G’day sports fans,

Tokyo Olympics Chief Yoshiro Mori suggested today that women’s speaking time in meetings should be limited “or else we’ll never be able to finish.” He's copping some heat and apologised, but said he would not resign.

In today’s edition of Sport Journal:

🏏 Scorchers into the BBL Final

🌖 How far could you hit a golf ball on the moon?

🏉 The 10 breakout youngsters for 2021

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🏏 Cricket

Perth Power into Final

Perth Scorchers 189-1 (18.1 overs): Livingstone 77 (39), Bancroft 58* (42), M Marsh 49* (28)

Brisbane Heat 150-9 (18 overs): Burns 38 (24), Hardie 3-46

Perth Scorchers won by 49 runs (D/L method)

Liam Livingstone hit a brutal 77 off 39 balls as Perth Scorchers thrashed Brisbane Heat to book their place in the Big Bash League final.

Cameron Bancroft made an unbeaten 58 and Mitch Marsh 49 not out off 28 deliveries before rain cut short the Scorchers' innings at 189-1.

The Heat never threatened a target of 200 in 18 overs, slipping from 37-0 to 88-6 en route to a 49-run defeat.

The Scorchers will play Sydney Sixers in Saturday's final at the SCG.

Saturday's meeting will be the fourth BBL final between the Scorchers and Sixers, with the Scorchers winning the last two finals, including the most recent in the 2016-17 season. (nine)

⚽️ Football

💇🏻‍♂️ Time to say goodbye to the mullet! Rhyan Grant's set to chop his famous haircut to raise money for charity. Find out how you can be the who begins the cutting of his locks -> (Socceroos)

🥅 Nikita Rukavytsya is in line for his first Socceroos appearance in more than three years after coach Graham Arnold all but confirmed the red-hot striker would be in his squad when the Australian team returns to action next month.

The Ukraine-born, Perth-raised attacker has netted an incredible 38 goals in his last 53 games – including 16 in 17 outings this season for Maccabi Haifa. (SMH)

📈 Cristiano Ronaldo has now scored 25+ goals for 15 consecutive seasons. Unreal stat!

🎾 Tennis

Australian Open still set to start on Monday

Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley says he is still confident the Australian Open will start as scheduled on Monday, despite a positive COVID case in a quarantine hotel that had housed players and staff.

Key points:

• Tennis Australia boss Craig Tiley says the plan for the Australian Open has not changed despite the new case in Melbourne

• Victoria's Deputy Chief Health Officer says the risk of player infection is low

• Premier Daniel Andrews says Australian Open players and staff have not received "special treatment"

About 520 players and support staff who were quarantining at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne's CBD are in isolation and will be tested again as a precautionary measure.

Thursday's matches at Open tune-up events at Melbourne Park were postponed and are now set to be rescheduled for today.

Ashleigh Barty returns to Grand Slam tennis with 'no regrets'

Until this week in Melbourne, world number one Ashleigh Barty had not played a competitive match since 28 February last year.

"The decision was probably the toughest of the whole year - not being able to try and defend my first Grand Slam title," the 24-year-old says in an interview with BBC Sport in the run-up to next week's Australian Open.

"In all honesty, I didn't watch any. I didn't sit there thinking, 'I wish that was me', because I was completely content with what I had at home - knowing I made all the right decisions for the right reasons.

"Not one bit of me had any bit of regret or a fear of missing out. I slept pretty well at night knowing that."

🃏 Sports Cards

Two Michael Jordan Rookie Cards Sold for a Record-Setting AU$973k Each

Just thirteen months ago they were worth US$32k each.

The economy may be in a precarious spot, but the collectible card market is apparently booming. The latest proof: Two Michael Jordan rookie cards set records at auction this past weekend.

On Saturday, Goldin Auctions sold two mint condition examples of His Airness’s 1986 Fleer rookie card for US$738,000 each. Breaking a record set less than a month prior, the astounding hammer prices mean that the value of Jordan’s first professional basketball card has multiplied by more than 15 times since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As well as the boom in the collectables spac, it can also be attributed to the April premiere of The Last Dance documentary. (robreport)

🐴 Racing

Sydney Swans celebrate their Champ

If you didn't know better, you could have been forgiven for thinking the Sydney Swans had just kicked a goal to win the match.

When Champs D'Or saluted in the first race at Kilmore on Thursday, several Swans players jumped on top of each other on the couch to celebrate the win of the galloper they part-own.

"The boys got pretty pumped, we're pretty happy. It was a very impressive win," Papley said. (Racing)

😢 Some sad news. Popular NZ horse Te Akau Shark has passed away, with David Ellis at @TeAkauRacing. A fan favourite, he won two G1s, ran 2nd in an Epsom and 3rd in the Cox Plate.

🎩 Powerful owner Lloyd Williams has decided to take the majority of his team back to Macedon Lodge to be prepared by former trainer Robert Hickmott.

Hickmott teamed up with Williams to win Melbourne Cups with Green Moon in 2012 and Almandin in 2016 before leaving Macedon Lodge to train in his own right at Caulfield.

Macedon Lodge went on the market in 2019 in the expectation the property would be sold. (racenet)

🏉 NRL

🙋🏻‍♂️ Former Cowboys coach Paul Green has been announced as the new coach of Queensland Maroons State of Origin team on a one-year-deal. Green is said to be "excited, humbled, privileged and grateful" to take the position.

🤕 Shaun Johnson has revealed how his Achilles injury will change his game, shaping a new version of the Test superstar. "Recovery is going good. It's a pretty slow-healing injury. It feels good, but I haven't done anything to push it yet. I'm a while off running, but so far so good," Johnson told Wide World of Sports. (abc)

👴🏼 Wayne Bennett says he is a “free agent” and ready to take charge of the NRL’s 17th team as the new Brisbane Jets consortium revealed plans to bring the super coach home to Queensland.

The ARL Commission will announce Queensland’s fourth club in June or July with NRL officials privately working on permutations surrounding a 17-team draw for the 2023 premiership.

As revealed by The Courier-Mail, the expansion race hit overdrive on Wednesday when the rival Bombers and Ipswich’s western corridor bids joined forces to become the Brisbane Jets. (Courier)

🌖 Moon ball

Apollo 14 50th anniversary images prove how far Alan Shepard hit ball

Now we all now the moon landing was shot in a movie studio in LA 😉 but fifty years ago this week, Alan Shepard famously (pretended) to hit two golf balls on the Moon.

Image boffins have improved the grainy footage and come up with the distances of his two shots. The first he shanked into a crater. The second he claimed to have smashed "miles and miles and miles".

Turns out it only went about 41 yards.

With the Moon's lack of gravity, Saunders says big-hitting US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau could, theoretically, blast a ball 3.41 miles (about the length of an 18-hole course), in the rarefied air.

🇦🇺 AFL

'Sorry': Collingwood players issue heartfelt apology to those marginalised at the club after systemic racism report — wwos.nine.com.au

150 of Collingwood's football and netball players have joined forces to pen an apology to those impacted.

🇺🇸 USA

Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram can score for New Orleans Pelicans, but now they're starting to lead on defense too — www.espn.com.au

Recent film sessions between Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and coach Stan Van Gundy have helped New Orleans' stars on both ends of the floor.

🏀 After 11 years of professional basketball, Jeremy Lin is finally launching his own signature shoes. Becoming the first Asia American to do so. The 32-year-old, has signed up with Chinese brand Xtepto release the JLIN ONE.

💈 There were over 20 Chiefs players and staffers, including QB Patrick Mahomes, scheduled Sunday to get a haircut with the barber who tested positive for COVID, per sources. The Chiefs acted quickly, and pulled the barber - mid-cut - once his test results came in.

🗞 We'll be back on Monday

In Monday's edition:

🎾 Australian Open preview

🏈 Super Bowl preview

⚽️ A-League wrap up

🏏 BBL Final review

⛳️ Phoenix and Saudi Open reports

...plus anything else wild that happens over the weekend

📺 Live Sport This Weekend 👇🏼

TODAY

⚽️ 07:00 - Premier League - Tottenham v Chelsea (Optus Sport 1)

⛳️ 07:00 - PGA Tour, Phoenix Open, Round 1 (Fox Sports)

🏀 07:00 - EuroLeague - Valencia Basketball v CSKA Moscow Basketball (Fox Sports)

🎾 11:00 - ATP Great Ocean Road Open, R2 & Quarter-Finals (9Go!)

🎾 11:00 - ATP Murray River Open, R2 & Quarter-Finals (9Go!)

🏀 11:00 - NCAA Men's - Iowa Hawkeyes v Ohio State Buckeyes (ESPN 2)

🎾 11:00 - WTA Grampians Trophy, Round 2 (9Go!)

🏀 11:30 - NBA - Dallas Mavericks v Golden State Warriors (ESPN 1)

🏀 14:00 - NBA - Los Angeles Lakers v Denver Nuggets (ESPN 1)

🏏 15:00 - Test Match - India v England (Fox Cricket)

🎾 18:00 - WTA Grampians Trophy, Quarter-Finals (9Go!)

⛳️ 19:00 - European Tour, Saudi International (Fox Sports)

⚾️ 19:00 - ABL - Brisbane Bandits v Canberra Cavalry (Fox Sports More)

⚽️ 19:05 - A-League - Adelaide United v Perth Glory (Fox Sports)

🏀 19:30 - NBL - Brisbane Bullets v Melbourne United (ESPN 1)

🇦🇺 19:45 - AFLW - Western Bulldogs Women v Carlton Blues Women (Fox Footy or 7mate)

🏀 21:00 - Men's Pro League - Spain v Belgium (Fox Sports)

🐎 22:22 - Trotting Masters, Great Southern Star (Sky Racing 1)

⛳️ 22:30 - European Tour, Saudi International, Round 2 (Fox Sports)

🏏 23:00 - T10 League Qualifier (Fox Cricket)

SATURDAY

⚽️ 06:45 - Italian Serie A - Fiorentina v Inter Milan (BeIN Sports 1)

🏉 06:45 - Premiership Rugby - Bristol Bears v Sale Sharks (Fox Sports)

⛳️ 07:00 - PGA Tour, Phoenix Open, Round 2 (Fox Sports)

🏀 07:00 - EuroLeague - Real Madrid Basketball v Saski Baskonia (Fox Sports)

⚽️ 07:15 - English Championship - Swansea City v Norwich City (BeIN Sports 2)

🏒 11:00 - NHL - Philadelphia Flyers v Boston Bruins (ESPN 2)

🎾 11:00 - WTA Gippsland Trophy, Semi-Final 1, Day 6 (9Go!)

• WTA Yarra Valley Classic, Semi-Final 1, Day 6 (9Go!)

• WTA Grampians Trophy, Semi-Final 1, Day 4 (Nine)

🏀 11:30 - NBA - Brooklyn Nets v Toronto Raptors (ESPN 1)

🎾 13:00 - WTA Grampians Trophy, Semi-Final 2, Day 4 (Nine)

• WTA Yarra Valley Classic, Semi-Final 2, Day 6 (9Go!)

• WTA Gippsland Trophy, Semi-Final 2, Day 6 (9Go!)

🐴 13:15 - Group 2, Blue Diamond Prelude (F) (Racing.com, Sky Racing 1 or 7)

🐴 13:50 - Group 3, Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) (Racing.com, Sky Racing 1 or 7)

🏀 14:00 - NBA - Los Angeles Clippers v Boston Celtics (ESPN 1)

🐴 14:25 - Group 2, Autumn Stakes (Racing.com, Sky Racing 1 or 7)

🏏 15:00 - Test Match - India v England (Fox Cricket)

🎾 15:00 - ATP Great Ocean Road Open, Semi-Final 1 (Nine)

🎾 15:00 - ATP Murray River Open, Semi-Final 1 (Nine)

🇦🇺 15:10 - AFLW - Collingwood Magpies Women v Gold Coast Suns Women (Fox Footy)

🐴 15:20 - Non Listed, Inglis Millennium (7, Sky Racing 1)

🐴 16:35 - Non Listed, Inglis Sprint (7, Sky Racing 1)

🐴 16:55 - Group 1, CF Orr Stakes (7, Racing.com or Sky Racing 1)

🎾 17:00 - ATP Great Ocean Road Open, Semi-Final 2, Day 6 (Nine)

🎾 17:00 - ATP Murray River Open, Semi-Final 2, Day 6 (Nine)

⚽️ 17:05 - A-League - Brisbane Roar v Melbourne Victory (ABC, Fox Sports)

🇦🇺 17:10 - AFLW - Melbourne Demons Women v Richmond Tigers Women (Fox Footy)

🏀 17:30 - NBL - Cairns Taipans v Brisbane Bullets (SBS Viceland)

🎾 17:30 - ATP Cup Semi-Final (GEM or Nine)

🐴 17:35 - Group 2, Rubiton Stakes (Racing.com, Sky Racing 1)

🏏 18:25 - Test Match - India v England (Fox Sports)

🏅 19:00 - Awards Ceremony, Australian Cricket Awards (Fox Sports, Kayo Sports or 7)

⚾️ 19:00 - ABL - Canberra Cavalry v Brisbane Bandits (Fox Sports More)

⚽️ 19:10 - A-League - Macarthur FC Bulls v Western Sydney Wanderers (Fox Sports)

🏏 19:40 - Big Bash League Final - Sydney Sixers v Perth Scorchers (Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports or 7)

🏀 20:00 - NBL - Adelaide 36ers v Sydney Kings (ESPN 1)

🐎 20:05 - 4YO Pacers G1, 4YO Bonanza (Sky Racing 1)

🐎 20:22 - Group 2 Pacers, Cordina Chicken Farms Hondo Grattan Stakes (Sky Racing 1)

⛳️ 20:30 - European Tour, Saudi International, Round 3 (Fox Sports)

🐎 21:15 - Pacing Gold Grand Circuit, A.G. Hunter Cup (Sky Racing 1)

🐎 21:35 - Group 3 Pacers, IRT Bay Johnny Trotters (Sky Racing 1)

🐎 21:48 - Open Pacers G1m Ladyship Cup (Sky Racing 1)

🏑 23:00 - Men's Pro League - Spain v Belgium (Fox Sports)

⚽️ 23:30 - Premier League - Aston Villa v Arsenal (Optus Sport 1

⚽️ 23:30 - English Championship - Coventry City v Watford (BeIN Sports 2)

SUNDAY

⚽️ 06:45 - Italian Serie A - Genoa v Napoli (BeIN Sports 2)

⚽️ 07:00 - France Ligue 1 - Lens v Stade Rennais (BeIN Sports 3)

⚽️ 07:00 - Premier League - Manchester United v Everton (Optus Sport 1)

⚽️ 07:00 - Spanish La Liga - Sevilla v Getafe (BeIN Sports 1)

🏀 08:00 - NCAA - Virginia Cavaliers v Louisville Cardinals (ESPN 1)

🏀 09:00 - NBA - Sacramento Kings v Denver Nuggets (Sky Sports 2)

👊🏻 09:00 - UFC Fight Night Prelims (ESPN 2)

🚴🏼‍♀️ 10:00 - Australian Road Championships, National Women's U23 & Elite Road Race (Fox Sports)

🏀 10:00 - NCAA - Duke Blue Devils v North Carolina Tar Heels (ESPN 1)

🎾 11:00 - WTA Yarra Valley Classic, Final, Day 7 (Nine)

• 11:00 - WTA Gippsland Trophy, Final, Day 7 (Nine)

• 11:00 - WTA Grampians Trophy, Final, Day 5 (Nine)

🏀 12:00 - NBA - Philadelphia 76ers v Brooklyn Nets (SBS Viceland)

👊🏻 12:00 - UFC Fight Night Main Card - Alistair Overeem v Alexander Volkov (ESPN 2)

🏀 12:30 - NBA - Dallas Mavericks v Golden State Warriors (ESPN 1)

🚴🏼‍♀️ 13:00 - Australian Road Championships, Men's Elite Road Race (Fox Sports or SBS)

⚾️ 13:00 - ABL - Canberra Cavalry v Brisbane Bandits (Fox Sports)

🇦🇺 13:10 - AFLW - North Melb. Kangaroos Women v St Kilda Saints Women (Fox Footy or 7mate)

🏏 15:00 - Test Match - India v England (Fox Cricket)

🎾 15:00 - ATP Great Ocean Road Open, Final, Day 7 (Nine)

🎾 15:00 - ATP Murray River Open, Final, Day 7 (Nine)

🏀 15:00 - NBL - South East Melbourne Phoenix v The Hawks (SBS Viceland)

🇦🇺 15:10 - AFLW - Brisbane Lions Women v Geelong Cats Women (Fox Footy)

⚽️ 16:05 - A-League - Newcastle Jets v Melbourne City (Fox Sports)

🏀 17:00 - NBL - Melbourne United v Perth Wildcats (SBS Viceland)

🎾 17:30 - ATP Cup Final, Day 6 (GEM or Nine)

⚽️ 18:05 - W-League - Melbourne Victory Women v Newcastle Jets Women (Fox Sports More)

⚽️ 18:10 - A-League - Central Coast Mariners v Western United FC (Fox Sports)

⛳️ 19:30 - European Tour, Saudi International, Round 4 (Fox Sports)

⚽️ 22:30 - Italian Serie A - Benevento Calcio v Sampdoria (BeIN Sports 1)

⚽️ 22:30 - Indian Super League - Jamshedpur FC v SC East Bengal (Fox Sports)

⚽️ 23:00 - Scottish Premiership - Hamilton Academical v Rangers (BeIN Sports 3)

⚽️ 23:00 - Premier League - Tottenham v West Bromwich Albion (Optus Sport 1)

⚽️ 23:30 - FA Women's Super League - Manchester United Women v Reading Women (Optus Sport 2)