June 18, 2026 — 11:24amAs the New South Wales and Queensland teams slugged it out on the hallowed turf of the MCG at State of Origin on Wednesday night, high in the grandstand powerbrokers and politicians supped and socialised as guests of Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys in the appropriately named Chairman’s Room.Unmissable among then, wearing a maroon outfit with a Queensland scarf draped around her neck, was enthusiastic traveller and federal Sport Minister Anika Wells.Sport Minister Anika Wells, Chicago Bulls star Josh Giddey and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the Chairman’s Room at the State Of Origin match at the MCG on Wednesday night.Good to see Wells, while not heading to the US for the World Cup, is back in the air and attending major sporting events. She has kept a relatively low profile over recent months and Wednesday’s State of Origin game 2 has been arguably her highest-profile outing this year.Only weeks ago Wells was in the spotlight after having to repay more than $10,000 to taxpayers after the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority found she had incorrectly claimed family travel expenses on four occasions between 2022 and 2025.Number one among the VIP guests in the exclusive suite was Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who had plenty of fellow guests orbiting around him, keen for a chat, and was happy to pose for snaps.The PM was spotted at one point in conversation with Joe Hockey, former federal treasurer turned corporate adviser and now board member of the Perth Bears NRL club, and asked to be sent a happy snap of himself with Melbourne-born Chicago Bulls star Josh Giddey. The third person in that picture was Wells.Jonah Laulu, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Atonio Mafi, Peter V’landys and Eddie McGuire.Andrew Abdo, who recently resigned as the NRL’s chief executive to take on the role of Tennis Australia chief executive, his predecessor at Tennis Australia Craig Tiley, Visit Victoria board member and ‘Mr Melbourne’ Eddie McGuire, and Tabcorp boss Gillon McLachlan were in the suite, as were former NSW premier Barry O’Farrell, Nine News Melbourne boss Hugh Nailon, former Queensland premier and now ARL Commissioner Peter Beattie, Olympic great Cathy Freeman, and Foxtel Group executive director Brian Walsh.Also sighted in the private room was Myer executive chair Olivia Wirth and her husband Paul Howes, the chief executive of Tenet, the advisory firm founded by Luke Sayers. Managing director of Nine Publishing Tory Maguire, executive editor of Nine’s metro mastheads Luke McIlveen and Nine newspapers’ national head of sport Neil Breen were also present.Later in the evening Las Vegas Raiders NFL players Jonah Laulu and Atonio Mafi joined the guests.Victorian Sport Minister Steve Dimopoulos was there too, hobnobbing with the heavy hitters.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese talks with Joe Hockey at the match last night.As CBD made our way through the MCG gates an hour before kick-off, we spotted Victoria’s shadow minister for police Brad Battin heading into the stands, as well as Tapt Media chief executive Tom Malone.Impossible to miss in one of the elevator queues was Cherry Bar operator James Young, sporting his signature gigantic oversized cowboy hat, who in 2021 was briefly Melbourne’s unofficial ‘night mayor’.Posting their Origin experiences from the MCG on social media were Fox FM breakfast co-host Brendan Fevola, Nova breakfast radio co-host Clint Stanaway, fashion designer Effie Kats, PR dynamo Michelle Stamper, Nine News anchor Tom Steinfort, weather presenter Scherri-Lee Biggs and retired wheelchair tennis great Dylan Alcott. From our partners