🗞 Demolished Rivals

August 30, 2020

G'day sports fans,

Classic quote: Cricket is basically baseball on Valium ― Robin Williams

In today's edition of Sport Journal:

🇦🇺 Top 10 moments of the round

🏉 Results and highlights

🎾 US Open previews

...and much more!

🇦🇺 AFL

Essendon is a totally different team with a fit Joe Daniher up forward and Carlton has blown its finals chance, plus more R14 lessons

Western Bulldog 61 (9.7) Geelong 72 (10.12) - Cats by 11; Top Cats reel in fast-starting Dogs with record comeback. (match report)

Port Adelaide 73 (11.7) Sydney Swans 47 (7.5) - Power by 26; Port Adelaide remains on top of the ladder after a powerhouse performance from star forward Charlie Dixon (match report)

Fremantle 53 (8.5) GWS Giants 91 (14.7) - Giants by 38; Jeremy Cameron and second-gamer Jake Riccardi fire as GWS returns to its best against Fremantle (match report)

Melbourne 52 (8.4) St Kilda 49 (7.7) - Demons by 3; Demons jump into top eight with gutsy performance over spirited Saints

Carlton 42 (7.6) Collingwood 72 (10.12) - Magpies by 24; Undermanned Pies put dagger in Blues' finals hopes (match report)

Gold Coast Suns 91 (12.19) North Melbourne 28 (4.4) - Suns by 63; Gold Coast has finally turned a series of close losses into a win — and a big win at that — producing a clinical display to thump North Melbourne at Metricon Stadium.

🏉 NRL

🤝 Todd Payten is just days away from being appointed head coach of the North Queensland Cowboys on a three-year contract ($1.5m deal). News Corp understands the deal will be confirmed by Wednesday for the 41-year-old who has done such an impressive job since taking over at the New Zealand Warriors from Stephen Kearney.

Dragons 10-14 Titans: Fogarty the hero as Titans surge late to stun Dragons (match report)

Roosters 58-12 Broncos: Roosters rack up SCG half century as big guns bury Broncos (match report)

Warriors 36-6 Knights: Warriors roll Knights to keep finals hopes alive (match report)

Sharks 28-12 Cowboys: Trindall the star as Sharks beat Cowboys without big names (match report)

Panthers 30-6 West Tigers: Eleventh heaven: Panthers march on with win over Tigers (match report)

Storm 36-0 Sea Eagles: Seve suffers suspected ACL tear as Storm smash Sea Eagles (match report)

Raiders 34-20 Bulldogs: Sleepy Raiders stage late rally to run down Bulldogs. Bulldogs led 20-12 at HT (match report)

📺 Try and Tackle of the week contenders

🐴 Racing

❤️ RIP Subbie

The story of 1992 Melbourne Cup winner Subzero who had become a legendary name within Australian sport, not only for his hospital trips to see ill children and elderly people, but also for his incredible bond with former Flemington Clerk of the Course Graham Salisbury.

Memsie Stakes 2020

Hulking South Australian sprinter Behemoth has demolished his rivals in the Group I Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday. Giving champion jockey Craig Williams his 60th career Group I.

Behemoth ($3.30fav) produced a devastating turn of foot to surge clear in the straight and hold off the Phillip Stokes-trained runner-up Mr Quickie ($14) who produced another terrific first-up effort. Peter Moody-trained runner, three-year-old colt Glendfiddich ($6), finished third.

It gave South Australian trainer David Jolly his first Group I win in 18 years. (racenet)

⚽️ Football

Sydney go back-to-back to make history as wild ET winner decides A-League final

Sydney FC have now won the most titles in Australian league history after outlasting Melbourne City in a 120-minute thriller at Bankwest Stadium that finished 1-0.

It was Sydney’s mulleted man, Rhyan Grant, who was the unlikely deadlock-breaker in the 100th minute as the Sky Blues, who have now gone back-to-back, finally found a way past a heroic Tom Glover in goals in extra-time.

Looking for their maiden title, Melbourne City started stronger and were unlucky not to take the lead, before Sydney’s experience came to the fore. (match report)

Despite winning 2-0, adding a trophy to the cabinet. Since joining Chelsea, superstar striker Sam Kerr just cannot seem to find the net and she had a day to forget at Wembley missing up to 6 clear-cut chances.

Community Shield

Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool - Arsenal won 5-4 on penalties

Winning Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta thinks captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been "convinced to stay here for longer" after his starring role in the Community Shield win over Liverpool.

He has scored 70 goals in 109 games since joining Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund for a club record £56m in January 2018.

🎾 US Open

Men's Tournament: Novak Djokovic is 23-0 in 2020 and has 14 more major titles than anyone else in the US Open men’s field. But considering the circumstances, is this our best chance of seeing someone new hold the winner’s trophy? (Preview)

Winner:

  • Djokovic (1.83)

  • Medvedev (7.5)

  • Tsitsipas (9.5)

  • Thiem (11.0)

Women's Tournament: With contenders missing, and others just returning, it’s hard to have any idea who the US Open women’s favorite is. And the tournament may all the better for it. (Preview)

Winner:

  • Williams (6.5)

  • Osaka (7.0)

  • Pliskova (13.0)

  • Kenin (19.0)

⛹🏻‍♀️ Super Netball

The Melbourne Vixens outlasted the relentless NSW Swifts (63-60) to lock up top sot on the ladder after eight Rounds of netball. (match report)

After a slow start, the Giants stormed back to secure win number three for the season against the struggling Collingwood Magpies (69-54) (match report)

The Queensland Firebirds have survived a dramatic late comeback to record a thrilling 54-53 victory over the Adelaide Thunderbirds. (match report)

West Coast Fever have capped a big week for coach Stacey Marinkovich with a record-setting (80-56) victory over Sunshine Coast Lightning. (match report)

🏉 Rugby

Force go down fighting against the mighty Brumbies

The Western Force gave a good account of themselves but ultimately went down 31-14 to the Brumbies in Friday's Super Rugby AU clash in Canberra.

Waratahs defeat Rebels to stay in contention for play-off spot

The Rebels suffered a 38-32 defeat to the Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday but could still qualify for the Super Rugby AU play-offs.

🏎 F1

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton dominates the Belgian Grand Prix to take his fifth victory in seven races this year and the 89th of his career.

🚴‍♂️ Tour De France

Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe wins stage two of the Tour de France to claim the yellow jersey in Nice.

🇺🇸 USA

🏀 Mike "Timex" McDonald wins his free throw bet.

Basically the background (as covered in Sport Journal in April) is Mike had never played competitive basketball in his life, was a ~50% free throw shooter with the form of a giraffe who just ran headfirst into a wall, and he made a bet he could shoot 90/100 by the end of the year.

He took on 235k in bets to win 280k profit.

He was at 73/82, meaning he could only miss 1 of the remaining free throws in that set of 100, and he went 17-1 over the last 18 to win it. Legend.

🏀 NBA Play-offs

The Milwaukee Bucks powered into the second round of the NBA playoffs, three days after their refusal to take the court in the wake of a police shooting in Wisconsin brought the post-season to a halt.

Results: Orlando Magic 104 Milwaukee Bucks 118 Game 5 • MIL wins series 4-1

Oklahoma City Thunder 80 Houston Rockets 114 Game 5 • HOU leads series 3-2

Portland Trail Blazers 122 Los Angeles Lakers 131 Game 5 • LAL wins series 4-1

Sunday (US time): Boston Celtics v Toronto Raptors Game 1 • Series tied 0-0

LA Clippers v Dallas Mavericks Game 6 • LAC leads series 3-2

Denver Nuggets v Utah Jazz Game 6 • UTA leads series 3-2

📺 Live sport

Monday

⚾️ 06:35 - MLB - New York Mets v New York Yankees (ESPN 2)

🏌🏼‍♀️ 07:00 - LPGA Tour, Arkansas Championship, Round 3 (Fox Sports More)

⚾️ 09:08 - MLB - Philadelphia Phillies v Atlanta Braves (ESPN 2 or Sky Sports 3)

⚽️ 10:30 - MLS - Nashville SC v Inter Miami CF (BeIN Sports 1)

🏀 10:30 - NBA Playoffs - Utah Jazz v Denver Nuggets (ESPN 1)

⚽️ 12:00 - MLS - Seattle Sounders v Los Angeles FC (BeIN Sports 2)

🏒 12:30 - NHL Conference Semi finals - Vancouver Canucks v Vegas Golden Knights (ESPN 2)

🚴🏼‍♂️ 21:30 - TourTour de France, Stage 3 (SBS)

🏉 22:00 - English P'ship - London Irish v Saracens (Fox Sports)

Tuesday

⚾️ 08:40 - MLB - Cincinnati Reds v St. Louis Cardinals (Sky Sports 3)

⚾️ 11:40 - MLB - Colorado Rockies v San Diego Padres (Sky Sports 3)

⛹🏻‍♀️ 17:00 - Super Netball - Giants Netball v Melbourne Vixens (Telstra TV)

🇦🇺 17:40 - AFL - Hawthorn Hawks v Adelaide Crows (Fox Footy)

⛹🏻‍♀️ 19:30 - Super Netball - Collingwood Magpies Netball v NSW Swifts (Telstra TV)

🇦🇺 20:10 - AFL - West Coast Eagles v Essendon Bombers (Fox Footy)

🚴🏼‍♂️ 21:30 - Tour de France, Stage 4 (SBS or SBS Viceland)