McDermott Switches to Independent Amid Party Rift

0:00It's March 11th. Here's your Sydney news in two minutes. Former Adelaide Crowe's captain, Chris McDermott, plans to switch to Independent if he wins a seat in South Australia's Upper House this month. He's running on Sarah Gaines' fair go for Australians' ticket, but a major rift has led to his decision. Sarah Gaines made headlines by telling voters not to rank her party first in the Upper House. She called the split unfortunate after throwing full support behind McDermott, whose name remains on the ballot since candidate lists are locked. Both sides pointed to communication problems in separate press conferences. McDermott said he felt handcuffed and restricted in speaking out, while Gaines described frustration over unanswered messages and unreliable contact. The fallout came after McDermott endorsed another ex-party candidate on social media, which Gaines saw as a breaking point. He noted minor issues grew irreconcilable, pushing him further away. Gaines has her own history of party switches, leaving one nation after her 2022 election win.

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