Ground Up (2026) s01e05 Episode Script

1
So stadium over there
and potentially the training and
admin facility somewhere around here.
Somewhere around
this sacred precinct.
That's the first order of business.
Actually, first order of business
is to get a bloody air bridge
at the airport.
(LAUGHS)
Wow, Emma's laughing.
HUGH: At Revere Hutchins.
So I'm proposing
we trial this technology
by inserting a chip
into one of our new signings.
The chip is working perfectly.
You haven't got a song or a location
with the training and admin centre
within 5Ks of the CBD.
That's the stipulation.
I told YOU that.
Tasmania has had a bloody gutful
over your stadium and
No other city on God's green Earth
has a football stadium
within 200m of a concert hall.
Well, is that my responsibility?
Is it the Symphony Orchestra's?
Your monstrosity of a stadium
is going to be 200m
from our concert hall.
The prospect of a solo in Brahms
Piano Concerto number one in D minor
being interrupted by the sound
of 20,000 lagered up football fans
screaming profanities at the referee
and bellowing some horrific ditty
about the team
is unimaginably traumatic.
This may be distressing news for you,
David,
but more people want to see football
being played than Brahms.
This is unacceptable.
What do you expect me to do:
only sell tickets to fans
who are mute?
Are you enjoying it here?
Oh, enjoying is a strong word,
Premier.
Ha.
Well, you were
You're sadly missed in my office.
My loss is certainly the AFL's gain,
and I'm sure it won't be
the last time I say that.
Thanks, Premier.
Unless by some freak of nature,
the stadium comes in on budget.
(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS)
Oh, good day, David.
I hate you.
You got a tight rein on spending?
Absolutely.
Oh. Because politically,
my government can't afford any signs
of waste or extravagance.
I know.
Oh. Football department meeting.
I'll introduce you, if you like.
This is Luke Gorman, Senior Coach.
Oh.
Hi. Nice to meet you.
Jake Byrne, Senior Assistant Coach.
Great.
Zane Topley, Assistant Coach.
Mick Agostino, Defensive Coach.
Mick.
Ellie Farmer,
defensive development coach.
Brett Cloonow, Line Coach.
Brett, thanks.
Damian Vadas, Forwards Coach.
Aaron Platt, Midfield Coach.
Scott Lowenthal, Development Coach.
Ah, yes.
Ryley Wright, Ruck Coach.
Tanya Pajak, Wing Coach.
Yeah, yes.
Phil Goundry, Interchange Coach.
I love this.
Wayne Bellchamber,
Head Of Next Generation Academy.
Oh, sorry.
Um, bit going on at home there.
Ah.
Chad Conlan, Last Two Minutes Coach.
Zoe Newton,
High Performance Manager
Justin O'Leary,
another assistant coach.
Great.
Hey.
Don't know him.
Ah.
Paul Simpson, List Manager.
List.
Rod Devine,
Head Of Game Day Strategy.
Good, good.
Greta Dunstan,
Head Of Opposition Intelligence.
Ooh. (LAUGHS)
Jack Walker,
Head Of Umpiring Relations,
and Ollie Dwight,
Director Of Stoppages.
(LAUGHS) Yes.
Great team.
Mm.
Is that, uh, is that a lot?
Apparently not.
I've called in a few favours
for this,
so make sure you're at the hospital
by ten.
Ah Do you have to eat that now?
I'm carbing up.
Mum.
How do you reload these things?
Oh, yes.
You just put that in there
and then
Oh.
And please, Revere, we really
need some good publicity out of this.
Yeah. What are you saying?
Well, I'm just saying, you know,
play nice.
Whatevs.
I mean it.
We can't afford any more fuck ups.
Then don't like your dipstick boy
anywhere it then.
I beg your pardon?
I'm kidding.
I'm sure he got the job on merit.
And the PR thing in the hospital?
Ah, yeah. 10:15, and the news crews
will film Revere
talking to a patient
called Fiona Revere.
Revere?
What if he starts chatting her up?
No way, she's 63.
Ageist, but comforting,
Mr Premier.
Good morning everyone.
Hey, Roger. Sorry, Mr Premier.
Alistair's waiting for us.
He's got a very pressing engagement.
(VIDEO CALL RINGING)
So take a seat and we'll crack on.
Oh, Mr Premier. You take this one.
Ooh.
Hello.
Hi, Alistair.
Casual day today?
I'm playing
in a big golf event this morning.
Oh, a charity golf day.
Annual golf day
for Melbourne club members.
So the opposite of a charity day,
really?
Women banned from the course today,
then?
Ah, Destiny.
You wouldn't have seen this
in today's news.
"Is This Man the Next AFL CEO?"
Oh I see.
And what does the article say,
other than hardly?
It's just meant to be a puff piece
for the club.
Oh, stop apologising, please.
You think I'm threatened by you,
Hugh?
I'm not even threatened
by talented people.
Have you got anywhere with
that fricking air bridge yet?
We're getting an answer today.
That'll be another triumph,
no doubt.
And the other issues I flagged.
Well, it does pain me to report
that we're still not
making any headway on housing
for our players and staff,
and that the relocation
of Hobart's waste treatment plant
has hit a bit of a snag
and is slowing our progress at
the stadium site.
Jesus Christ. Again.
This simply isn't good enough.
Why the fuck haven't
you resolved these issues?
Well, as far
No, not you, the Premier.
Oh, yes. Uh, well, uh. I'm sorry,
Alastair, it's not easy.
We've got the lowest
rental vacancy rate in the country.
Rents are astronomical.
People are living in tents.
And hands up who's just bought
another investment property.
DESTINY: There are simply not
enough properties on the market,
let alone quality ones.
I can't find one and we've got
players and staff coming in
who will be on several
hundred K per annum more than me,
and they're not going to live in
a two bedroom flat in the Badlands.
So where are they going to live?
Anyone?
We'll have to put them up in
hotels and Airbnbs.
Exactly right, Jameson.
Except that's where all your.
Interstate visitors are going
to stay that are going to spend
all that money that's going to solve
the housing crisis.
What about using the residential
project next to the stadium?
Yes.
That's being built to alleviate
our housing crisis.
What the fuck do you think this is?
Yeah. good point.
And what's the hold up
on the waste treatment plant?
We've had a few
on-site industrial relations issues.
And those dingbat protesters from
Save Our Sewers aren't helping.
Save Our Sewers?
That's exactly what's wrong
with the world in a nutshell.
I'll make this a priority, Alastair.
Destiny, work with the Premier.
Make sure this happens.
Oh, right.
I don't need my hand-held, Alastair.
My only concern with your hands,
Premier,
is that you're sitting on them.
Oh, and, uh, AFL CEO in waiting.
Uh,
how's the culture your establishing
down there with your coke sniffing
woke activist football group?
We are undertaking a little image
repair at the hospital
this morning, as it happens.
Listen, we are
a results based industry,
so I want results on the air bridge,
the player housing,
the waste treatment plant
and our public relations.
So pull your collective fingers out.
Especially you, Premier.
Yeah,
digits fully extracted, Alastair.
ALL: (SIGHING)
Uh
If we don't find accommodation
for all these interstate staff,
we're basically importing
more homeless people.
They could end up
having to sleep on the oval.
Yeah, although you could only
have eight in the centre square.
My material's wasted on you.
Sincere apologies, everyone.
(SIGHS)
My God.
Oh, wow. Thank you.
Oh, not at all. Not at all.
I'm so, so sorry it took so long.
Someone mistakenly took the bread,
thinking it was for this other
meeting we've got in the boardroom
with these people from Ulverston.
So we had to send Toby to
Oh, that's so boring, isn't it?
You don't need to know any of that.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
One of the air traffic controllers
is down sick.
Yeah, yeah, in a minute.
So now the air bridge?
Yes.
High, Destiny,
I am genuinely, deeply sorry,
but we've come up with an estimate.
And as you can see, it's tens
of millions of dollars, which
I'm sorry,
I find this highly distressing.
But we just cannot do it
without a substantial contribution
from the AFL.
Ari, the AFL has already put $15
million into the stadium.
The billion dollar stadium.
I know, I feel completely awful.
I hate letting people down.
I think it's a hangover,
actually, from my childhood,
because my mother was the only one
who used to
Anyway, you don't need
to know about any of that.
No, we don't.
I'm so sorry. I love the AFL.
It is the greatest
sport ever invented,
and I mean that
from the bottom of my heart.
And I don't want to let them down,
but I just cannot find the money.
Ari,
we've got a serious problem
They're from the AFL.
Please eat my sandwiches.
But at the end of the day,
Save Our Sewers
believes Hobart's sewer system,
which has served us so well,
for so long,
should stay where it is.
We believe
that these historic waste pipes
are an important
part of this city's history,
and to disturb them
or reroute them just
because the AFL wants some nice new
shiny stadium would be sacrilege.
Premier.
Oh, yes. Libby. Um, well, firstly,
let me say that I I admire
and share,
uh, Kate's passion for our
waste treatment and sewerage system.
Uh, I understand people's attachment
to it.
Um, it's part of our shared history.
We've all contributed, um, to it,
but I think that sometimes
we can take conservation a bit far.
No-one could accuse you of that.
Well, well, to be fair, um, uh,
our sewerage system
is of no cultural significance.
Full of culture,
though it obviously is.
It's not heritage listed.
And not to put too fine
a point on it,
you can either have a
forward leaning,
progressive approach
to developing our city,
or you can have your old poo pipes.
That is an appalling way to talk
about our sewer system.
I'll tell you what.
I will save a couple for you.
Thank you for coming in, Premier.
And thank you too, Kate.
And next up, we're talking chutney.
Oh, fun.
(PHONE RINGS)
Oh, shit. What now?
Hi, Alistair.
Did you get me an air bridge?
They can't afford it.
Bullshit.
OK, well, I can try putting
that argument to them.
If only you were half as good
at deal making
as you are at self-promotion.
I'll be issuing you a second
official warning
for incompetence tomorrow.
Come on, Alistair
Ah-ah-ah!
One more cock-up
is three strikes and you're out.
Glad you're not feeling threatened.
(LINE GOES DEAD)
Alrighty. Are we good to go?
Yeah. Yes. Thanks.
Tremendous.
Hello there.
Fiona?
Yes.
Hi, Fiona. I'm Angela from
the Great Southern Football Club.
And this is Hugh, our CEO.
Channel 4 are doing a little
story here in the hospital,
because we've heard
that you've been having a bit of
a rough trot.
(FALSELY) Oh.
So we've brought one of
our brightest young stars,
Revere Hutchins, to cheer you up.
How are you doing, Fiona?
I'm sorry.
I've never heard of you.
Yeah, that's. That's alright.
I asked for Nick Daicos.
Did you?
Yeah, well, you know,
I asked for Sabrina Carpenter,
so I guess we both struck out, eh?
So. Yeah. So, um, I heard you've
been a bit in the wars lately.
Oh, I've got a prolapsed vagina.
Oh, yeah. How'd you get that?
Well, apparently it's because
I haven't been able to do a shit.
No worries. Yeah.
Oh, so you get to the footy much?
Oh, it's too risky when you
piss yourself four times a day.
Gotcha.
So.
So how are they treating you here?
Well,
they've given me pessaries to take.
Oh, yeah. Big ones?
Hard to swallow?
Yeah, well they would be
'cause you put them in your vagina.
Yeah.
And then there's my pelvic floor
exercises I have to do.
Yeah.
And if that doesn't work,
they're talking about permanently
closing it up surgically.
Cool.
Well, they might as well
'cause nobody's using it.
100%. Yeah
So, uh, good luck with your vagina.
And, um, you know, getting your
getting your pelvic floor restumped.
Thank you.
Ace.
(INDISTINCT)
That was great.
(PHONE RINGS)
Hello there.
Catherine, hi.
You've got contacts in upper
management at Channel 4 here,
haven't you?
Yes. Of course. Sent a dick pic
to the wrong person, have you?
I'm not even sure who
the right person would be.
I'm at the hospital.
It's a complete balls-up.
Revere's humiliated himself and us.
Has he?
He can't go to air.
Leave it with me.
OK.
I can't help thinking this whole
sewerage issue
is some political allegory.
What is the exact nature of
the hold-up?
There's an industrial dispute at
the new waste treatment plant.
There's a go slow.
Why?
Because the portaloos
haven't been pumped out in a month.
Oh. It's a bit childish, isn't it?
Move our sewage
or we don't move yours.
Apparently the poo pumpers want the
potholes fixed on the access road.
That's a little bit coarse, Premier.
Poo Pumpers
is the name of the company.
Apologies.
There's a dispute as to
whose responsibility it is.
On top of which,
the Save Our Sewers lot
have been chaining themselves
to the equipment out there.
Hey,
you've just got to take charge here.
Tear up the Poo Pumpers contract
and get the portaloos
emptied by someone else.
Premier.
It's not that simple.
Poo Pumpers is owned by a
significant Liberal Party donor.
Well, you can't be beholden to
the fundraising wing
or the poo pumping wing
of the party.
You've got to get an AFL
stadium built.
I mean, who's running this state?
Yes.
Here we go.
Pump Your Dump.
Hmm.
(OUT OF TUNE MUSIC PLAYS)
Really? This is what you do
when you don't get your way.
How old are you people?
What is this?
This is the Symphony Orchestra's
debut performance
of a new piece
called Sheer Petulance.
Oh.
This is about the stadium
and the concert hall?
Come on.
(LIFT BELL DINGS)
Yeah.
(WHISPERS) You're up.
Ari.
Destiny, I'm so sorry to bother
you again,
but I forgot to mention earlier
that when I was
in planning last week,
my friend there, Jenna -
and we're not romantically involved
or anything
In fact, I think she's
Anyway, doesn't matter.
We were talking about the
AFL and she mentioned
that your training and admin
site is actually
18m further from the CBD
than the AFL contract stipulates,
and she thought
that could become an issue.
And I didn't know
whether you're aware of that or not.
So I thought it could be helpful.
Yeah. No,
um, we are aware of that, Ari.
We're working on it. But thanks.
I have wasted your time again.
You must think I'm incompetent.
No, no, not at all, Ari.
Uh. Oh Did you end up getting
another air traffic controller?
Oh, shit.
(LAUGHS NERVOUSLY)
(CHUCKLES)
(PHONE RINGS)
Hugh Shen.
MAN OVER PHONE: If you want to see
your family again,
put a stop to that stadium,
you dog!
I haven't got any family.
Your loved ones, then?
Nope. I'm single.
There's really no-one close.
Bullshit.
There really isn't.
Well, I mean, what about at work?
You have got to be kidding.
Look, I'm just threatening you, OK?
(SECOND CALL RINGS)
Do not build that shit of a thing.
Can you call me back, mate?
I've got another call.
I think Are you for fucking
Catherine? Any Channel 4 news?
Come to the boardroom now.
Great, I'm on my way.
Hugh, this is Bella.
Bella, Hugh. Phones off please.
Yes.
This meeting
is strictly off the record.
If asked,
I will deny it ever took place.
Because this is something I really
should not be involving myself in.
No.
To cut to the chase, High,
Bella is my husband's niece
and I'm recommending
that she be appointed to
the position of sommelier
at the new stadium's function room.
Here's her CV.
Maybe pop it in your jacket.
I'm just acutely aware
that my son Jameson works here.
Oh, we all are.
And I really don't want it to look
like it's jobs for the boys here.
No, it shouldn't look like that.
Catherine,
I thought this was about Channel
Jennifer is a genius, though.
We've been spitballing
the wine list.
Tell him about the Gurwitz Turina.
Oh, it's the Uppe Garten
by Zulski and Freeling.
It's acidic and sour up front
before a delightfully surprising
soft wave of green apple,
grass, lychee and kumquat zest.
What do you think?
Oh, it's got football stadium
dining written all over it.
Catherine
Hugh, we can't agree
on the Sangiovese, though.
No?
I'm plumping for the Brinxton,
which is all chocolate
and roasted figs and nutmeg.
Mm-hm. And I'm putting up the
Velucia's Garden
because I like that flinty,
wet gravel foundation
under that savoury bed
of con fit strawberries
and cedar bark and leather.
Oh, with the grippy tannins
and the tobacco nose.
Mm-hm.
Mm-hm.
It's an agonising choice.
(KNOCK AT DOOR)
Sorry. Your phone's off.
Can I talk to you for a minute?
Is it important?
Because we're trying to settle on
a Sangiovese here?
What?
Destiny. I was never here.
Thanks, Bella. I'll be in touch.
What was all that about?
That was about the relationship
between wealth and self doubt.
There isn't one. I've got to
sort this thing out with Revere
The training and admin site
is supposed to be within
5km of the CBD.
Yeah.
It's 5km and 18m.
How'd you find out?
You knew?
It was the best site,
and I had Alistair's rancid
hot breath on the back of my neck.
I needed to make a decision.
Well, you need to tell Alistair.
Surely 18m can't be an issue.
So ring him.
I will.
Now, before he finds out
on social media.
(PHONE RINGS)
I'm getting PTSD because every time
your name appears on my phone,
I brace myself
for another catastrophe.
No-no, no catastrophe.
Just wanted to give you the heads up
that some dickhead surveyor's
made a minor coock-up.
It's nothing, really,
just a bit of confusion.
So the training
and admin facility is actually
5km and 18m from the CBD.
What does the contract say?
It says it should be within 5km.
Well, I'm failing to see
the confusion.
It's either within 5km
and meets contractual requirements
or it's not and it doesn't.
Alistair, it's 18m.
Why are you being
a hard ass about this?
So I soften up the chair for you,
obviously.
Hey, I heard one of your proteges
embarrass us all at the hospital.
Another Hugh Shan masterstroke.
(LINE GOES DEAD)
(CLEARS THROAT)
Those 18m are a problem.
Can you make sorting it out
your top priority?
What about the waste
treatment plant?
That's number two.
Pardon the expression.
I'm going with the leather
and con fit strawberries.
Our away Guernsey.
Catherine, how'd you go
with your contacts at Channel 4?
Oh, yeah. No good.
The news director threatened to quit
and take the entire team with him,
apparently so.
Yeah. Sorry.
Really?
That's quite an extreme reaction,
don't you think?
Yes, he's very hot headed,
apparently, but brilliant.
So they can't afford to lose him.
Tough on Revere, but
But they tried to persuade
the news director, did they?
Oh God, yeah.
Pleaded with him, they tell me.
Well, you must pass on
their phone numbers
so I can thank them for
their efforts.
Yeah, I already did that.
So no need, really.
Mm. I'd like to, though.
They're fine, honestly.
I would like to.
It's unnecessary, really.
I just want
I fucking thanked them, alright?
Alright, I fucking didn't.
I didn't even contact them
because Revere made
defamatory remarks about Jameson,
and he will pay for that.
Who's more important to this club:
Revere or Jameson?
Exactly.
(DIAL TONE)
Alicia.
(ORCHESTRA PLAYS MUSIC BADLY)
Jesus.
Dogfood for Melo.
Do you think there's a better spot
for it?
Yes.
Jameson, I don't think the orchestra
are going away anytime soon.
They're shit house, those four.
Can you find out who did the
soundproofing on the HSO Concert Hall
and what it would cost
for a complete upgrade?
100%.
Hey, just wondering how you went
with Channel 4.
Yeah. No good. They're gonna
Jesus.
Anyone else out there
want to come in?
They're gonna run the story.
Oh, poo bum.
Yeah, well, it is what it is.
Is there anything
that isn't what it is?
Did you come in to ask me that?
I'm trying to resolve
your T&A centre balls up.
Jameson.
Yeah.
Soundproofing?
Oh, I haven't got any figures yet.
I know. Go get them.
Right.
I'm trying to work out how
we can grab that extra 18m of land,
but anywhere along the boundary
closest to the CBD,
an 18 metre strip would involve
bulldozing three houses.
Oh, no, no, no.
They would crucify us
for adding to the housing crisis.
So I was thinking,
rather than bringing the T&A site
closer to the CBD,
could the CBD come to the T&A site,
like Birnam Wood to Dunsinane?
Like what?
It's from Macbeth.
You know, Hugh,
the guy who killed the King?
Oh. I must put it on my Kindle.
(CONTINUE PLAYING BADLY)
We cover half the cost
of upgrading your soundproofing,
and you call off
your musical attack dogs.
75%.
Alright, 75%.
If it makes you feel like you've won.
Yes! Suck shit, losers.
Sure. Just make them stop now.
I still hate you.
75%. He's screwing us.
It's only 50 odd grand.
Jameson's checked it out.
Yeah, Hugh.
Those figures I gave you:
65,000 is actually
for the last soundproofing upgrade
25 years ago.
The new upgrade cost
is four million.
Pretty XEA.
That's a six figure sponsorship deal.
Wow.
Which won't be announced
till next Tuesday.
But I just wanted to help out
a young reporter
with a bit of a scoop.
So you can break
that story any time.
Well, thank you very much.
(MESSAGE TONE)
I it. I have to go.
Oh, I nearly forgot,
the hospital visit today with Revere.
Oh, my God.
I know.
It's excruciating.
It's absolute gold.
Yeah. Although from our perspective,
it would be very helpful
and very much appreciated
if you didn't run it.
Really? You're trying to get me
to suppress a story
to save you
from another PR disaster?
No, no, I just think you'll embarrass
the kid.
I think it'll probably humanise him.
Yeah, well, he's not an alien or an
insect. We do conduct medicals.
You know,
I think it's pretty outrageous
that you're trying
to pressure me to drop this story.
No, no, no.
If you take this any further.
If this story doesn't
make it to air.
I'm going to go to Mediawatch
and anyone who'll listen.
And I'll tell them that it was you
who bullied me to drop it.
Run the story. Run it!
Alright. Are we all
Are we all good?
Premier,
are our hospitals in crisis?
Well, no, I am I'm not here
to talk about that today.
Well, are you aware that there
are currently seven ambulances
ramped outside the Royal Hobart?
Uh, well, that's, uh, where
ambulances tend to go, isn't it?
(CHUCKLES AWKWARDLY)
Well, I am delighted to report
to you today
that after several days
of robust negotiation,
I have personally brokered
a breakthrough
in the stand-off at
the new waste treatment plant works.
And And as a result, I believe
that work can now proceed at pace
on that project.
Premiere
This heralds a
did the AFL ask you to intervene?
Not at all.
Well, the Greens are saying
you're an AFL puppet.
Alicia anyone who knows me
knows that I am my own man
and that my single minded focus
is on growing
the great state of Tasmania.
Um. Oh, to which end,
I can also announce to you today
that because of the rapid expansion
of building activity in Hobart,
the definition of the CBD will be
expanded by 20m in each direction.
Well, a very elegant solution,
Destiny.
It's nice to finish
a day on a positive note.
(KNOCK AT DOOR)
Hugh.
Oh, Angela, I hope it's just some
natural disaster somewhere.
"Four members of Save Our Sewers"
Yes.
"Have been taken to hospital"
"after a portable toilet
pumping truck struck, a pothole,"
"overturned and spilled its load
on them."
Bet the ambulances don't ramp them.
(PHONE RINGS)
Here comes another load. Alistair.
Ah, Hugh, that's a highly successful
hospital visit with Revere.
Yeah, I know.
I had to let her run the story.
I got the network to pull it.
You what?
To protect the player in the club.
But, uh, I couldn't avoid also
saving your ass.
Hang on, I
You owe me, fella.
(PHONE GOES DEAD)
(KNOCK AT DOOR)
Hugh,
Mediawatch want to talk to you.
This bloody stadium.
You told me we'd only have to put
375 million into it.
What's the problem now?
It's blown out again.
Plus, they've found
more contaminated soil at the site.
And as much as I'd love to,
we can't just tip it in the river.
What about storing it somewhere?
We don't have anywhere
to store human beings here,
never mind dirt.
Hi. We've been hacked.
Say more words.
I would just like to firm up numbers
for this Wednesday night's
glittering season launch.
(BOISTEROUS CHEERING)
Captions by Red Bee Media.
Copyright Australian
Broadcasting Corporation