sport news Dylan Alcott shares joke with Anthony Albanese at Australian of the Year ... trends now Dylan Alcott jokes Anthony Albanese will have to 'change the locks' at the Lodge as he returns for the Australia Day awards - as the Prime Minister reveals how he lost a bet with the tennis champion after the Queen's funeral By Ollie Lewis For Daily Mail Australia Published: 11:55 GMT, 25 January 2023 | Updated: 11:55 GMT, 25 January 2023 Viewcomments Anthony Albanese has lifted the lid on how he lost a bet to Dylan Alcott on the way back from the Queen's funeral, leading the tennis champion to joke that the Prime Minister should 'change the locks' at the Lodge. Alcott was welcomed by Albanese ahead of tonight's Australia Day awards ceremony, with the retired wheelchair tennis star returning after winning the Australian of the Year gong in 2022. 'Here's trouble', Albanese said when he warmly welcomed Alcott, to which the 32-year-old replied that he was going to 'pick a room'. Dylan Alcott joked that Anthony Albanese will need to 'change the locks' at the Lodge The Prime Minister explained how he had lost a game of pool to the 15-time grand slam champion during a layover as they returned from the Queen's funeral in London. 'On the way back … he did beat me. And we did bet he could get a night at the Lodge,' Mr Albanese said. 'Dylan's been casing the joint since he arrived, but I did win one of his Wimbledon trophies.' The Prime Minister welcomed last year's Australian of the year at the Australia Day awards Alcott said the Australian of the Year title gave him an incredible platform to advocate for people with a disability. 'People keep asking me, am I proud of what I achieved, and that's crap because we did it together,' he said. 'I was really grateful for the amount of people who wanted to listen and learn about disability.' Alcott was passing on the baton to this year's award winner after reigning supreme in 2022 From community heroes to advocates and Indigenous leaders, finalists from across the country gathered in Canberra ahead of an awards ceremony on Wednesday night. Human rights and refugee advocate Craig Foster, the NSW Australian of the Year, said the multicultural field reflected Australia as a nation. 'It really is an extraordinary group,' he said. 'So whether you're talking here about palliative care, or sustainability and climate, or refugee rights and multiculturalism, Australia is going to be very well served by the 2023 Australian of the Year.' Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility