Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack has called for the same "one in, all in" approach to dealing with coronavirus as was employed in the VFL in the 1980s.
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"We are now up for the fight of our lives," he said in Parliament on Wednesday.
"We are all in this together and Mr Speaker, it is a fight we will win.
"We will win it together, we will win using the same axiom that coaches used in the 1980s in the VFL."
The rev-up was used as a way to encourage the continued practice of hand washing and social distancing and to thank people he described as the "heroes" of the response: frontline health professionals, truck drivers, farmers and sign language experts.
Mr McCormack made the comments when answering a Dorothy Dixer question from fellow Nationals MP Damian Drum, pointing out the Nicholls MP showed this spirit during his time as a Geelong football player in the 80s.
The $1500 per fortnight Job Keeper payments were expected to pass both houses of Parliament on Wednesday, with the opposition saying it would vote in favour, but there was still some criticism for the government.
Labor and crossbench MPs who spoke said the payments should be extended to cover casuals who have worked in jobs for less than 12 months.
Indi MP Helen Haines said many who will miss out were "the lifeblood of our hospitality and tourism sector" such as chefs, cleaners, wait staff, cellar doors workers.
Crossbench MPs also failed to establish the two joint select committees they wanted to scrutinise the government's health and economic actions during the coronavirus pandemic, with Labor preferring to establish a Senate committee that would be chaired by one of its party members.
"I honestly believe this proposal is insufficient to the task at hand," Dr Haines said.
"The government cannot be expected to have all the answers to every issue in Australia, but unless they invite diverse voices into the room where they're making and scrutinising these decisions, they're setting themselves an impossible challenge."
But Treasurer Josh Frydenberg defended the government's plan, saying it was "a very substantial program and indeed a program like none other" that will help workers get to the other side of the coronavirus crisis.
"Under this program, some six million Australian workers will be eligible and will benefit," he said.
