Race for City Hall takes a star turn
A CELEBRITY endorsement from Cats superstar Patrick Dangerfield would usually cost a pretty penny — or a nice car, or boat.
But when the Brownlow medallist is married to your daughter, it turns out he can be put to work out of the bonds of family affection.
Dangerfield is also obviously canny enough to respect the adage “happy wife, happy life”.
And, no doubt, he probably thinks his father-in-law is the best candidate running in Kardinia Ward at the upcoming Greater Geelong council election.
Mr Harwood’s team will welcome the endorsement and the help as his campaign has potential weaknesses as well as strengths.
Strengths include his council experience, his previous service as a police officer and his ongoing community involvement with the Geelong Amateurs.
Weaknesses include his status as a member of the coterie of sacked councillors who are running again. He may have to fight the lingering stigma of the report that detailed councillor misbehaviour without attaching individual names.
Some in the community will also remember the former officer being investigated by the Victoria Police Ethical Standards Department after coming under fire for allegedly urging fellow councillors to look favourably on a Home House rooftop bar after earlier holidaying with club owner Darryn Lyons on the French Riveria in 2005.
Mr Harwood insisted there was no conflict and was cleared by that probe and the project never went ahead.
Dangerfield has said he will be campaigning hard for his father-inlaw, and to a lot of people, that will be about as good a testament to the candidate’s character as you can get.
In the aftermath of his Brownlow win, Dangerfield was celebrated as the unofficial mayor of Geelong.
Depending how the vote and post-vote wheeling and dealing goes, his endorsement could lead to the appointment of Mr Harwood as our next official mayor.