G'day sports fans,

Classic quote: “I’m so proud of the girls. We knew we were in it at half-time. And you know, there was a lot of critics talking about us but we’re back, so suck on that one.” – Sam Kerr after the Matildas’ comeback win over Brazil at the Women’s World Cup.

In today's edition of Sport Journal:

🇦🇺 Back to Back loses for Richmond

🏉 Knights power past Broncos

🐴 Phenomenal display by Stradivarius at Ascot

🇦🇺 Tigers 'blown out of the water' after 59-year low

Richmond managed only five goals for the second straight week as Hawthorn emerged surprise 32-point winners at the MCG on Thursday night.

Richmond were held goalless for the second consecutive opening quarter.

Jonathan Brown revealed a stat that could be of further concern, "Richmond's fewest tackles in a game since 2008. That is astonishing. The final number, 27, in a game where they lost by 32 points."

Hawthorn delivered a statement that it is a force to be reckoned with in season 2020.

🇦🇺 Round 3:

Western Bulldogs vs GWS Giants: The Dogs have covered the line in each of their last four home games as the underdog.

North Melbourne vs Sydney Swans: The Swans have covered in seven of their last eight away games, there’s everything to suggest this could be close.

Collingwood vs St Kilda: The last five games between these two clubs have all gone Under the Total

Geelong vs Carlton: Geelong never missed a beat last Friday night against the Hawks and they certainly look tough to beat with another home game on the cards.

Brisbane Lions vs West Coast Eagles: Prior to last years loss West Coast had won eight straight over the Lions, but with their struggles on the road well-documented, this could be another tough four quarters.

Gold Coast Suns vs Adelaide: The Crows have won their last 13 games against the Suns, including last years forgettable 95-point belting. Still, if the Suns can build on last weeks momentum can they kick the Crows while they’re down?

Essendon vs Melbourne: There were encouraging signs in the first half against Carlton, but the second half was a completely different story as the same old Melbourne side nearly squandered the chance at a much-needed win.

Fremantle vs Port Adelaide: It’s too early to call Port Adelaide the team to beat, but boy did they make a statement last week against the Crows.

🏉 "It's an attitude thing...we crack under pressure"- Glenn, as Broncos lose again

Newcastle got back to winning ways as they condemned Brisbane to a fourth straight defeat in a 27-6 victory at Central Coast Stadium.

Broncos captain Alex Glenn says his players need to be more accountable for their performances after another loss.

In the aftermath; Andrew Johns called on Brisbane Broncos to ditch five-eighth Anthony Milford (nine)

Billy Slater said the Brisbane Broncos "would have been better off" if Tevita Pangai Junior didn't play (nine)

🏉 Nine's Expert Round 6 picks:

Andrew Johns: Knights (W), Rabbitohs, Storm, Dragons, Wests Tigers, Eels, Raiders, Sharks

Brad Fittler: Knights (W), Rabbitohs, Panthers, Dragons, Wests Tigers, Roosters, Raiders, Sharks

Darren Lockyer: Broncos (L), Rabbitohs, Storm, Titans, Cowboys, Roosters, Raiders, Sharks

Peter Sterling: Knights (W), Rabbitohs, Storm, Dragons, Wests Tigers, Roosters, Raiders, Sharks

Billy Slater: Knights (W), Rabbitohs , Storm, Dragons, Wests Tigers, Roosters, Manly, Sharks

🏉 Jordan Rankin set join Parramatta Eels

Utility back Jordan Rankin is set to play out the rest of the season with Parramatta.

At 28, Rankin - who was the third-youngest player to debut in the NRL in 2008 - will add depth and experience to the Eels.

Rankin went to England with Huddersfield in 2017 but has spent the past 12 months with Castleford. (nine)

⚽️ Matildas superstar Ellie Carpenter signs dream deal

Matildas defender Ellie Carpenter is poised to join European women’s football heavyweights Olympique Lyon.

The French club, which holds the record as six-time European Champions League winners, announced they had reached an agreement with Carpenter’s American club Portland Thorns to sign the 20-year-old.

It’s a massive move for Carpenter, who will be joining a squad loaded with some of the biggest names in women’s football including Norwegian megastar Ada Hegerberg.

After debuting in the W-League for Western Sydney Wanderers as a 15-year-old in 2015, Carpenter debuted for Australia a year later as a 16-year-old.

She made history in 2018 when she debuted in the NWSL for Portland at 18 years and 11 days, making her the youngest player in the North American league’s history.

⚽️ UEFA Champions League to resume on 7 August

The 2019/20 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will be played as a straight knockout tournament in Lisbon, Portugal in August:

• 7-8 August: Round of 16 second legs (venues to be confirmed)

• 12-15 August: Quarter-finals (Lisbon)

• 18-19 August: Semi-finals (Lisbon)

• 23 August: Final (Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Lisbon)

📺 'Man Cave Dave' Transforms His Garage Into $35,000 arena With 14 Screens

David Mckinder, from Sydney, has spent the best part of 10 years turning his garage into a footballing Mecca, complete with a dugout, bar, a Tottenham Hotspur-themed poker table - oh, and just the 14 TVs.

He's even got one in a coffee table and a huge projector!

All in, the 46-year-old told LADbible that it cost him around AU$35,000 to transform the space into every football fan's dream. So it's not a cheap job, but Dave says it's worth every penny. (ladbible)

🐴 Royal Ascot Day 3

• Frankie Dettori and Stradivarius (1.80) win third straight Gold Cup, it was an astonishing display. Official winning distance of TEN lengths.

• Jockey Jim Crowley wins Jersey Stakes & Britannia Stakes for his fifth and sixth wins of the meeting

• Mountain Angel triumphs under James Doyle

• Highland Chief wins opener for Paul and Oliver Cole

• Battleground takes Chesham Stakes

🐴 Stewards fine Jamie Mott over whip flout tweet

Victorian jockey Jamie Mott was charged with conduct prejudicial to the interests of racing and fined $1500 by stewards over a now deleted tweet in which he claimed he would now deliberately flout whip rules. (racenet)

How to play: It’s free to enter, simply pick the first 3 home in the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Group 1) at Royal Ascot on Saturday on win a SJ T-shirt!

How to play:

• Click HERE to enter

• Enter your email and name (so we can contact you when you win)

• From the horses listed you simply scroll across to see the field and select the horse you think will finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd for a chance to win Sport Journal merch. simple.

• Make sure you hit submit

🎾 Dylan Alcott slams US Open organisers for 'disgusting discrimination'

Australian ace Dylan Alcott has slammed US Open tennis organisers, accusing them of "disgusting discrimination" for planning this year's coronavirus-compromised grand slam tournament without wheelchair tennis.

A winner of 10 grand slam wheelchair tennis singles titles, including two US Opens, Alcott vented on Twitter after it was officially announced the 2020 US Open would go ahead in New York in its scheduled August 31-September 13 dates but with some big changes and under strict bio-security measures.

🏏 ‘We sold the World Cup final to India’

Sri Lanka “sold” the 2011 World Cup final to India, the country’s former sports minister (Mahindananda Aluthgamage) said on Thursday, reviving one of cricket’s most explosive match-fixing claims.

Mahindananda Aluthgamage, who was sports minister at the time, is the second senior figure to allege the final was fixed, after 1996 World Cup-winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga.

“In 2011, we were to win, but we sold the match. I feel I can talk about it now. I am not connecting players, but some sections were involved,” he said.

Sri Lanka lost the match at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium by six wickets. Indian players have strongly denied any wrongdoing.

1996 World Cup-winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga, who was at the stadium as a commentator, has previously called for an investigation into the defeat.

🏏 Three Team Cricket, Confused? join the club

“Maybe it’ll make a lot of sense once we start and just play,” a befuddled de Villiers said. “This format, who thought of the rules?” he queried in a separate video.

If he’s confused about the rules, what chance have the rest of us got? (Fox)

Back on Monday!

📺 Live sport

Friday

🐴 00:35 - Group 1, Ascot Gold Cup,Royal Ascot (Racing.com or Sky Racing 1 or Sky Thoroughbred Central)

⚽️ 03:30 - La Liga - Deportivo Alaves v Real Sociedad (BeIN Sports 1)

⚽️ 06:00 - La Liga - Real Madrid v Valencia (BeIN Sports 1)

🏌🏻‍♂️ 06:00 - PGA Tour - RBC Heritage, Round 1 (Fox Sports)

🎮09:00 - Esports - Basketball, NBA 2K League (ESPN 1)

🏉 18:00 - NRL - South Sydney Rabbitohs v Warriors (Fox League)

🇦🇺 19:50 - AFL - Western Bulldogs v GWS Giants (Fox Footy or 7mate)

🏉 19:55 - NRL - Penrith Panthers v Melbourne Storm (Fox League or Nine)

Saturday

🐴 00:35 - Group 1, Commonwealth Cup, Royal Ascot Day 4 (Racing.com or Sky Racing 1 or Sky Thoroughbred Central)

⚽️ 03:00 - Premier League - Norwich City v Southampton (Optus Sport 1)

⚽️ 05:15 - Premier League - Tottenham v Manchester United (Optus Sport 1)

🏌🏻‍♂️ 06:00 - PGA Tour, RBC Heritage, Round 2 (Fox Sports)

🎮 09:00 - Esports, BasketballNBA 2K League (ESPN 2)

🇦🇺 13:45 - AFL - North Melb. Kangaroos v Sydney Swans (Fox Footy or 7)

🏉 15:00 - NRL - Gold Coast Titans v St George Illawarra Dragons (Fox League)

🇦🇺 16:35 - AFL - Collingwood Magpies v St Kilda Saints (Fox Footy)

🏉 17:05 - Super Rugby Aotearoa - Chiefs v Blues (Fox Sports)

🏉 17:30 - NRL - Wests Tigers v North Queensland Cowboys (Fox League)

🏉 19:35 - NRL - Sydney Roosters v Parramatta Eels (Fox League)

🇦🇺 19:40 - AFL - Geelong Cats v Carlton Blues (Fox Footy)

🇦🇺 19:40 - AFL - Brisbane Lions v West Coast Eagles (Fox Sports or 7mate)

⚽️ 20:00 - K League 1 - Seongnam FC v Sangju Sangmu (Optus Sport 2)

⚽️ 21:30 - Premier League - Watford v Leicester City (Optus Sport 1)

🐴 22:50 - Group 1, Coronation Stakes, Royal Ascot (Racing.com or Sky Racing 1 or Sky Thoroughbred Central)

Sunday

⚽️ 00:00 - Premier League - Brighton & Hove Albion v Arsenal (Optus Sport 1)

🐴 00:00 - Group 1, St James's Palace Stakes, Royal Ascot (Racing.com or Sky Racing 1 or Sky Thoroughbred Central)

🐴 00:35 - Group 1, Diamond Jubilee Stakes, Royal Ascot (Racing.com or Sky Racing 1 or Sky Thoroughbred Central)

⚽️ 02:30 - Premier League - West Ham United v Wolverhampton Wanderers (Optus Sport 1)

🏌🏻‍♂️ 03:00 - PGA Tour, RBC Heritage, Round 3 (Fox Sports)

⚽️ 04:45 - Premier League - Bournemouth v Crystal Palace (Optus Sport 1)

👊🏻 07:00 - UFC Fight Night Prelims (ESPN 1)

👊🏻 10:00 - UFC Fight Night Main Card - Curtis Blaydes v Alexander Volkov (ESPN 1)

🇦🇺 13:05 - AFL - Gold Coast Suns v Adelaide Crows (Fox Footy)

🏉 13:35 - Super Rugby Aotearoa - Hurricanes v Crusaders (Fox Sports)

🇦🇺 15:35 - AFL - Essendon Bombers v Melbourne Demons (Fox Footy)

🏉 16:05 - NRL - Canberra Raiders v Manly Sea Eagles (Fox League or Nine)

🇦🇺 18:05 - AFL - Fremantle Dockers v Port Adelaide Power (Fox Footy)

🏉 18:30 - NRL - Cronulla Sharks v Canterbury Bulldogs (Fox League)

⚽️ 19:00 - KLeague - Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors v Gwangju FCOptus Sport 1

⚽️ 23:00 - Premier League - Newcastle United v Sheffield United (Optus Sport 1)