Things were right back to basics for the finale of The Great Australian Trade-Off, and I can see why. This season has been a bit of a weird one in terms of ratings, reception, all of that. And it’s all down to the weird, non-tradie things they’ve made people do. So we get to the finale and it’s all to do with toolboxes and under body boxes, the very basic tools of the trade.
Of course, they needed to have some sort of grand challenge that surpassed all others, so not only did the three remaining finalists have to fix a bunch of toolboxes, they then had to pick a crack team of contractors and former contestants and delegate them to complete a whole bunch of tasks across the city. And I really do appreciate that, because that’s what bosses NEED to be able to do. You may have the best toolbox in the business, and a ute that’s been kitted out with all the latest good stuff, but if you can’t delegate tasks properly then you’re not a leader. Even individual skill can only take you so far.
So you’ve got Sonja sending her best window replacement people out to do that big job on the skyscraper, but she was doomed from the start because she put herself on the bridge repair job (it was closest) ad she’d already sent her construction guy to supervise the painting job. Meanwhile, you’ve got Kelvin sending out THREE people to complete an air conditioning job for a whole school because he thought he could save time and money and resources, and he ended up spreading himself too thin.
So naturally, Jin took the crown because he took the time to sit down, equip his team with the best equipment including removable service bodies that must’ve been quite expensive, and he put the right people on the right jobs. His investment paid off, and he got all the best reviews from the clients.
He was my favourite from the start, honest.
-Layla