel they've got a dud.
HG: It wouldn't surprise to see them drop out of the eight because they've got nothing to play for now. 2011 is gone and it's the long lean years, the reverse of the golden age, coming up. It's very grim up there. Thank goodness people have jobs. Especially in mining ...
ROY: Mining and tourism ...
HG: Tourism? You're saying they're going out to Kooragang Island?
ROY: A top-10 destination for Newcastle according to Lonely Planet. There's so much to do. Kooragang Island – you could spend a lifetime there and only scratch the surface.
SH: As I pointed out to you, Merwether beach on a southerly ...
ROY: Nothing like it. It's absolute paradise. I just think Wayne's best days are behind him. There's a crisis in confidence in him now, he's not talking to anyone. With the players, he just grunts.
HG: He does a lot of whiteboard work.
ROY: Well, he leaves the staff to do the whiteboard work.
HG: Does he?
ROY: Yes. He stays in his hutch and doesn't come out.
HG: In an office like this?
ROY: Yes.
HG: Does he watch the matches?
ROY: I don't know what he's watching! Old shows ...
HG: Broncos?
ROY: Old Footy Shows!
SH: Still on the Dragons, Mark Gasnier. Is this a loss to rugby league?
ROY: I wonder whether we saw the best of Gaz.
HG: Hmm, they were the French years ...
ROY: I don't think they saw the best of Gaz either. It's hard to imagine he was shimmy woosh. Isn't it?! How long since we've seen a shimmy woosh? I dunno. There are kids now, looking for jobs, who don't know what shimmy woosh means.
HG: The sad thing about Gasnier, it was only [because of] the relative. If it had been a name like 'Perch' or something like that, he would have never got the raps.
ROY: No.
HG: But people were expecting him to be the second coming of Puff. And he's only a nephew, so it's hard to have him as Puff II.
ROY: He's not Puff II.
ROY: The Original Puff – God Almighty! Didn't he have a shimmy woosh.
SH: The direction of the game. With the independent commission, are we happy with the composition ...
HG: There's room for improvement there. The thing that I love is News Ltd haven't ruled out having another Super League. This has got me really intrigued, I'm licking my lips with anticipation.
ROY: So am I.
HG: Going back to the Gasnier comment, we didn't see the best of Super League either, did we?
ROY: No. People would love to see Super League back, with the 'S' on the jersey. That would be fantastic.
HG: They were going to make it a household competition in China.
ROY: That was the ambition.
HG: They didn't get it quite that far ... But coming back to the independent commission though, it has been a very difficult thing to put together, almost an impossible task. Independence is such a tricky word in rugby league, isn't it?
ROY: Well, you want to be arm's length from rugby league, don't you?
HG: Ideally you'd know nothing about the game.
ROY: That's right. I was hoping John Quayle would have taken over, he's probably the finest rugby league administrator in the world. It tells you something about the game that there's no room for someone like John Quayle. Did we see the best of John Quayle? Well, we did!! But we want to see it again!
HG: The difficulty is that you need people who have almost no contact with the game ...
ROY: Who don't understand the game and don't have any respect for the game. And have no respect for it's traditions. It is odd. It's like getting a set of electricians in and getting them to look at ...
HG: Plumbing!
ROY: Or Australia Post.
HG: Or Australia Post!
SH: There are many pressing issues they need to address. What would be at the top of your list. Grand final entertainment?
HG: Obviously grand final entertainment. I just hope they don't go the Meatloaf route this year. You see, the AFL have got Meatloaf on the day before. Now I understand the only acts that can get on the AFL grand final are those who have vinyl representation in Andrew Demetriou's record collection.
ROY: Ahhhhh, yes.
HG: So it's a very set thing. Can I just say that I'm pleased Bon Jovi ruled it out because I think they would have cheapened the whole thing. Let's face it – the game choosing an American act, with a song from some time ago ... with kids today, you'd have to be in at least late high school to remember Our House, if I've got the right song in the first place.
ROY: I know.
HG: It might be longer than that. You may need to be young adults.
ROY: Mmm. Is there any indication of who we're getting?
HG: No. What worries me is that it could be one of those reformed acts. You'll notice Hunters and Collectors have reformed for the V8s ...
ROY: Yes I know ....
HG: And Johnny Farnham might be doing his last show for the V8s. Wouldn't it be good if ...
ROY: They're not talking about Chisel, are they?
HG: I hadn't thought of that.
ROY: Chisel. what about, with Young Talent Time coming back, get Jamie Redfern back. That would stretch people's memories.
HG: It certainly would.
ROY: Tina Arena! Johnny Young himself! Coming down in a parachute or something.
HG: Singing Step back, for those who know their Australian rock.
ROY: Yeeeeeeeeeees!
HG: Can I just say I've seen enough Tina Arena this year. In fact, I've seen enough Tina Arena to last a lifetime.
ROY: She was celebrating Cadel Evans's success.
HG: I thought it was just dreadful. Dreadful.
ROY: It had a French flavour to it.
HG: Exactly right. you've summed it up in two words.
ROY: Yes.
HG: The other burning issue in the game is this oval lockout. This is just a red rag to kids everywhere. It will create an underground element, a punk element. Gettin' out there, taking the signs down, trashing the ovals, cutting down the goal posts. All that sort of stuff.
ROY: A disaster waiting to happen.
HG: A disaster waiting to happen. That's right. Fancy the local council agreeing to this?! That can't be right?
ROY: It can't be right.
HG: An AFL oval? What happens to people who want to play golf? What if you don't live near a golf course?
ROY: Yes.
HG: Or the round-ball game? The World Game?
ROY: Yes.
HG: Well, I can understand them being booted off.
ROY: Other issues. The exciting development of space technology coming to rugby league is great. The GPS in the ball so it would be beamed to a satellite so that, using telemetry, you could tell if a ball had gone forward or not. This is one of the burning issues. This could be done instantly. Instantly. Rugby league has been crying out for speed of light technology. I see this as a really attractive development.
HG: And offside!
ROY: Yes, you could [detect off side]. Each of the players would have a signalling device in their underpants ...
HG: A chip in the shorts?
ROY: A chip in the shorts ...
HG: What happens when Hindy loses his shorts?
ROY: Well, you'd have a chip break.
HG: [Muffled laughter].
ROY: You'd have a horn! Woooooooooooooah! [In a ground announcer's voice] 'Hindy to the sideline!]. He'd come over ... and you'd readjust. You'd put a new chip in.
HG: Amongst other things, there's also the idea that rugby league could go into space. When I saw this, I immediately thought of Bill Harrigan and the MIG.
ROY: Oooooooh yes, that's right.
HG: People may not know this, but there's a few old Polish MIGS hanging around Goulburn airport ...
ROY: That's right.
HG: And one night Bill, at a rugby league fundraising auction, bid and won the lot. For going in the MIG. He's been up at a fair pace and came back better for it. But the great thing about it is that we could have end-of-season trips with space in mind now. To go to the Philippines and Bali is old hat. You couldn't get to Mars, but in the direction of Mars.
ROY: Hmmm.
HG: That would be just great. Now, before we forget, Harrigan has reminded me of the poker machine tax. This hideous invention ...
ROY: It's an impost ...
HG: This impost, where people have to license themselves to punt. Now how is rugby league going to cope with this? Rugby league seems to have survived because there's enough idiots prepared to put a house or their wage packets through poker machines every week.
ROY: And go into enormous debt just for rugby league. It's a wonderful sacrifice. They're heroes.
HG: Heros. That's right. You see busted-arse types around the place and you could go up and survey them on how they became busted-arse types. And if they said 'we put the house through for rugby league', they should be given at least $10 to have another go for cracking the big one.
ROY: Indeed. I don't know where this is going. It's lunatics running the asylum.
HG: It is. I see know that it's un-Australian to have a licence to punt, that seems to be the campaign.
ROY: That's right. It's sooooooo Australian to be broke. And love your rugby league.
HG: We believe it's going to be a great source of domestic violence, this if, in the future, people [HG makes a knocking sound] come home early because they don't have a licence to punt. They'll be looking for trouble around the house and there will be antagonism because one half thought the other half was putting something through for the kids, rugby league wise.
ROY: Yeah.
HG: When they come home and say 'what are you doing home early?' ...
ROY: The whole thing is, let's say you say to yourself 'Alright, I've got my card, I've got a limit of, say, $10,000 ...
HG: Tonight?
ROY: Yes, for tonight. You put your $10,000 through and you just knoooooooooooow, it's the next dollar that will bring in a quarter of a million. That's the way it works. How are you going to feel. You're coming home, busted arse, explaining to the family you've got to move out because ...
HG: ... because they wouldn't let you have the next dollar. That's what you're looking at.
ROY: That's what you're looking at. Exactly.
HG: And it's all because of Andrew Wilkie, who has never known the joy of linking up 500 or 600 poker machines together, putting a dollar in each of them and pressing.
ROY: [Muffled laughter] That's right.
HG: It's a thrill that lasts a lifetime.
ROY: I don't think he's ever known rugby league. Never played rugby league, Wilke. Has he? He doesn't understand rugby league culture. He doesn't understand that the junior rugby league needs people to go broke so that they can survive! It's as simple as that. If he knew that, he'd get a delegation of rugby league busteds - people who have given their homes for rugby league could form a delegation ...
HG: And they could visit him!
ROY: They could drive down in trucks ...
HG: What a lovely idea!
ROY: Hitch hike.
HG: Hitch hiking is better because I'm worried they may go into debt buying the trucks ...
ROY: But if they hitch-hiked with truckies ... truckies would give them a lift if they knew they had given their all to rugby league ... they could go down and give Wilkie a bit of hammer with the horn. Surround Parliament House with a horn!
HG: HORN FOR LEAGUE!
ROY: Blow for league!
SH: Speaking of money well spent, Tiger Woods is coming to Sydney. Is this a sound investment?
ROY: I think so. People are going to want to have a look at Tiger Woods to see ...
HG: A dud!
ROY: To see a dud. Absolutely. To see a bloke who doesn't know the difference any more between, say, a driver and a nine iron. A nine and a pitching wedge. HE DOESN'T HAVE A CLUE. He's an absolute basketcase. That's what happens when your game relies on constant roots. I dealt with a lot of rugby league players who, if they didn't get a root, they'd be absolutely hopeless. Ball handling. Execution. All of these things fell apart. Ball security disappeared. You knew. You'd think 'Stomp missed out last night!' [Muffled laughter].
HG: The other thing is, there was an opportunity to lock Tiger up for the next 10 years and we missed out on that. I think, eventually, that he will win one sooner or later. And it would be great if it happened in Australia.
ROY: Sure.
HG: I don't know quite whether he's ever going to win again ...
ROY: Is he going to do much promotion. I was hoping he'd get out here and have time to ...
HG: Do the V8 supercars?
ROY: Not the V8 supercars, but support, say, the Wests Tigers.
HG: [Muffled laughter] Oh yes.
ROY: A natural fit.
HG: For their golf day?
ROY: Their golf day. Or turn up and take their ceremonial kickoff.
HG: Ohhhh yeeees!
ROY: 'Welcome, the man they call Tiger, Tiger Woods'. [In a heckling voice, from a member of the crowd] Yeeeeeah! GET A ROOT TIGER!'.
HG: It does remind me that we haven't yet talked about the State of Origin this year. Which has been an absolute triumph, really.
ROY: NSWOLD culture.
HG: Yes, NSW Origin Legends has taken off.
ROY: Everyone wants to be a NSWOLD. Everyone wants to be part of it.
HG: The whole Sticky/Smearson/Stuart. Now that it's all calmed down, do you think he overcooked it?
ROY: No, I don't think so. He's put down the foundations for years to come. The trouble is, as we were talking about it the other night, when you get the NSWOLDS in, the stories they've got to tell are just about lost. The younger player need the stars of the past. It's not as if they could talk about wins.
HG: There could be some who could talk about wins. If 'Turvey' Mortimer came along ...
ROY: But he's like their granddad!
HG: That's the trouble, isn't it!
ROY: That would be like listening to Wally Prigg!
HG: I take your point entirely. The trouble is, in the recent past, all those who use that "dude" talk, that Fifty Cent work ...
ROY: I love the Blue Ball, I love the blue togas, getting together to discuss Blue issues, discussing what it means to be blue, I love all of that. That's something to build on.
HG: The one thing we don't do in NSW is [unlike Queensland], on the day of the game everyone gets dressed in their colours on the day of the match. Noticeably, here, hardly anything. Even at rugby league central, like here at Triple M, they don't turn up with their blue jumpers on.
ROY: I know. The sad thing is, often even the police force, you don't see them in blue. And you think, God Almighty, why not.
HG: Today's the day!
ROY: Today's the day, but they all turn up in white shirts. What's going on?!
HG: Do you think, as a crystal ball thing, they will win next year? They're going to struggle, aren't they?
ROY: They're going to struggle whilever Cameron Smith and Billy Slater is alive.
HG: And while JT is playing.
ROY: Yes. They're not going to miss anything with Locky going because he's way below his best. But I just can't see anyone in NSW standing up.
HG: Would they address that at Commission level? What they're going to do about State of Origin? Can I ask whether you think the fulltime coach is working. What do you think Stick is doing today about getting a win next year? Watching tapes?
ROY: I'd like to think he's going to see group 10, group nine, group eight final series. See if there are any kids who could wear the blue.
HG: What do you think about this idea that all NSW players know what Sticky wants, as I pointed out in an article during the year, so that when someone shouts out "The Hinu Shuffle", you know the calls. There's a weakness in this, isn't there?
ROY: A little bit. In as much as, with communications the way they are today, the message can go north of the border.
HG: Do you mean on social media? Twitter? [Muffled laughter]
ROY: That's the only downside as I see it. And it's pointless him trying to give new calls on the day.
HG: You can't expect them to remember.
ROY: What you need is players who can play by instinct.
HG: Who are just better than Queensland.
ROY: Who are better than Queensland. Yeah.
HG: There's no point having an argument over the Argus report. What a complete waste of time! What's the point in pointing the finger at Hilditch and Chappell when, as you point out, all you need is better cricketers.
ROY: That should be the Argus Report. One sentence: GET BETTER CRICKETERS. Fullstop. Thank you very much. [Here's your] $100,000. Perfect.
HG: What bothers me is whether Pup is aiming to be our dullest captain.
ROY: Well, he's well on the way.
HG: Trouble is it's such a hot bloody field. There's Punter, Pup, and not long before Tubby. Jeepers creepers.
ROY: Dull. Dull. Dull. I just hope Pup can unlock the secret of getting the best out of Superhead Johnson. That's where it is won and lost, right there. [Muffled laughter]. If Superhead has got his head on, he's unplayable.
HG: The trouble is he only turns up with his head on once every three times.
ROY: And he can't remember what happened when it was there.
HG: The thing is he seemed to play very well in the very first one dayer in the series and then had terrible difficulty with the rest ...
HG: With the cricket, we've got the AFL finals series, the rugby league finals series. Can I say, cricket – give it a rest. Why are we playing this series?
ROY: I suggest it is a goodwill tour of Sri Lanka. We're [applying] a healing balm.
HG: We've been in trouble with Sri Lanka, as in we've been bad boys?
ROY: No, no, it's just that Sri Lanka has had troubles.
HG: Oooooh! I see, as in the the Tamil Tigers and all that sort of stuff.
ROY: Yes. This unites the country ...
HG: In that they can all hate Australian cricketers. Got it! It's a brilliant scheme.
ROY: That's what cricket is about, bringing people together. It's nationalistic. Bringing nation states together.
HG: So if we went to India, we'd be able to solve this bloke who is on the hunger strike about corruption. He'd disappear from view?
ROY: I think he would.
HG: Because they would all hate Superhead Johnston.
ROY: They'd all hate Superhead and everytime they saw him they'd give him a boot up the arse. To get real!
SH: And what about tennis?
ROY: I've got a feeling Little Lleyton Hewitt, we've lost him forever.
HG: Bern might sneak under the radar. How about that brilliant promotion with Djokovic dressed as Maria Sharapova.
ROY: See. Personality.
HG: That's why tennis is going through the roof everywhere except Australia.
ROY: And it's why he's so well liked, Djokovic. [Muffled laughter].
ROY: But with little Lleyton, I've heard nothing from the sports minister or the Prime Minister farewelling him or wishing the best. Or a visit. Surely Abbott would have allowed some pairing to have occurred. Forget Margaret Ollie's funeral ... Little Lleyton's foot is a bigger issue. And the Prime Minister could have gone.
HG: If they couldn't have gone, surely Frank Arbib could have gone with JA, because JA knows tennis foot better than anyone.
ROY: Of course he does
SH: Is it too late to implement the hybrid game before the Rugby World Cup?
ROY: A hybrid game between rugby league and rugby union? Oil and water. They're never going to meet. The only intersection I can see is Brad Thorn. [Muffled laughter]. While I see a tremendous amount of respect for Brad Thorn, do we want to see a lot of Brad Thorn?
HG: We already see far too much of Brad Thorn.
ROY: Exactly.
HG: He's 35 or 36 and he's talking about playing again next year in some satellite competition in Japan.
ROY: He is. And then he's going to take up tennis. Reboot and revitalise New Zealand tennis.
HG: Wooooooow!
ROY: We haven't heard much about New Zealand tennis for a hell of a long time.
HG: He's going to be fascinating to watch!
HG: The War of the West. We haven't talked much about that. That's something the independent commission will have to look at. I'm proposing a strategic camera approach. That's something that worked well for the Americans in Vietnam, for those who know their military history. I don't think Sun Tzu said anything about it, that's my only downside.
ROY: The Art of War.
HG: The Art of War. But I see strategic cameras and I say we go out there and try to secure Five Dock, for starters. And then we move on.
ROY: Work our way out.
HG: Or you can work your way out a bit further, say Mount Druitt. And then lock Mount Druitt up - strategic camera wise - in a street-by-street campaign, and then onto Green Valley. That may not be the next suburb, but it wouldn't matter. Then you could join up Mount Druitt and Green Valley.
ROY: I see that very simple legislation could solve this problem if the O'Farrell government steps in.
HG: If it had the guts. The rugby league guts ...
ROY: Very simply, if you allow your child to play the AFL, you will have to pay an extra 70 per cent tax on top. Simple as that.
HG: You've solved the problem right there and then. It goes as an issue.
ROY: The issue disappears. Disappears.
HG: Would the leader of the federal opposition label that a toxic tax?
ROY: Well, of course. But you've got to ignore that. It's up to AFL to take the lead. He has so much goodwill going his way at the moment, this would be the time. It wouldn't be an unpopular tax. A 70 per cent increase.
HG: Isn't that fantastic. In the tax bill? Not something like the GST?
ROY: No, that would be too hard to administer. I think it's got to be personal tax. Your income tax. There's a state impost, an AFL impost. [Although] you wouldn't call it that.
HG: Of course you wouldn't.
ROY: O'Farrell would be cunning. He'd calling something like a Stupidity Tax.
HG: Or Stupidity Levy.
ROY: Levy. Thank you. That would solve the problem.
SH: GWS is coming next year. Is that enough? Should there be more AFL teams in Sydney?
ROY: Well, it would increase the tax base for the NSW government, for sure.
HG: The trouble the AFL has got is that it's a weird thing, whereby they're putting this thing in Sydney to solve a problem mainly in Melbourne. Or mainly somewhere else. So as they have got a match here every weekend that can be beamed somewhere else. [Crowd] figures might be down to about 25,000 because of the tax arrangements and the figures might be about 100,000 on the television. And look at how long the Swans have been hammering away trying to get to those figures. So what they're doing is solving the problem somewhere else ...
ROY: Well, that's the thing. If people want to see Greater Western Sydney play, then in the ticket price there should be a state government impost right at the [Roy makes knocking sound] ticket office - a minimum of $1000 to go and watch a match.
HG: Jeepers creepers! $1000?! Do you get a seat for that or is that only standing room?
ROY: That's just access. THEN, you can go and buy your ticket. That would solve your problem. Also, you could have roving inspectors, who could burst into any house at any time, and if the AFL is on television ...
HG: An on-the-spot-fine?
ROY: The television is removed from the house and destroyed IN THE STREET.
HG: Oh.
ROY: So you've got to go out an buy another tele, but you run the risk of getting caught again?
[Muffled laughter]
HG: The whole way that GWS has been set up, nobody realised that people lived west of the Anzac Bridge until Kevin Sheedy found them. He seemed to discover something bleeding obvious but no one had seen. And the thing that I felt was the absolute natural for them was to become the black hat team in relationship to the rather white-hatted swans. They don't seem to have done that at all, because that would be faaaaaaaaantastic. They could get a lot of older players who would be a walk-up start like Fevola ...
ROY: Barry Hall.
HG: Barry Hall! It wouldn't matter that you became the Washington Generals of the competition - you'd be a point of difference. What we look as though we're going to get is two identical ...
ROY: Role-model based teams. [Pause]. RATHER THAN THE SYDNEY ARSEHOLES.
HG: And don't tell me the city wouldn't respond to a team cast in that mould. I think it would ... it needs to be a Sydney team in manner.
ROY: If you got, say, a Comancheros team.
HG: That's exactly right. Although they're probably unfit ... Could they wear any jumpers they liked? Because you could tell the others ...
ROY: No jumper. Who gives a shit? They can turn up in what they like. Trackie pants and thongs. [Voice rising] Who gives a shit because they're going to get out there and create a bit of damage!!
HG: I love the idea that they're sponsored by Skoda.
ROY: Yeah, Skooooooda.
HG: And they make Kevin Sheedy go to the Skoda factory to show ...
ROY: What? The assembly line?
HG: The assembly line, how they put them together, the quality control.
ROY: That's something I've never even thought about. How they put a Skoda together.
[Muffled laughter]
ROY: But wouldn't it be fascinating to get his impressions?