Peter Dutton accidentally strikes cameraman during campaign footy stunt
- Replies 7
Campaign trails are often packed with photo ops, policy pitches, and the occasional unscripted moment that grabs national attention for all the wrong—or right—reasons.
One such incident unfolded during a visit to a local AFL club, where a political leader’s attempt to show off his sporting skills took an unexpected turn.
What followed was an awkward collision, a few laughs, and a jab or two at political rivals…
An awkward campaign trail mishap turned heads after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton accidentally struck a cameraman in the head with a football during a media appearance.
The incident occurred at Cazalys Oval in Darwin, where Mr Dutton was visiting the Palmerston Magpies AFL Club on the eighth day of the election campaign.
Mr Dutton was seen kicking a ball to junior players when the misfire occurred.
The football hit the viewfinder of Channel 10 cameraman Ghaith Nadir’s equipment, causing it to slam into his forehead and leaving a gash.
‘That’s your exclusive vision,’ Mr Dutton joked after the incident, before personally apologising to Mr Nadir.
Mr Nadir received immediate attention from a nearby medic and later reappeared with a bandage on his forehead, chatting and laughing with colleagues.
Despite the injury, it was confirmed that Mr Nadir was alright.
Mr Dutton later shared he had expected the cameraman to mark the ball and that it wasn’t a bad kick.
‘I was expecting him to mark it. I was sure he could take that shot,’ he said.
‘He’s good. I just saw him then, so hopefully he’s able to get it dressed properly but the AFP did a great job.’
Mr Dutton added that the cameraman now had ‘a war story’ from the campaign trail.
‘I thought I was kicking pretty well actually…the kids were able to mark well, it was only just slightly off track…I thought I demonstrated pretty good footy skills out there but I do want to make sure he’s OK,’ he said.
Source: Youtube/9 News Australia
Later, while promoting a $10 million pledge to support CareFlight’s aeromedical services, Mr Dutton made light of the earlier blunder again.
‘I can do two things: I’m going to buy him a beer this afternoon and second, I’m going to teach him how to mark,’ he said.
He then took a swipe at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s recent stumble off a stage.
‘Now had the Prime Minister kicked that ball, he would have told you he didn’t hit anybody and you’re imagining something, that it just didn’t happen.’
Mr Albanese had recently misstepped off a stage while preparing for a photo opportunity in Cessnock, New South Wales.
The Prime Minister later denied that he fell, telling ABC Newcastle: ‘I didn’t fall off the stage…Just one leg went down, and I was sweet.’
Source: Youtube/Reuters
This wasn’t the first time a political figure’s sporting stunt had backfired.
During the 2022 election campaign, then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison made headlines after knocking over a child during a soccer game in Tasmania.
Mr Morrison later joked he was surprised the child didn’t need hospitalisation.
Source: Youtube/Inside Edition
Mr Dutton’s latest appearance in Darwin was also part of the Coalition’s attempt to flip the Labor-held seat of Solomon, currently held by Luke Gosling on a 9.4 per cent margin.
With crime and cost-of-living pressures key campaign issues, the Coalition hoped its tough-on-crime stance would resonate with voters in the Northern Territory.
Mr Dutton announced a $5 million commitment to upgrade Cazalys Oval, promising better lighting and gender-neutral change rooms and toilets.
He said the upgrade would help boost participation in local sport.
‘It’s great for their socialization skills, and to be working in a team environment is a fantastic thing,’ he said.
‘There are 40,000 (people in the NT who participate in AFL). I want to make sure that that number can grow and that they’re able to enjoy the facilities that we would expect in any capital city in any part of the East Coast.’
The visit marked a rare unscripted moment for Mr Dutton, who had mostly avoided uncontrolled public environments during the campaign—apart from two fuel station stops.
On the first day of the campaign, two climate protestors from Rising Tide also disrupted the launch, adding to the list of early campaign dramas.
Source: Youtube/SBSNews
With political leaders continuing to make headlines for their sporting blunders, do these light-hearted moments help or hurt their campaigns? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
One such incident unfolded during a visit to a local AFL club, where a political leader’s attempt to show off his sporting skills took an unexpected turn.
What followed was an awkward collision, a few laughs, and a jab or two at political rivals…
An awkward campaign trail mishap turned heads after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton accidentally struck a cameraman in the head with a football during a media appearance.
The incident occurred at Cazalys Oval in Darwin, where Mr Dutton was visiting the Palmerston Magpies AFL Club on the eighth day of the election campaign.
Mr Dutton was seen kicking a ball to junior players when the misfire occurred.
Dutton’s footy misfire hits cameraman. Image source: NewsWire
The football hit the viewfinder of Channel 10 cameraman Ghaith Nadir’s equipment, causing it to slam into his forehead and leaving a gash.
‘That’s your exclusive vision,’ Mr Dutton joked after the incident, before personally apologising to Mr Nadir.
Mr Nadir received immediate attention from a nearby medic and later reappeared with a bandage on his forehead, chatting and laughing with colleagues.
Despite the injury, it was confirmed that Mr Nadir was alright.
Mr Dutton later shared he had expected the cameraman to mark the ball and that it wasn’t a bad kick.
‘I was expecting him to mark it. I was sure he could take that shot,’ he said.
‘He’s good. I just saw him then, so hopefully he’s able to get it dressed properly but the AFP did a great job.’
Mr Dutton added that the cameraman now had ‘a war story’ from the campaign trail.
‘I thought I was kicking pretty well actually…the kids were able to mark well, it was only just slightly off track…I thought I demonstrated pretty good footy skills out there but I do want to make sure he’s OK,’ he said.
Source: Youtube/9 News Australia
Later, while promoting a $10 million pledge to support CareFlight’s aeromedical services, Mr Dutton made light of the earlier blunder again.
‘I can do two things: I’m going to buy him a beer this afternoon and second, I’m going to teach him how to mark,’ he said.
He then took a swipe at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s recent stumble off a stage.
‘Now had the Prime Minister kicked that ball, he would have told you he didn’t hit anybody and you’re imagining something, that it just didn’t happen.’
Mr Albanese had recently misstepped off a stage while preparing for a photo opportunity in Cessnock, New South Wales.
The Prime Minister later denied that he fell, telling ABC Newcastle: ‘I didn’t fall off the stage…Just one leg went down, and I was sweet.’
Source: Youtube/Reuters
This wasn’t the first time a political figure’s sporting stunt had backfired.
During the 2022 election campaign, then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison made headlines after knocking over a child during a soccer game in Tasmania.
Mr Morrison later joked he was surprised the child didn’t need hospitalisation.
Source: Youtube/Inside Edition
Mr Dutton’s latest appearance in Darwin was also part of the Coalition’s attempt to flip the Labor-held seat of Solomon, currently held by Luke Gosling on a 9.4 per cent margin.
With crime and cost-of-living pressures key campaign issues, the Coalition hoped its tough-on-crime stance would resonate with voters in the Northern Territory.
Mr Dutton announced a $5 million commitment to upgrade Cazalys Oval, promising better lighting and gender-neutral change rooms and toilets.
He said the upgrade would help boost participation in local sport.
‘It’s great for their socialization skills, and to be working in a team environment is a fantastic thing,’ he said.
‘There are 40,000 (people in the NT who participate in AFL). I want to make sure that that number can grow and that they’re able to enjoy the facilities that we would expect in any capital city in any part of the East Coast.’
The visit marked a rare unscripted moment for Mr Dutton, who had mostly avoided uncontrolled public environments during the campaign—apart from two fuel station stops.
On the first day of the campaign, two climate protestors from Rising Tide also disrupted the launch, adding to the list of early campaign dramas.
Source: Youtube/SBSNews
With political leaders continuing to make headlines for their sporting blunders, do these light-hearted moments help or hurt their campaigns? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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