🗞 Dad Strength

AUSSIE SPORTS
Mixed Bag

🎾 Aussies at Wimbledon: The big Aussie hope Alex de Minaur looked solid in beating fellow Aussie James Duckworth in 3 tie breaks (7-6, 7-6, 7-6).

World 95 Adam Walton opened his tournament with a three sets to love win over Argentina’s Federico Coria. Alexei Popyrin got it done over 4 sets against Brazilian Thiago Monteiro. He will face 30th seed Tomás Martín Etcheverry in round 2.

In the women’s, despite being fancied to come through by many pundits, Ajla Tomljanovic only managed to win three games in her 6-1, 6-2 defeat to Jelena Ostapenko. Olivia Gadeck went down 6-4, 6-4 to American Robin Montgomery.

LIVE: Christopher O’Connell is up against 13th Taylor Fritz this morning. Thanasi Kokkinakis has brought his match back to 2-1 in sets. Rinky Hijikata is currently 2-1 down in sets v Flavio Cobolli (ITA)

🏍️ Australia will have two riders on the MotoGP grid for the first time in two years this weekend, with Remy Gardner set to be called up as an injury replacement for Alex Rins at the factory Yamaha team for the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring. 

Gardner, son of 1987 500cc world champion Wayne Gardner, is in his second season riding for Yamaha in the World Superbike Championship since leaving MotoGP after a difficult 2022 rookie campaign for Tech3 KTM, where he finished in 23rd place in the standings.

As reported by Autosport, Gardner will join fellow Australian Jack Miller in the 22-rider field in Germany, and will compete in a Saturday sprint race – introduced to the series in 2023 after his departure from the series – for the first time. 

🐴 Selectors have denied Australian equestrian legend Andrew Hoy in his bid to compete at a record-extending ninth Olympic Games in Paris.

Hoy, an eight-time Olympian who made his Games debut in Los Angeles in 1984, has made more Olympic appearances than any other Australian.

An official announcement is expected on Thursday.

🏑 While Australian hockey superstar Rosie Malone has spoken out on Hockeyroos coach Katrina Powell's decision to snub her for the Olympic Games after the selection decision sent shockwaves around the country.

Malone, who six months ago was on a five-person shortlist for the International Hockey Federation's women's player of the year, was not included in the 16-player roster and reports have since suggested she was not given a reason why she'd been left out.

The 26-year-old appealed the decision to the National Sports Tribunal but it was dismissed on Friday.

"I was Hockeyroos' highest goal scorer in 2023. I've scored four international goals this year making me equal second in the team, with the highest player having five goals. (I've) played in 21 out of the 22 international games for the Hockeyroos this year.”

🏉 "Dad strength" is getting the credit for igniting the Wallabies comeback story of Tom Wright.

The Brumbies fullback is expected to feature on Joe Schmidt's first team sheet when the Wallabies 23 is named on Thursday.

Wright was axed by former coach Eddie Jones after making some costly errors in Australia's 34-31 loss to Argentina in Sydney last year.

The classy utility and wife Bronte welcomed baby Indi to the family last year and he reckons it’s been his daughter, not the critics, who have inspired his hot form in 2024.

“The dad strength,” Wright said. “Coming home after what can be a tough day. We were pretty lucky through the season that we didn’t have too many crappy games, but coming through the door, dropping the bag it’s pretty much the best part of coming home.”

🙋🏼‍♀️ The Matildas announced one final friendly match against Canada before kick-starting their road to gold at the Paris Olympics.

The Australian team will face off against the reigning Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallists in the south of Spain on July 14 (AEST).

NRL NEWS
Superstar Fullbacks

📄 TEAMS: There are huge inclusions for both the Knights and Storm with superstar fullbacks Kalyn Ponga and Ryan Papenhuyzen both named to return.

The Eels have unveiled a pair of debutants (Jake Tago, Wing, and Back-rower Charlie Guymer) to solve their injury crisis, while Craig Fitzgibbon has called upon Daniel Atkinson to fill a vacant wing spot.

Meanwhile, the Sea Eagles have unveiled their new look backline including Tom Trbojevic. (NRL.com)

👋🏼 Chad Townsend has confirmed he will leave North Queensland at the end of the season as rumours linking him with the Roosters heat up.

"What I will say is it's probably been one of the most craziest times in my free agency period throughout my career. I've had a lot of options on the table with regards to both here and, and overseas and I really wanted just to explore that."

"I'm really close to making that decision now and hopefully it will become official probably by the end of the week. I don't have anything official to report at this stage."

🛩️ Newtown's plan to become part of Perth's NRL bid has ended after businessman John Singleton confirmed the club has pulled out of the running.

The Jets emerged as a shock contender in the race for the NRL's 18th team, and were prepared to join forces in the west.

However, The Sydney Morning Herald revealed a text message from Singleton had ended all hopes as the iconic businessman took a shot at the North Sydney Bears in the process.

The Bears are likely to join forces with Perth, instead of the Jets.

AFL NEWS
Boyd Escapes Ban

👨🏻‍⚖️ Carlton successfully downgraded defender Jordan Boyd’s one-match ban at the AFL Tribunal.

In a marathon four-hour hearing, the AFL claimed the Blues were “victim-blaming” as they spent their entire appeal arguing Richmond’s Rhyan Mansell had ducked his head and played for a free kick.

While the Tribunal agreed Boyd had elected to bump - disagreeing with the thrust of Carlton’s case against Mansell - they felt Boyd slowed down enough to reduce the impact from medium to low, resulting in a fine rather than a suspension.

The incident was graded as careless conduct, medium impact and high contact. (full report on AFL.com)

🗣️ AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon says the standard of umpiring is as good as it has ever been, despite a fierce week of public outcry over the state of umpiring.

It comes after Essendon coach Brad Scott revealed on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 on Monday night, that the AFL had admitted to mistakes in the controversial clash against Geelong. 

The AFL did not put up a spokesperson on Monday, with Scott instead acting as the messenger on the Fox Footy program.

WORLD NEWS
Champ is Out

🎾 Novak Djokovic said he was "extremely glad with the way I felt and the way I played" as he won his first match since knee surgery to reach the second round at Wimbledon.

Djokovic, seeking to equal Roger Federer's men's record of eight singles titles at SW19, beat Vit Kopriva 6-1 6-2 6-2 under the roof on Centre Court.

He will next play British wildcard Jacob Fearnley.

⚽️ Substitute Donyell Malen scored twice and Cody Gakpo got his third goal of Euro 2024 to help the Netherlands see off a spirited Romania 3-0 and reach the quarter-finals of the tournament for the first time in 16 years.

In-form Austria are currently playing Turkey in the final last 16 match, with the quarter finals beginning on Friday.

🚴🏻‍♂️ TDF: Tadej Pogacar surged to reclaim the yellow jersey in a thrilling stage four victory at the Tour de France. As the race tackled its first major mountain challenge, UAE Team Emirates asserted dominance, dropping overnight leader Richard Carapaz on the grueling Col du Galibier climb.

Pogacar, a two-time champion, widened his lead with a commanding descent to Valloire, finishing 35 seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel.

With this win, Pogacar now holds a 45-second advantage over Evenepoel in the general classification, with Jonas Vingegaard trailing by an additional five seconds in third place.

🎾 Wimbledon Champ out: Marketa Vondrousova's Wimbledon title defence ended abruptly with a surprising first-round defeat to Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. The Czech, who stunned as an unseeded champion last year, struggled with errors and double faults in a lackluster display on Centre Court. Bouzas Maneiro, ranked 83rd in the world at just 21 years old, capitalized with a convincing 6-4, 6-2 victory, marking her maiden Grand Slam win.

EPL Transfer & Gossip
Player Swap

💰 In a rush to comply with spending/loss making restrictions in the EPL, Clubs are possibly “massaging” some transfer fees. In it’s most simple form, a player sold = all income now, while a purchased players transfer fee can effectively be spread over this lifetime of the contract.

So we are already, and will be seeing a lot more… Player A to club for $$, while Player B goes the other way for $$ in a swap deal.

🗣️ Gossip: Anthony Gordon's head has been turned by Liverpool interest - though Newcastle do not want to sell, while Manchester United offer five-year deal to Matthijs de Ligt.

✍🏼 Confirmed: Tottenham Hotspur have signed midfielder Archie Gray from Leeds United for about AU$60m, with defender Joe Rodon moving in the opposite direction in a deal worth about AU$20m.

Chelsea have signed midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Leicester City for AU$60m.

USA, USA, USA
ICYMI

👊🏻 Michael Chandler says he has been offered a fight against UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev in October but is prioritising a September bout with Conor McGregor, if he is fit.

American Chandler, 38, was set to face McGregor at UFC 303 last week but the matchup was cancelled after the 35-year-old Irishman pulled out with a broken toe.

Chandler challenged McGregor to a rescheduled contest at Noche UFC on 14 September at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

✍🏼 Klay to Dallas: Klay Thompson is leaving the Warriors to join the Mavericks on a three-year, US$50 million deal. The end of an era.

🏟️ Celtics for sale: Majority owner Wyc Grousbeck is exploring a sale of his stake in the US$4.7 billion franchise.

💰 Payday: Celtics have agreed to a five-year, $315 million extension with Jayson Tatum. It's the richest contract in NBA history, surpassing teammate Jaylen Brown's five-year, US$304 million deal. 

SHARE SPORT JOURNAL

The best thing you can do to help us grow, is share Sport Journal with your friends & colleagues, even that bloke at the pub…

📲 Share it with the group chat via WhatsApp HERE

🧑🏻‍💻 Share the link with a friend to sign up HERE