When Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took a break from the campaign trail to offer crisis-management advice for a badly behaving South Sydney mascot Reggie the Rabbit, it should have been a sign that sport and politics don’t mix. But the news that a cameraman was left “bloodied” by a ball kicked by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton – hoping to show his athletic prowess just days after the prime minister fell off a stage – suggests the Liberal leader didn’t get the memo. If you watch the build-up in the casual kick-to-kick at a Northern Territory footy ground, Dutton tries to act natural – but anyone who has tried to pass a soccer ball back to some schoolkids while wearing dress shoes can sense the unease in his movement. He should know better. Here’s the sometimes bloody history of Australian politicians’ attempts to win our hearts and votes through sport.