Among them were former prime minister and cricket tragic John Howard, NSW Labor MPs Jo Haylen and Julia Finn, and former Australian opener Shane Watson. On the menue for lunch was a humble cucumber salad and kingfish crudo to start, followed by a beef tenderloin and Murray cod.
Over in the Sheridan suite on the other side of the ground, a string of notables started to trickle in before lunch. Former NSW premiers Barry O’Farrell and Morris Iemma got there early, as did former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and his wife Lucy Turnbull. Also perched in the box was former ABC chairman Maurice Newman, better known these days for his backing of Australian Digital Holdings, which last year held talks with Nine Entertainment, owner of this masthead, over a possible tilt at the company’s radio assets, which include 2GB.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley at the high tea.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
All for charity
Closer to lunch, an assortment of 490 guests began to file into Allianz Stadium next door for the McGrath Foundation high tea, where chairman John Conde, CEO Holly Masters and her successor in waiting, Ryan Barlow, played host.
Minns, who had been expected to drop in, was a late scratching, but his opposite number NSW Liberal leader Kellie Sloane still showed. Ley, looking cautious to create space between her and her Labor counterparts, showed up as expected, as did Butler and Beazley.
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Mostyn arrived among the last of the guests, possibly delayed by the 100-metre drive from the SCG to Allianz, but she was flanked by Glenn McGrath himself.
Dotted around two tables at the front of the packed room were South Australian Liberal Senator Anne Ruston and her chief of staff Sheradyn Holderhead.
Labor MP Dan Repacholi and his wife Alex Repacholi, meanwhile, also made it down, joined by Department of Health Secretary Blair Comley, who rounded out the government entourage.
