AFL Grand Final 2021: Hamish Blake’s hilarious attempt to cross WA border, Covid-19 restrictions

The Aussie comedian is a massive Melbourne Demons fan and would normally be front and centre at the MCG were it normal times.

But Covid-19 has created a new normal, resulting in the AFL decider shifting from Melbourne to Perth’s Optus Stadium.

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Blake, who is one half of the famous comedy duo Hamish and Andy, moved to Sydney in December where he and wife Zoe bought an $8.925m Vaucluse mansion.

However, the Demons’ first grand final appearance since 2000 has also coincided with Sydney’s worrying Covid outbreak. It is just days since WA Premier Mark McGowan said the border between NSW and Western Australia will be shut until after Christmas even if those wanting to head west are vaccinated.

That spells disaster for Blake, but it won’t stop him from trying to gatecrash the AFL grand final.

Taking to Instagram, the Australian funnyman showed he was willing to do anything to get to the game. He shared three videos of phone calls of his hilarious bid to get across the border.

The first attempt was pretending to be a truck driver with an important shipment of ice cream.

“Hi is this the Department of Transport in WA?” Blake asks. “Mate, I’m a truck driver from WA and I’ve bloody lost my WA truck driver’s licence. Could you help us out with that?

“Rather than going into the system, I don’t really have the time because I’ve got a truckload of ice cream here that’s melting. So what I thought I’d do is shoot you my photo and my name and you could just make one up and email it back quickly and I could print out a temporary one.

“We don’t have time to go into the system because I’ve got all these ice creams and they’re melting. So … no, you’re not listening to me, I’ve got a truckload of ice creams here and I’m not going to get paid if they’re melted … we don’t have time to go into the system, we’re wasting time now … Mate …”

Strike one.

Attempt two, Blake called Optus Stadium, this time taking the identity of Demons skipper Max Gawn.

“I’ve actually done something a bit silly, I’ve cut my beard off and stuck all the hair on my head so I look completely different,” Blake said. “Yeah, just during the post-game celebrations the other night.

“What I actually realised is that I’ll look completely different to my pass so I’m actually going to need to send a new picture of me to you guys and get a new ID pass made up so I can get into the ground for the grand final. Yeah, appreciate that … it’ll override the old pass …”

Seemingly, strike two.

The real Dees skipper was quick to respond to the Instagram video, commenting “Can I still go to Optus?”

With a strike-out imminent, Blake went for the Hail Mary, going at the Premier himself.

“Hello, is that the Premier’s office? My name is Hamish,” he began. “A little bit of an interesting one, I need to tell Mark McGowan a secret … No, that’s OK, I’m not asking to be put through to him now, I actually need to tell him the secret in person.

“Well, I can’t tell you because it’s a secret.

“No thank you, it’s a big secret, so I need to tell him in person.

“No, and I do understand that you’re very busy and thought he probably won’t have time in the next week or two and neither do I really, I am going to be in town on the night of Saturday the 25th though so I could see him then in person — where will he be?

“Oh, he’ll be at the AFL grand final, that could work. I could absolutely tell him there, it’s in fact the only window I have.

“Like I said, do you know how secrets work, I can’t tell you …”

Looks like a strike three to us.

Blake won’t be alone in not getting to Perth for the decider after Eddie McGuire was refused entry into the state too.