Australia AUSTRALIA - 4YO AUGUST (GUS) Missing from rural family home in Outback, Yunta, South Australia, 27th Sept 2025

[tedtink]

Disagree. Just because the game has been decided, it doesn't mean people turn off their TV and go about their lives. If they're invested enough to sit and watch the whole thing, then there's a good chance they stay to watch the medal presentation, speeches and whatever else the TV station chooses to show until it's time for the news, which I imagine would be at either around 5.30-6pm. I think the timing could work for the Grand Final to have a part to play in this.

It's a big 'if' that they were watching the game.

Gus was called in for dinner at 5.30pm.

Which suggests at least one of the fam was prepping dinner, so one of them, at least, wasn't sitting, glued to the TV.
IMO.

The mystery of angelic Gus, 4, who disappeared in the Outback

His grandmother says she saw him playing there at 5pm two Saturday evenings ago.Half an hour later, when Gus was called in for dinner, he had gone.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[tedtink]

Hard to say who are volunteers vs who are curiosity seekers, I’d think, who want to snoop around the family out of curiosity or to sell stories to places like the Daily Mail. Families have to be cautious about letting strangers get too close in these situations, even if the majority mean well.

Agreed.

We saw this in the Nicola Bulley case in the UK with random TikTokkers, You-Tube vloggers, mediums and all sorts of 'grief tourists' and 'ghouls', live streaming from the place she disappeared as this was public land.
I can totally understand, if it's the case, that the fam do not want 'volunteers' looking for Gus on their private land - It's effectively their back garden.

 

[FromGermany1]

It's a big 'if' that they were watching the game.
Gus was called in for dinner at 5.30pm.
Which suggests at least one of the fam was prepping dinner, so one of them, at least, wasn't sitting, glued to the TV.
IMO.

The mystery of angelic Gus, 4, who disappeared in the Outback

His grandmother says she saw him playing there at 5pm two Saturday evenings ago.Half an hour later, when Gus was called in for dinner, he had gone.

www.dailymail.co.uk

bbm
Warmed up leftovers from the day before, during the game on the stove without much care perhaps?

 

[tedtink]

bbm
Warmed up leftovers from the day before, during the game on the stove without much care perhaps?

That still involves a certain amount of prep. The OP suggested that the fam may have been 'invested enough to sit and watch the whole thing'..............'until 5.30 - 6pm'.....

Like most folk with young kids, a routine or a busy farm to run, it's really not a hard stretch to assume that the family's meal times were at or around 5.30 pm every day and just didn't coincide with watching a footy match at all.

Especially as the original theory on here was based on the match finishing at 5pm, until I questioned the timing, it now seems the theory is being stretched to allow for time discrepancies.

Anyway, it's always good to flesh out the minutiae even though we can't prove anything.

jmo

 

[Dotta]

Disagree. Just because the game has been decided, it doesn't mean people turn off their TV and go about their lives. If they're invested enough to sit and watch the whole thing, then there's a good chance they stay to watch the medal presentation, speeches and whatever else the TV station chooses to show until it's time for the news, which I imagine would be at either around 5.30-6pm. I think the timing could work for the Grand Final to have a part to play in this.

Agreed

The feta continues after the match!
Medals ceremony, interviews, experts talking, etc etc.
This is great fun for fans.
The whole celebratory atmosphere is as important as the match itself.

This is the whole allure of grand finals in all kinds of team sports: football, soccer, you name it.

This the magic that draws people.

Especially those who live isolated in the middle of nowhere having little entertainment,
such sporting events are special and unifying.
Celebration for fans, unique experience.

There is a reason why such events are called GRAND.

JMO

 

[Dotta]

It's a big 'if' that they were watching the game.

Gus was called in for dinner at 5.30pm.

Which suggests at least one of the fam was prepping dinner, so one of them, at least, wasn't sitting, glued to the TV.
IMO.

The mystery of angelic Gus, 4, who disappeared in the Outback

His grandmother says she saw him playing there at 5pm two Saturday evenings ago.Half an hour later, when Gus was called in for dinner, he had gone.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Not necessarily IMO.
Dinner could have been prepared earlier and put in the oven.
When sports celebration ended,
then everybody sat at the table to have the meal.

JMO

 

[hoodunnit]

It's a big 'if' that they were watching the game.

Gus was called in for dinner at 5.30pm.

Which suggests at least one of the fam was prepping dinner, so one of them, at least, wasn't sitting, glued to the TV.
IMO.

The mystery of angelic Gus, 4, who disappeared in the Outback

His grandmother says she saw him playing there at 5pm two Saturday evenings ago.Half an hour later, when Gus was called in for dinner, he had gone.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Most Aussie homes have the kitchen /dining/family room as one large open room so they could have been watching and prepping at the same time.

 

[tedtink]

This was said by the father's friend, according to the Daily Mail.

Afaik the father hasn't sued the Daily Mail for defamation, and it's been reported as fact, so we can assume the assertion has gone through some fact-checking processes at the Daily Mail before being published. They are a major news organisation. I'm sure they have an editor and a legal department. Imo

It costs tens of thousands to sue a newspaper for libel, sources' statements are usually protected by a defence of 'honest comment' in these cases, but that doesn't necessarily make them true.

BUT - I do believe that GL's Dad could have said that it was 'dangerous' at the farm, farms ARE dangerous and whether this was a comment in hindsight, after Gus went missing we do not know.

The farm has been in the family for generations, it was probably a given, an expectation that any Grandchildren would inherit and run the farm as their ancestors had. Maybe GL's Dad had different views on how his kids should be brought up, maybe he didn't want this for Gus and this was the root of the disagreements.


jmo.

 

[Warshawski]

This was said by the father's friend, according to the Daily Mail.

Afaik the father hasn't sued the Daily Mail for defamation, and it's been reported as fact, so we can assume the assertion has gone through some fact-checking processes at the Daily Mail before being published. They are a major news organisation. I'm sure they have an editor and a legal department. Imo

I was thinking how sad it is that Gus’s parents aren’t with each other & supporting each other in this very difficult & emotional time.

Actually I guess we don’t know that for sure .

Dad is apparently in Adelaide with family, and I was presuming Mum Jess to be still at Oak Park. In her grief she still has a one year old to care for & to nurture. That will be so hard, I hope she can grieve as she needs to.

 

[tedtink]

Agreed

The feta continues after the match!
Medals ceremony, interviews, experts talking, etc etc.
This is great fun for fans.
The whole celebratory atmosphere is as important as the match itself.

This is the whole allure of grand finals in all kinds of team sports: football, soccer, you name it.

This the magic that draws people.

Especially those who live isolated in the middle of nowhere having little entertainment,
such sporting events are special and unifying.
Celebration for fans, unique experience.

There is a reason why such events are called GRAND.

JMO

A rational perspective...

the AFL grand final (4.2 million) viewers tuning in....

Move Over AFL: NRL GF Claims Number 1 Program Of The Year With Record-Breaking Performance

The NRL Grand Final bats aside the AFL. But will the Broncos players embarrass themselves more than the Lions on Mad Monday?

www.bandt.com.au

The current population of Australia is 27,046,010

Australia Population (2025) - Worldometer

Population of Australia: current, historical, and projected population, growth rate, immigration, median age, total fertility rate (TFR), population density, urbanization, urban population, country's share of world population, and global rank. Data tables, maps, charts, and live population clock

www.worldometers.info

 

[Dotta]

A rational perspective...

the AFL grand final (4.2 million) viewers tuning in....

Move Over AFL: NRL GF Claims Number 1 Program Of The Year With Record-Breaking Performance

The NRL Grand Final bats aside the AFL. But will the Broncos players embarrass themselves more than the Lions on Mad Monday?

www.bandt.com.au

The current population of Australia is 27,046,010

Australia Population (2025) - Worldometer

Population of Australia: current, historical, and projected population, growth rate, immigration, median age, total fertility rate (TFR), population density, urbanization, urban population, country's share of world population, and global rank. Data tables, maps, charts, and live population clock

www.worldometers.info

I would say
that the only "rational perspective" (quoting OP)
is that
none of us posting here know what really happened.

We just present our points of view.

It is my belief
that all circumstances of this tragic day should be taken into account.
Everything matters while trying to find the Truth.

JMO

 

[tedtink]

Not necessarily IMO.
Dinner could have been prepared earlier and put in the oven.
When sports celebration ended,
then everybody sat at the table to have the meal.

JMO

This paints a picture of organised, civilised, attentive family life and preparedness.
It's unfortunate that the family was criticised for apparently leaving Gus for half an hour.
JMO

 

[Serononin]

Hard to say who are volunteers vs who are curiosity seekers, I’d think, who want to snoop around the family out of curiosity or to sell stories to places like the Daily Mail. Families have to be cautious about letting strangers get too close in these situations, even if the majority mean well.

And purely on an emotional level, too - I'm not a parent, but if I were in that situation, I'm not sure I'd like the idea of my child's body being found by some random stranger. I think I'd want him being brought home by someone who knew and loved him, even if that meant it took longer. Is that rational? Probably not, but given the very high likelihood that poor Gus is no longer alive, it's not like it's going to harm him to let his family deal with their grief however they need to. I wish them the best, and I hope the investigation is able to give them some answers

 

[statt#1]

I wouldn't want 'volunteers' on my ranch. Too many whacko's running around. They'd be gettin' bit by snakes, breakin' ankles, leavin' trash, takin' selfies, makin' youtubes, settin' up tents, campin' overnight, ad nauseum.

An organized search by authorities?, Yes indeed.

If this is truly a case where not one person was involved in Gus's disappearance, then he's on that property somewhere.

If it's a case where even one person, any one person, has knowledge of his whereabouts, or the circumstances of his disappearance, then for me, it becomes an entirely different situation, criminal.

I wonder if dad was due to have a visit from Gus.

 

[jessicalouise]

I wouldn't want 'volunteers' on my ranch. Too many whacko's running around. They'd be gettin' bit by snakes, breakin' ankles, leavin' trash, takin' selfies, makin' youtubes, settin' up tents, campin' overnight, ad nauseum.

An organized search by authorities?, Yes indeed.

If this is truly a case where not one person was involved in Gus's disappearance, then he's on that property somewhere.

If it's a case where even one person, any one person, has knowledge of his whereabouts, or the circumstances of his disappearance, then for me, it becomes an entirely different situation, criminal.

I wonder if dad was due to have a visit from Gus.

I'm pretty sure you have to be approved by police to volunteer. You can't just waltz up to someone's property to start searching.
It was reported that the volunteers involved with the search were given police approval.