Radio’s ‘Rice Gate’ reheated

When you think of radio’s most memorable moments (for better or worse), what’s the first thing that pops into your head?

This week, purely by chance, I was reminded of one of the most replayed radio moments of all time – the urban legend known as ‘Rice Gate,’ a story which I’m sure has had plenty of soy sauce squirted over it in the years since.

As part of a weekly food poll, I had not long posed the question: Special fried rice: Yay or nay? online when veteran TV presenter and radio commentator Stephen ‘Quarters’ Quartermain responded with “I had a very bad experience with fried rice.”

That’s putting it mildly.

Sixteen years ago, Quartermain and Hawthorn great Jason Dunstall were involved in one of footy’s biggest on-air blow-ups – which ended with Quarters having fried rice tipped over his head, live in the Triple M commentary box at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium.

It happened back in the days before there was a camera in every commentary box.

In recent months, on LiSTNR’s The Howie Games podcast, Quarters opened up about Rice Gate, unpacking what happened on that fateful day.

Quarters had it on good authority that Hawks star Trent Croad had sustained a serious injury and would never play AFL footy again. But when he tried to elicit further information from Dunstall – a Hawthorn board member at the time – a heated on-air exchange ensued.

“All you are doing is facilitating rumour mongering,” Dunstall fired at Quarters. “You’re talking shit!”

“Don’t swear on air!” Quarters fired back.

And so it went on.

“You shut up and listen!”

“Don’t speak to me like that!”

Then it happened. The fried rice was flung, Quarters was fuming, Dunstall was ordered leave the commentary box and the phone lines went ballistic.

“At the time it was … it was humiliating,” Quarters told Mark ‘Howie’ Howard.

“I’m happy to have a very robust, aggressive discussion. Don’t worry. I’ve been in the news business for 45 years, but it just took things a bit too far. It was a bit upsetting on the day when you had food thrown on you when you’re trying to do your job.”

Dunstall shared his side of the story in 2011, saying there was a little bit of food left in the bottom of his noodle box, and he “just got rid of it.”

“You know I must be upset if I’m going to give away food,” he said, tongue firmly in cheek.

Dunstall also clarified on air that he didn’t leave the commentary box. Quarters did.

SCA’s then-General Manager Ben Amarfio was also in the commentary box that day, and later revealed on Triple M’s Breakfast show that that he had the tough job of trying to convince Quarters to go back on air … while he still had bits of rice in his hair.

“I was trying to keep a straight face because as I looked at him, and he has this beautiful straight, gelled hair and … all I can see is these pieces of rice stuck in his hair.”