Nothing like a good old fashion Aussie ‘leg pull’

IT BROUGHT a smile to an old prankster’s face last week when I witnessed a young bloke set up his younger brother.

A photographer friend of mine and I had been searching for a fit young bloke to pose for a special “nude” shot to celebrate Naked Gardening Day.

I had almost exhausted the list of young footballers from around town when one of them almost agreed to do it.

However, he thought better of it but said his younger brother, who worked with him, would be happy to do it.

Now, I heard him over the phone discussing matters with the younger brother and assumed he had filled in the young bloke on what was required of him.

We arrived at the designated garden to find the young bloke with a puzzled look on his face.

“Didn’t your brother tell you what this entailed?” I asked him.

“No,” he replied, “He just told me to meet you here, but he was laughing as I left the shop.”

Fortunately, he was a good sport and the photo turned out so good it was put on the front page.

However, I couldn’t help but smile at the older brother’s “leg pull”, because that’s exactly what my mates would have done given the chance.

The younger bloke took it well and I told him that it doesn’t get any better as you get older.

“Hell, we’re in our 50s and we’re still doing it to each other.”

Not long ago we had our pub footy tipping comp break-up at which there is always some free grog early on.

Our mate Mick is renowned for his tightness and is always first there so he doesn’t miss out on the free stuff.

We couldn’t help it! GAL — with straight face — informed Mick that this year was a “change of sex” theme for the footy break-up and that if anyone wanted to enjoy the free grog they had to dress as a woman.

As is the always the case, the rest of group fell in behind the prank and, all keeping straight faces, just nodded, some saying that they had heard the same thing from the publican.

Now Mick always believes me and I vow never to lie to him... but that depends on just what question he asks.

As it turned out, Mick never asked me outright if the “change of sex” theme was legit, and after I offered that Vinnies had women’s dresses at a reasonable price that he could obtain for the day, he accepted he would have to dress as a woman for the day.

So, with that, believing it to be true

‘‘ I’D LIKE TO SAY IT’S THE FIRST TIME MICK HAD TURNED UP AT THE PUB IN A DRESS, WIG AND MAKE-UP BUT I’D BE LESS THAN TRUTHFUL.

he turned up in the bar of the pub at the footy tipping break-up wearing a dress and make-up, his sister having applied the latter.

Of course, he was the only one in the bar dressed like that and he got more than a few odd looks from those enjoying a drink in the bar who had no idea about a footy tipping break-up party.

I’d like to say it’s the first time Mick had turned up at the pub in a dress, wig and make-up but I’d be less than truthful.

In our footy playing days when the club was sponsored by the Gladstone Hotel, the publican used to put up a dinner for two at the pub for the player of the weekend.

However, the one rule was the player had to be accompanied by a woman for the dinner, not a team-mate.

Mick’s mate Freddy one weekend won the dinner for two but he didn’t at the time have a girlfriend.

So, always up for a free feed, Mick dressed up as a woman — a pretty average looking woman at that — and walked into The Glad on Freddy’s arm. Who said there’s no such thing as a free lunch?