There was another singing of The Grand Old Flag, cheered to the echo. Neale Daniher's, who in the last fortnight had appealed to Gutnick to hold off until season's end. The crowd had come to hear of a palace coup, but instead heard Gutnick declare a truce. One had to wonder why it was not patently clear from the start to the president of Melbourne Football Club that it had first to concentrate on football. The crowd hesitated, then cheered anyway.
Crowds do that.
Melbourne belonged to its members, Gutnick had said. There would be no more secrets. But he had been sitting on one all day, swearing newspapers to keep it. The crowd sang The Grand Old Flag again, and they cheered themselves to the echo. There was the echo of broadcaster Derryn Hinch, definitively a blast from the past.