The same week I began work as a labourer on the road gang of the City Council (see Ramblings 1) I had breakfast with the Premier.

Well, not me alone. As editor and co-publisher of Football Times I’d been invited by the Norwood Football Club to a celebratory breakfast leading up to the 1975 South Australian National Football League Grand Final. As a gentleman of the press (and attired in a pin-stripe suit) I’d been assigned a seat on the top table with the club chairman and various dignitaries. Don Dunstan as the Member for Norwood and number one ticket-holder of the football club (as well as Premier) had a number of qualifications for his seat.

The last issue of Football Times had just hit the news-stands and I had no other visible means of support, hence the reason for signing on as a casual labourer and swapping the suit for overalls a couple of days later. I needed the bread, man.

When the foreman gave me a pointless instruction about not leaning on a shovel I made no reply, consoling myself with the thought that I was the only gang member who’d dined with the state’s leader that week.

Come Saturday, shirt, tie, sports-jacket, I was in the Press Box at Footy Park. The Redlegs got up too. Perfect.