Former VFL footballer Barry Cable cleared of historic child sex abuse charges

The 82-year-old was accused of abusing girls in the 1960s but was acquitted in Perth despite judge finding the alleged victim was probably telling the truth

The former champion footballer Barry Cable has been acquitted of a slew of historical child sexual abuse charges despite a judge finding the alleged victim was likely telling the truth.

The 82-year-old faced a judge-only criminal trial over allegations he abused a girl aged about eight or nine at his family home in the late 1960s.

Continue reading...

Is Gout Gout faster than Usain Bolt? Australian sprinter sets sights on Jamaican great’s 200m record

Coach believes there’s no limit to 18-year-old’s talent while athlete himself says he’s ‘ready for more’

Having cracked the 20-second barrier with a sizzling run over 200m – and in the process fulled comparisons with the great Usain Bolt – the question now is, how fast can Gout Gout go?

“How long’s a piece of string?” said Gout’s coach and mentor, Di Sheppard, after he clocked 19.67sec at the Australian championships in Sydney on Sunday.

Continue reading...

Emperor Naruhito watches Ohtani and Japan survive scare against Australia at World Baseball Classic

  • Masataka Yoshida’s late HR helps seal 4-3 win

  • Naruhito first emperor in 60 years to attend baseball

Masataka Yoshida’s late home run triggered a comeback win for Japan over Australia at the World Baseball Classic on Sunday, with Emperor Naruhito making a rare appearance.

The underdog Aussies struck first in the sixth inning of the group stage game when outfielder Aaron Whitefield came home after a throwing error by Japan’s catcher, Kenya Wakatsuki. But in the seventh, Yoshida connected with a two-run shot over right centre field. Japan put on two more insurance runs in the eighth, and hung on for the 4-3 victory.

Continue reading...

At least 174 racehorses died from racing or training injuries in past 12 months in Australia, report finds

That’s the highest number recorded by the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses since they began tracking deaths 10 years ago

At least 174 thoroughbred racehorses died at the track or as a result of injuries sustained while racing or training in the past 12 months – the highest number recorded by animal rights activists since they began tracking 10 years ago.

The report from the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR) was released on Tuesday, one week ahead of Australia’s most important horse race, the Melbourne Cup.

Continue reading...

Australia Women’s Cricket World Cup players ‘touched inappropriately’ in India

  • Two players were walking to a cafe from their Indore hotel

  • A man has been arrested after being identified on CCTV

A man has been arrested for approaching two of Australia’s women cricketers and allegedly touching them inappropriately in Indore, Indian police said on Saturday.

The incident occurred on Thursday in Indore, a day off for the team after their six-wicket victory over England.

Continue reading...

Records fall as Sifan Hassan and Hailemaryam Kiros win Sydney Marathon

  • Dutch star and Ethiopian run fastest times on Australian soil

  • Kenyan running great Eliud Kipchoge finishes ninth

The Dutch multi-distance phenomenon Sifan Hassan has set a race record to claim victory in the first running of the Sydney Marathon as a World Majors Series event.

Hassan clocked a women’s winning time of two hours 18 minutes and 22 seconds as Kenyan legend Eliud Kipchoge fell short of the podium in the men’s category on Sunday.

Ahead of AFL finals sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Continue reading...

Gout Gout wins again in Monaco as Jess Hull and Peter Bol break national records

  • 17-year-old dazzles in under-23 200m at Diamond League meet

  • Bol fourth in fast 800m final that sees world record fall

The remarkable Gout Gout story speeds on with the Australian producing another blistering performance to further his European track education in Monaco.

Guesting in an invitational 200 metres at the prestigious Diamond League meeting at the Stade Louis II in the principality during his school holidays on Friday, the teenage phenomenon raced away to another striking win in 20.10 seconds into a headwind.

Continue reading...

Gout Gout breaks his own 200m national record in latest stunning run

  • 17-year-old lays down time of 20.02s on senior European debut

  • Cam Myers, 19, and Peter Bol also shine on strong night for Australia

The records keep falling for Gout Gout after the 17-year-old sprint sensation announced himself on the senior international stage with a new Australian benchmark of 20.02s over 200m at the Ostrava Golden Spike meet in the Czech Republic.

Gout remains on course to go sub-20s as he bettered his own national record in a field stacked with high-quality sprinters, chasing down and then roaring past Reynier Mena over the final 20m to cross the line 0.17s ahead of the Cuban, with Briton Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake third.

Continue reading...

Ticketek warns buyers against using multiple browsers amid complaints over Ashes ticket sales

Frustrated fans vent at long waits and reported issues in presale queue as Cricket Australia announces record sales for men’s Test series

Ticketek has downplayed reports of widespread problems with its online sales platform from cricket fans trying to buy tickets to the Ashes, saying multiple browsers can trigger bot protection services designed to protect customers.

On Tuesday evening, Cricket Australia announced it had recorded its highest individual day of ticket sales ever. But the hours before saw a chorus of frustrated fans venting at the online queue for the tickets’ presale window, which opened in the afternoon.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Rugby League Ashes: Australia’s tour to feature Test at Everton’s new stadium

  • Three-match series will be first since 2003
  • Bramley-Moore Dock, Wembley and Headingley to host

Australia will tour England for the first time since 2003 this autumn, with Everton’s new stadium to stage one of the three Tests. The Kangaroos will take on Shaun Wane’s side in three matches at Wembley, Bramley-Moore Dock and Headingley on 25 October, 1 November and 8 November, respectively.

England have not faced Australia since the 2017 World Cup final, which the Kangaroos won 6-0, with Samoa shocking the hosts in the semi-finals in 2022 at the Emirates Stadium.

Continue reading...

Josh Cavallo reveals daily death threats and says football ‘toxic’ for gay players

  • Adelaide midfielder talks of multiple daily death threats
  • Coming out brings ‘mountain of downsides’ for players

Australia’s first out gay male professional footballer, Josh Cavallo, has said he receives death threats every day and would find it difficult to encourage other footballers to come out due to the sport’s “toxic” environment. The Adelaide United midfielder came out in 2021 and said that despite his club’s and coaches’ support his openness about his sexuality had brought him a lot of pressure and negativity.

“There’s multiple, multiple, multiple death threats that come my way daily still,” Cavallo’s said on Fifpro’s Footballers Unfiltered podcast. “In the world of football, being an openly gay player is a very toxic place. It’s something not everyone would be able to handle and go through.

Continue reading...

Gout Gout lights up the track in Brisbane with world-leading 200m time

  • Sprint sensation clocks 20.05 secs in U20 heat at state championships
  • Australian breaks 20-second barrier in final with wind-assisted 19.98s

Sprint sensation Gout Gout, Australia’s fastest man over 200m, has lit up the track with a world-leading run during the Queensland Athletics championships on Sunday.

Gout first blitzed the field in the under-20 heats to cross the line in 20.05s for the fastest 200m recorded across the globe in all ages in 2025. The 17-year-old smashed the previous best 20.13s clocked by Zimbabwe’s Makanakaishe Charamba in Texas last month but better was still to come in the final in Brisbane.

Continue reading...

‘We stuffed a lot of things up’: Sportsbet CEO slams his company’s past advertising campaigns

Barni Evans laments being involved in an advertising ‘arms race’ and says company did not do enough to stop integrity threats to major sports

Australia’s largest online gambling company has conceded it failed to properly understand its responsibility to prevent financial crime and did not do enough to stop serious integrity threats to major sporting codes.

The Sportsbet chief executive, Barni Evans, told an industry conference in Sydney on Wednesday that the company “forgot to do some grownup things” and “stuffed a lot of things up”, including its involvement in an advertising “arms race”.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Australia’s Steve Smith retires from one-day international cricket

  • Champions Trophy defeat sparks news for cricket great
  • ‘Test cricket remains a priority,’ says the 35-year-old

Australian great Steve Smith has quit one-day international cricket, but says prolonging his stellar Test career is a priority.

Smith told his teammates of his ODI retirement after captaining Australia to a Champions Trophy semi-final loss against India in Dubai. The 35-year-old signalled his intent to continue his Test career until at least the Ashes series against England in the next Australian summer. Smith will also continue to play Twenty20 internationals.

Continue reading...

Triple M host Marty Sheargold departs after being condemned for comparing Matildas to ‘year 10 girls’

Parent company Southern Cross Austereo says programming should meet ‘expectations of its audience’ and ‘it’s clear this is a moment for reflection and review’

Triple M host Marty Sheargold is departing the network after being condemned for comments he made about the Matildas.

Sheargold, a broadcaster and comedian, said on his Drive show on Monday that he “would rather hammer a nail through the head of [his] penis” than watch Australia’s national women’s football team in next year’s Asian Cup. He also asked: “Got any men’s sport?”

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Jordan Mailata makes history as first Australian to win a Super Bowl

  • Eagles player completes journey from reserve-grade rugby league
  • Mailata plays big hand in Phildelphia’s 40-22 win over Kansas City

Jordan Mailata, the giant rugby league convert from Bankstown, has made history by becoming the first Australian to play in a Super Bowl victory. The offensive tackle, taking part in his second NFL championship decider, played no small part in the Philadelphia Eagles’ stunning win over the Kansas City Chiefs in this year’s showpiece game held in New Orleans.

In front of a star-studded Superdome crowd and a global audience of tens of millions, Mailata’s journey from humble beginnings in Sydney’s south-west to the pinnacle of world sport was completed, as he helped the Eagles to a one-sided 40-22 win over the Chiefs, whose hopes of securing a three-peat were dashed in spectacular fashion.

Continue reading...

Sam Kerr jury asked to consider difference if she had called a police officer ‘stupid and black’

Prosecutor argues Matildas star’s claims about what happened in taxi do not make ‘one blind bit of difference to what this case is about’

Prosecutors in the trial of Australian star Sam Kerr, who called a police officer “stupid and white”, have asked the jury to consider if it would be different had she said “stupid and black”.

The 31-year-old Matildas striker is on trial charged with causing racially aggravated harassment to PC Stephen Lovell during an incident in south-west London in the early hours of 30 January 2023. Kerr denies the charges.

Continue reading...

Sam Kerr appears in court charged with alleged racially aggravated harassment

The Australia and Chelsea striker, who denies the charge, appeared at Kingston crown court on Tuesday

The Matildas and Chelsea superstar Sam Kerr has appeared in court charged with alleged racially aggravated harassment of a police officer

The Australian striker attended a hearing, wearing a black coat and a white jumper, at Kingston crown court on Tuesday.

Continue reading...

Richmond Tigers player Noah Balta charged with assault after incident in country NSW

Footballer who signed a seven-year AFL deal in October has been charged after 30 December incident in Riverina town of Mulwala

Richmond Tigers star Noah Balta has been charged with assault after an incident in country New South Wales.

The AFL club has released a brief statement to confirm a media report that the defender had been charged.

Continue reading...