Category Archives: Australia sport

‘Uniquely qualified’: John Coates drafted letter of praise for himself to Brisbane Olympics organisers

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  • Outgoing AOC president drafted compliments of his own work
  • ‘Hard to think of anyone better qualified in the world of sport’

John Coates, the outgoing president of the Australian Olympic Committee, drafted his own letter of recommendation stating that it was “hard to think of anybody better qualified in the world of sport” to be appointed to the organising committee of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

Coates is Australia’s most celebrated official in the Olympic movement and a vice-president of the International Olympic Committee. He stood down on Saturday as president of the AOC after 32 years. He will become the AOC’s inaugural honorary life president after the 2024 Paris Olympics, when he stands down from the IOC. The life presidency role was written into the AOC’s constitution at last year’s AGM and Coates was formally awarded the position in March 2022.

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New investigation into allegations of plagiarism against concussion expert Paul McCrory

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British Journal of Sports Medicine says it is investigating a body of work published by McCrory, its former editor-in-chief

The British Journal of Sports Medicine says it is investigating a body of work published by its former editor-in-chief, neurologist Dr Paul McCrory, in light of “additional allegations of plagiarism” against the world-renowned concussion expert.

The peer-reviewed journal will also review the past four consensus statements published by the global Concussion in Sport Group (CISG), of which McCrory was the lead author, along with a sample of other papers on which he is the first or senior author.

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Emily Seebohm condemns ‘horrific’ transphobic billboard that uses her image without permission

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Olympic swimmer says election message promoted by rightwing lobby group Advance ‘is just awful to me’

The Olympic gold medallist Emily Seebohm has slammed rightwing lobby group Advance for using her image without permission on a transphobic billboard.

The billboards display the words “women’s sport is not for men” alongside images of swimmers Dawn Fraser, Emma McKeon and Seebohm and were launched as part of an attack on the Warringah MP, Zali Steggall, who has been vocal in her support for trans women to compete in female sports.

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MCG comes alive on Anzac Day as Collingwood edge Essendon

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  • Collingwood 15.3 (93) beat Essendon 12.10 (82)
  • Jack Ginnivan wins Anzac Day medal in front of 84,205 fans

Teenage sensation Jack Ginnivan has slotted a career-best five goals to help lift Collingwood to an 11-point win over Essendon in an enthralling Anzac Day encounter. In front of 84,205 fans at the MCG – the largest crowd since the 2019 grand final because of the global pandemic – small forward Ginnivan starred in his side’s 15.3 (93) to 12.10 (82) victory.

The 19-year-old had just 12 disposals but was awarded the Anzac Day medal as best afield for his match-winning haul in the traditional blockbuster. The result squared the Magpies’ season record at 3-3 and left Essendon reeling at 1-5, with their finals hopes just about shot.

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Dragons hold on to stun Roosters in NRL Anzac Day upset

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  • St George Illawara win 14-12 at SCG
  • Ben Hunt wins Ashton Collier Spirit of Anzac medal

A battered and bruised St George Illawarra pulled off an Anzac Day boilover, with a courageous Ben Hunt helping them stun the Sydney Roosters 14-12.

On a brutal afternoon at the SCG, the Dragons lost Jack Bird to suspected broken arm and Jaydn Su’A due to a leg injury after the second-rower had been among their best.

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Brumbies break through for win as Waratahs and Reds crushed by Kiwis

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  • Brumbies 28 beat Highlanders 17 to claim first Kiwi scalp of Super Round
  • Waratahs 27 Chiefs 51; Reds 17 Hurricanes 30; Rebels 17 Crusaders 41

The Brumbies restored some pride in Australian rugby by claiming the first Kiwi scalp of Super Round with a hard-fought 28-17 victory over the Highlanders, after NSW and Queensland both fell short in the opening two days of action at AAMI Park.

The Canberra-based Brumbies had only lost once through the 2022 domestic component of the competition while the Highlanders had only banked one win but the men from Dunedin still proved difficult to shake on Sunday afternoon.

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Beautiful chaos reigns as A-League basket cases deliver box office show

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On paper it was eighth plays ninth, both teams flawed and prone to imploding. But the Mariners and Jets’ rivalry is exactly what the ALM needs

To ape Bill Hader’s famous Saturday Night Live character Stefon, the A-League Men’s hottest rivalry is the F3 Derby. Located on a sodden field in Newcastle, the latest edition of this regional rivalry had everything. Twists and turns, emotions bubbling over, VAR disallowing goals, dramatic comebacksand Matt Simon almost coming to blows with a red-carded Daniel Penha.

After serving as the unexpected highlight of ALM’s opening round of the 2021-22 season, overshadowing the greater ballyhooed Sydney Derby, punters were incredulous they were forced to wait 153 days for Saturday evening’s rematch between the Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets, a fixture ready to resume its place amongst the pantheon of box office ALM fixtures.

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NSW MP Alex Greenwich threatens to withdraw supply from Perrottet government over ‘attacks’ on trans kids

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Sydney independent says he can’t have a ‘cooperative relationship’ with the NSW minority government if the premier continues comments

The New South Wales premier, Dominic Perrottet, will meet with an independent MP who has threatened to withdraw supply and confidence from the minority government, following comments about the participation of transgender kids in sport.

The Sydney MP, Alex Greenwich – one of a handful of lower house crossbenchers the Coalition relies on to govern – said he could not have a “cooperative relationship” with the government if the premier continued to make “attacks” on the LGBTQ+ community.

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Perth Glory CEO admits Daniel Sturridge move has failed

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  • ‘We had high hopes… It hasn’t worked,’ says Tony Pignata
  • Striker unlikely to be offered new contract at end of season

Perth Glory’s gamble on Daniel Sturridge has been labelled a failure by chief executive Tony Pignata, who admits it is unlikely the English striker will be offered a new deal with the A-League Men club.

Sturridge, a former Liverpool forward with 26 England caps, was the highest-profile signing heading into the 2021-22 ALM season but has featured for just 93 minutes across five substitute appearances – failing to find the net.

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Cleary deals set Panthers up for long-term success

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With five-year contract extensions to keep them at Penrith until 2027, Nathan and Ivan Cleary can build the dynasty their club has always craved

Penrith’s ultimate successes have, historically, been fleeting. Not this time. The signing of star halfback Nathan Cleary and coach Ivan Cleary to long-term deals has set the Panthers up for sustainable security at the top of the premiership ladder. This may not be Melbourne Storm longevity but it is hard to see Penrith missing out on the top four anytime in the 2020s now the Clearys have locked themselves in as centrepieces.

Amid a great deal of controversy in 2019, Nathan Cleary was reunited with his father Ivan, who left the Wests Tigers in acrimonious circumstances to return to Penrith for his second stint as head coach. It led to Phil Gould’s departure as Penrith’s executive general manager and left a great deal of angst among the Wests Tigers faithful that the driver of the bus had ditched the joint. It did net a remarkable third premiership for the Panthers last year though, the golden generation realising their potential.

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Andrew McDonald set to be named Australia’s cricket head coach

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  • Cricket Australia lock in Langer’s permanent replacement
  • McDonald expected to take charge of all three formats

Andrew McDonald will be named as Australia’s men’s cricket coach after impressing as an interim boss during the tour of Pakistan.

The former Test allrounder has only strengthened his bonds with a playing group that was desperate for change. McDonald, 40, could be confirmed as Australia’s full-time coach as soon as Wednesday.

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Sam Kerr caps stunning injury-time turnaround as Matildas leave it late to beat New Zealand

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  • Australia strike on 94 and 96 minutes to win 2-1 in Townsville
  • Anna Green wonder strike puts visitors ahead in first half

Emily van Egmond and Sam Kerr struck in added time to lift the Matildas to a 2-1 friendly win over trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand in Townsville.

The Matildas were heading for their first loss to the Football Ferns since 1994 on Friday night, trailing 1-0 at the end of the regulation 90 minutes despite dominating the contest.

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Hosting two Rugby World Cups is an opportunity Australia cannot afford to fumble | Bret Harris

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Tournaments on home soil in 2027 and 2029 present a once-in-a-generation chance to revive the men’s game and grow the women’s

Australian rugby has been given a once-in-a-generation opportunity to revitalise the game in this country with the prospect of hosting back-to-back men’s and women’s World Cups only two years apart. In a tremendous fillip for the game, Australia was on Monday named the preferred candidate to host the women’s World Cup in 2029, along with the men’s tournament in 2027.

The dual World Cups have put Australia in a superb position to capitalise on the enormous global popularity of rugby, with the potential to deliver a much-needed financial boost. But it is an opportunity Australian rugby cannot afford to fumble as poor performances in the home tournaments would be disastrous for the game.

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Western Australia claim Sheffield Shield title 23 years in the making

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  • WA draw final against Victoria to secure title last won in 1999
  • Aaron Hardie ends unbeaten on 174 on day five at the Waca

Western Australia have won the Sheffield Shield for the first time in the 21st century after the final against Victoria ended in a draw at the Waca Ground.

A massive century from young allrounder Aaron Hardie ended any hope of a Victoria win on day five, and both captains agreed at the end of the morning session that an outright result was impossible leaving the match declared a draw.

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Cyril Rioli goes public with racism claims at Hawthorn

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  • Indigenous star says president’s ‘joke’ comments were ‘final straw’
  • Rioli says ‘gaslighting’ at club hastened his retirement in 2018

Jeff Kennett has come under increasing pressure to step down as president of AFL club Hawthorn after allegations about the treatment of star Indigenous player Cyril Rioli that led to the four-time premiership star’s premature AFL retirement in 2018 at the age of just 28.

In a report in The Age on Saturday, Rioli said he will not return to the club while Kennett remains in his post. The four-time flag hero’s stance is the result of a series of issues that Rioli said fractured the relationship between Hawthorn and its Indigenous players during his time there between 2008 and 2018.

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Australia beat England to win Women’s Cricket World Cup –as it happened

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Alyssa Healy soars to the highest score ever in a World Cup final as Australia beat England by 71 runs to lift the trophy

4th over: Australia 11-0 (Alyssa Healy 5, Rachael Haynes 6)

It’s a bit of a cat and mouse game going on so far - the English bowlers are mostly bowling very good line and length and the Australian batters are just waiting on the opportunities for the slightly looser balls to pounce on. It’s a very good over from Shrubsole, just one from it.

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Heat on Kennett as Rioli goes public with racism claims at Hawthorn

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  • Indigenous star says president’s comments to wife were “final straw”
  • Rioli says ‘gaslighting’ at club hastened his retirement in 2018

Jeff Kennett has come under increasing pressure to step down as president of AFL club Hawthorn after revelations about treatment of star indigenous player Cyril Rioli that led to the four-time premiership star’s premature AFL retirement in 2018 at the age of just 28.

In a report in The Age on Saturday, Rioli said he will not return to the club while Kennett remains in his post. The four-time flag hero’s stance is the result of a series of issues that Rioli said fractured the relationship between Hawthorn and its Indigenous players during his time there between 2008 and 2018.

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Australia v Saudi Arabia: World Cup 2022 qualifier – live!

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  • Updates from the Socceroos’ final Group B match
  • Kick-off time is 9pm in Jeddah/5am AEDT
  • Any thoughts? Email Emma or tweet @emmavkemp

32 min Australia have five shots, none on target, and one-third of possession, which sums up this half quite well so far in a way stats do not always. Saudi are content and comfortable to let their visitors play. Fornaroli is down under a challenge but dust himself off.

28 min Ajdin Hrustic, who was so good against Japan last week, has a free kick. It lofts up beautifully and is heading towards the top-left corner, but lands on the roof. Mabil opens up another channel, this time from left to right in the centre of the park and Boyle is onto it. Yet again an Australian attack ends with a shot which rolls marginally wide of the back post.

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Speculation ‘part of the job’ for Socceroos coach Graham Arnold

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  • Scrutiny on coach intensifies ahead of Saudi Arabia clash
  • Australia face tough route to qualify for Qatar World Cup

Under-fire Socceroos coach Graham Arnold insists he’s “fine” heading into a World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia which may be his last match in the position.

Speculation is rife Football Australia is considering firing Arnold after Tuesday’s (Wednesday AEDT) game in Jeddah with hopes of automatic qualification for this year’s World Cup in Qatar dashed after a 2-0 home loss to Japan last week.

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Australia hit by Covid and injuries before first ODI in Pakistan

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  • Cameron Green steps in after Mitch Marsh ruled out
  • Josh Inglis in isolation after testing positive for Covid-19

Australia’s depleted stocks have taken a further hit ahead of the ODI series against Pakistan after T20 World Cup hero Mitch Marsh was struck down by a hip injury.

Marsh suffered the setback while fielding during a training drill. Scans confirmed the injury was a low-grade hip flexor strain but the tourists remain hopeful Marsh can play some part in the series.

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