17 March 2023

PODCAST: Here's the Hoot on the A-League, school carparks and hardening up at the footy

| Genevieve Jacobs
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GIO Stadium with The Hoot logo

Will cheap pies bring the crowds back to Bruce on freezing nights? Photo: Tim Gavel.

In this week’s notably wide-ranging conversation, Ross and Genevieve start with the breaking news (or is it?) that Canberra will have an A-League team returning to the national football competition in the near future.

Longtime commentator Tim Gavel – having seen all this before – is still slightly sceptical, but Ross reckons we can roll out the vuvuzelas because we’re almost there.

READ ALSO Has Canberra really secured an A-League Men’s team? Not yet we haven’t (but damn, we’re close)

Things are grimmer on the local economic front as the repercussions from the PBS Building collapse ripple through the community. Canberra is always cushioned from the harshest economic winds, but there’s no escaping the fact the age of cheap money is over. What will the consequences be for the ACT’s supercharged development sector?

The long-running wrangle over who has a right to Canberra’s public spaces has reared its head again.

Originally prompted by Brindabella Christian College’s takeover of public land for a college car park, the debate has gathered steam after Canberra Grammar applied to take over land already being used informally for a car park.

READ ALSO Community groups celebrate rejection of Grammar car park proposal

So what’s the real problem if public land finds a use after lying idle for years? Or is it unCanberran to assume you can Hoover up any spare ground for your own purposes? The matter’s been challenging and dividing locals, and there are precedents where Brindabella is concerned stretching back almost a decade.

Returning to winter sports, what’s the real reason why Canberrans aren’t all that inclined to support our teams at Bruce – and what would fix it?

Sure, the stadium is tired, poorly designed by modern standards and old-fashioned. Certainly, the traffic can be problematic. It’s hard to exit after the match and midwinter temperatures on some match days – and nights – would freeze the bobble off your beanie.

READ ALSO Are cheaper chips the key to luring us out of our lounge rooms?

By contrast, your sofa is comfortable, your sitting room is warm, and at home, your snacks and beverages are within easy reach from the fridge, adjacent to your large screen telly.

So could cheaper chips be the solution to all this? The ACT Government is hoping so and Ross, always a fan of the live event, thinks a cheaper pie could be a winner. But Genevieve has a more radical proposal that does not involve being comfortable.

The Hoot appears every week on Riotact and wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple and Spotify. Have a listen, tell us what you think and rate us.

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