And we know for sure that this was no accident.
David Koch: Hey Toddy!
Todd Russell: Come here, Kochy!
David Koch: Mate, you took your time. How are you? Good to see you.
Todd Russell: Look mate, I've got a present for you.
David Koch: Oh are you sure? Are you sure?
Todd Russell: You take it. Take it...
David Koch: Oh, mate, I appreciate that.
Melissa Doyle: Fantastic.
David Koch: Just wonderful.
Todd Russell: I'm never going to need it again.
— Channel 7, Sunrise, 9th May, 2006
Perhaps Toddy's right.
If he and Brant Webb get the big bikkies everyone's talking about, from Channel 7 or 9, they might not have to go down a mine again.
Sunrise presenters David Koch and Melissa Doyle had been schmoozing up to the miner's families - even sending messages down the mine.
So it was understandable that when CNN watched the live vision coming out of Channel 7, they thought Kochie was a long lost mate.
David Koch: Todd, we'll have beer big fella. We'll catch up and have a beer.
Todd Russell: Thanks, Kochie.
CNN Presenter: I think I heard an exchange whereby the miner said that'd he'd catch up with his friends soon and he'd be looking forward to having a beer.
— CNN, 9th May, 2006
Anyone who saw Todd Russell give Kochie his tag would have thought that 7 had the exclusive interview with the miners in the bag.
But then came Eddie.
Martin King: But Trace we've got some other news and if I could just introduce another guest. Eddie McGuire. Excuse me, Eddie...
Eddie McGuire: G'day, mate how ya going?
Martin King: Good, mate. How are you? Now Eddie, what are you doing here?
— Channel 9, A Current Affair, 9th May, 2006
Good question Martin.
There were lots of good reasons of course for 9 CEO Eddie McGuire to be in Beaconsfield.
But the biggest was that Eddie is 9's star negotiator...and there was a deal to be made.
The miners weren't prepared to sign up in the pub, but Eddie pulled off the next best thing - a special guest appearance on the Footy Show live out of Beaconsfield.
Eddie McGuire: Come in guys. Come in nice and close. Fellas, we're so honoured that you'd come onto The Footy Show tonight and particularly onto the 9 Network.
— Channel 9, The Footy Show, 11th May, 2006
But this was just a tantalising peep at the main event.
There certainly weren't going to be any free interviews.
Eddie McGuire: Todd, I've gotta ask you though - I'd get sacked as the journo - I'd have to front the CEO tomorrow if I didn't ask you a question about what it was like down in that mine.
Todd Russell: Listen mate - Tell me how big your chequebook is and we'll talk.
Brant Webb: Fair call
— Channel 9, The Footy Show, 11th May, 2006
Well they cottoned on to the basics of chequebook journalism pretty fast.
No one could begrudge the two men and all of Beaconsfield whatever financial help they can get.
But amongst the perils of chequebook stories is loss of public support and sympathy...remember Douglas Wood?
And the pressure to finalise a deal intensified as more and more of their story is teased out by journalists using notebooks, rather than chequebooks.
The Daily Telegraph had a second hand version of Brant Webb's story on Thursday.
HOW WE STAYED ALIVE
Brant tells mates of ordeal
Brant Webb hit the pub yesterday with his Dad and best mates and recounted the full story of his two weeks trapped underground....
— The Daily Telegraph, How we stayed alive, 11th May, 2006
The Weekend Australian had a hearsay account from Todd Russell.
— The Weekend Australian, Beating the odds at level 925, 13th-14th May, 2006
While The Age told the story from the perspective of the rescuers.
Miner's tales from bowels of the earth
Details of the mine rescue that has captivated Australia were revealed to The Age yesterday by the first rescuer to reach the trapped men, Glenn Burns.
— The Age, Miner's tale from bowels of the earth, 13th May, 2006
The miners have now signed with an agent though we still don't know who'll pay big bucks for the rights to Todd and Brant's story.
But the most important question is - what will we get for their money?