By Hamish Heard
WHEN it comes to supporting her local football team, Gellibrand MP Nicola Roxon is happy to put her money where her mouth is.
In keeping with a seven-year tradition, Ms Roxon has bet eastern suburbs MP Anna Burke that the Williamstown Seagulls will triumph over the Box Hill Hawks when the two sides meet this week.
Previous bets have involved the losing MP running a lap of Parliament House in the winning team’s guernsey, serving drinks in the opposition’s clubrooms and mowing the winning team’s oval.
This year’s bet will see the losing MP make an unspecified donation to an Auskick club in the match winner’s area.
“The stakes are always high in these matches, but I know how much the youngsters at Auskick love their football so I’m sure the Seagulls will pull through for them,” Ms Roxon said.
But Ms Burke, the Federal Member for Chisholm, was equally confident of hearing her team’s song at the end of the clash, despite the Hawks languishing at the bottom of the VFL ladder.
“The Hawks know that a win will help to build the future footballers of our region, I know they can do it,” she said.
Ms Roxon and Ms Burke urged both clubs’ supporters to cheer their sides on at Williamstown Oval on Saturday 24 May at 2pm.
