G'day sports fans,

Classic quote: "It was like a supermodel sitting in a bar and no one ever asked her on a date. I guess you could say Brian Lara is our supermodel. We just went up and asked him and he said yes." - Darren Wilton from the Bennett Hotel Centurions, a New South Wales cricket team, on how they got Brian Lara to sign with them by approaching him at a Sydney pub.

🍺 Only a brief Sport Journal today, as I feel like I've been scraped off a shoe. Normal service will resume next week!

In today's edition of Sport Journal:

🏆 The 2021 Sport Predictor Comp (win sport journal merch)

🏏 Pucovski to make debut

⚽️ The great unbundling of Australian Football

🎉 2021 SPORT PREDICTOR COMP

We've put together a list of the biggest sporting events in 2021.

Now its up to you to predict the outcomes!

Enter below, it's free to play and you could win Sport Journal Merch!

• Enter your email (so we can contact you if you win)

• Name

• Then select you predictions from the list of choices for each event

• Don't forget to hit submit 

It covers all the big sporting events of the year ahead;

• 🎾 Australian Open

• 🏅 Olympics

• 🇦🇺 Grand Finals

• 🏉 Rugby League World Cup

• 🏏 T20 World Cup

Please share with your mates. Just forward this email or copy and paste this link in a message Sport Journal.

🏏 Cricket

History on Pucovski's side as he returns to Test squad

Young Victorian looking to make his Test debut next week as selectors wait on the fitness of both he and David Warner.

Will Pucovski's ability to bounce back from numerous concussions with tons of runs could give selectors confidence he is ready to make his Test debut against India in Sydney.

Pucovski is set to re-join Australia's Test squad on Thursday night for the first time in three-and-a-half weeks after being felled by a short ball in a tour match against India.

🏆 ICC Awards

• Virat Kohli wins the Sir Garfield Sobers Award for ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade (20,396 runs)

• Ellyse Perry wins the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Award for ICC Female Cricketer of the Decade

• Steve Smith is ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Decade

• Virat Kohli is ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade

• Ellyse Perry is ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade

• Rashid Khan is ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Decade

• Ellyse Perry is ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Decade

• Kyle Coetzer is ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Decade

• Kathryn Bryce is ICC Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Decade

• MS Dhoni wins ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade

⚽️ Football

Australian Professional Leagues to be unbundled

More than three years after FIFA peacekeepers were sent to intervene in Australian soccer's civil war, the long-awaited ''unbundling'' deal has finally been ratified.

Football Australia and the newly formed Australian Professional Leagues (APL) today announced that terms have been agreed to ‘unbundle’ the A-League, Westfield W-League and Y-League (‘Professional Leagues’) from Football Australia.

As part of the unbundling, the APL will also obtain the exclusive right to use the intellectual property rights associated with the E-League brand.

One interesting point; Under the agreement, FA will have the final say on the timing of the A League and W-League seasons, expansion, contraction, club licensing criteria and how clubs will be granted access to the top domestic and international competitions - although the intention is for the APL to be involved in a meaningful consultation process on all of those points. So it's not all-change. (SMH)

Internationals out of contract in 2021

Can you see any of these coming to the newly un-bundled A-League: Sergio Aguero, Lionel Messi, David Alaba, Memphis Depay, Sergio Ramos, Angel Di Maria, Olivier Giroud, Julian Draxler.

⛳️ Golf

🐴 Racing

Racing year in review: One constant, a new Legend and an Elleegant future — www.smh.com.au

Racing was the one sport able to keep going throughout 2020 and the sport of kings had no shortage of fairytale successes.

Magic Millions: Jockeys blasts quarantine double standards as Test cricketers get travel exemptions — www.racenet.com.au

The boss of the Australian Jockeys’ Association says it is “totally illogical” and “utterly bizarre” that Sydney jockeys are being forced to quarantine to ride on Gold Coast Magic Millions day, given Test cricketers have been granted travel exemptions for the Gabba Test.

🏉 NRL

Andrew Davey's heartbreaking climb to realising NRL dream

Andrew Davey has a message for all: never give up on your dreams.

The 29-year-old second-rower from Mackay was sick of family and friends telling him to give up on his dreams of becoming an NRL player.

But he got his break in the 2020 NRL season when he got to run out with the Parramatta Eels in round 10.

This led to a life-changing call from his manager after round 18.

His manager told him he had been offered a two-year contract with Manly, and finally had been offered the money he had been waiting a lifetime for.

All he wanted was to be able to support himself and his partner.

"When my manager rang me and told me what money I was on [with Manly], I was thinking, 'How good!'" Davey told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"I am going to be an NRL player and get to have my partner and be in a financial position to support her. Finally, I had had a win."

But in an awful blow, Davey's partner — whom he had been separated from physically for seven months due to COVID-19 — broke it off with him.

"I proved I was worth it. I proved that I was capable of being an NRL player. But then I lost my partner on top of it.

"I was always a battler just for an opportunity, and finally I was given something of worth so I could have my life all together ... but COVID-19 took its toll.

"I keep saying to people this has been the best and worst year of my life."

🇦🇺 AFL

The record for the most consecutive bounces by a player in an AFL game? (7)

The Best Of 2020: Outstanding marks of the season — www.afl.com.au

Walsh, Hill, Wood, Cameron and many more speccies from the 2020 Toyota AFL Premiership Season

🇺🇸 USA

🏀 The Milwaukee Bucks made an NBA-record 29 three-pointers in their 144-97 romp over the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat, in what was their biggest road win.

🎂 LeBron James celebrated his 36th birthday in style.

Not only did he top score for the Los Angeles Lakers in a 121-107 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, but his 26 points marked another milestone for James.

He has now gone 1,000 consecutive games with a personal score of 10 points or more. The last time he made a single digit score was January 5 in 2007, when he made eight points against the Milwaukee Bucks.

James passed Michael Jordan in March 2018 to take the number one spot on the all-time list with 867 consecutive games of at least 10 points.

📺 Live sport

TODAY

🏀 10:30 - NBA Regular Season - Orlando Magic v Philadelphia 76ers (NBA League Pass or Sky Sports 2)

🏀 11:00 - NCAA Men's Regular Season - Maryland Terrapins v Michigan Wolverines (ESPN 2)

🏀 13:00 - NBA Regular Season - Utah Jazz v Phoenix Suns (NBA League Pass or Sky Sports 2)

⚾️ 19:00 - ABL Regular Season - Melbourne Aces v Perth Heat (Fox Sports More)

🏏 19:15 - Big Bash League - Melbourne Renegades v Sydney Thunder (Fox Cricket)

🎯 23:00 - PDC World Championship Quarter-Finals, Day 14 (Fox Sports)

SATURDAY

🏈 04:00 - Peach Bowl - Cincinnati Bearcats v Georgia Bulldogs (ESPN 2)

⚽️ 04:30 - Premier League - Everton v West Ham United (Optus Sport 1)

⚽️ 04:30 - English Championship - Sheffield Wednesday v Derby County (BeIN Sports 2)

🎯 05:00 - PDC World Championship - PDC World Championship Quarter-Finals (Fox Sports)

🏈05:00 - Citrus Bowl - Northwestern Wildcats v Auburn Tigers (ESPN 1)

🏉 06:45 - Premiership Rugby - Bristol Bears v Newcastle Falcons (Fox Sports More)

🏉 06:45 - Premiership Rugby - Worcester Warriors v Harlequins (Fox Sports)

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

🏈 09:00 - CFP Playoff Semi-Final - Alabama Crimson Tide v Notre Dame Fighting Irish (ESPN 2)

🏈 12:00 - CFP Playoff Semi-Final - Clemson Tigers v Ohio State Buckeyes (ESPN 2)

🏀 12:00 - NBA Regular Season - San Antonio Spurs v Los Angeles Lakers (ESPN 1 or Sky Sports 2)

🏀 14:30 - NBA Regular Season - Golden State Warriors v Portland Trail Blazers (NBA League Pass, SBS Viceland or Sky Sports 2)

🏏 17:05 - Big Bash League - Hobart Hurricanes v Melbourne Stars (Fox Cricket)

⚽️ 17:05 - A-League - Wellington Phoenix v Sydney FC (ABC, Fox Sports)

⚾️ 19:00 - ABL Regular Season - Melbourne Aces v Perth Heat (Fox Sports More)

⚽️ 19:05 - W-League - W. Syd. Wanderers Women v Newcastle Jets Women (Kayo Sports)

⚽️ 19:10 - A-League Regular Season - Melbourne Victory v Brisbane Roar (Fox Sports)

🏏 20:15 - Big Bash League - Brisbane Heat v Sydney Sixers (Fox Cricket)

🐴 20:31 - Group 1Silver Chief, 525m (Sky Racing 1)

🐎 20:55 - Group 3 Pacers, Condell Park Produce Pace, 1,609m (Sky Racing 1)

⚽️ 21:05 - W-League - Perth Glory Women v Melbourne Victory Women (Kayo Sports)

⚽️ 23:30 - Scottish Premiership - Rangers v Celtic (BeIN Sports 2)

⚽️ 23:30 - Premier League - Tottenham v Leeds United (Optus Sport 1)

SUNDAY

⚽️ 00:00 - Spanish La Liga - Villarreal v Levante (BeIN Sports 1)

🏉 01:00 - Premiership Rugby - Wasps v Exeter Chiefs (Fox Sports)

⚽️ 01:00 - Indian Super League - Mumbai City v Kerala Blasters (Fox Sports More)

⚽️ 01:30 - German Bundesliga - Eintracht Frankfurt v Bayer Leverkusen (BeIN Sports 3)

⚽️ 02:00 - Premier League - Crystal Palace v Sheffield United (Optus Sport 1)

⚽️ 02:00 - English Championship - Brentford v Bristol City (BeIN Sports 2)

⚽️ 02:15 - Spanish La Liga - Real Betis v Sevilla (BeIN Sports 1)

🏉 03:30 - Premiership Rugby - Gloucester Rugby v Sale Sharks (Fox Sports)

⚽️ 04:30 - German Bundesliga - Hertha Berlin v Schalke 04 (BeIN Sports 3)

⚽️ 04:30 - Premier League - Brighton & Hove Albion v Wolverhampton Wanderers (Optus Sport 1)

⚽️ 04:30 - Spanish La Liga - Getafe v Real Valladolid (BeIN Sports 1)

🏈 04:30 - Outback Bowl - Indiana Hoosiers v Ole Miss Rebels (ESPN 2)

🎯 05:00 - PDC World Championship Semi-Finals, Night 15 (Fox Sports)

⚽️ 06:30 - German Bundesliga - VfB Stuttgart v RB Leipzig (BeIN Sports 3)

⚽️ 06:45 - English Championship - Stoke City v Bournemouth (BeIN Sports 2)

⚽️ 07:00 - Premier League - West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal (Optus Sport 1)

⚽️ 07:00 - Spanish La Liga - Real Madrid v Celta Vigo (BeIN Sports 1)

🥊 07:00 - Lightweight Title - Ryan Garcia v Luke Campbell (DAZN)

🏈 08:00 - Fiesta Bowl - Iowa State Cyclones v Oregon Ducks (ESPN 2)

🏏 09:00 - Test Match - New Zealand v Pakistan (Fox Cricket)

🏀 09:00 - NBA Regular Season - Houston Rockets v Sacramento Kings (NBA League Pass or Sky Sports 2)

🏀 11:30 - NBA Regular Season - New Orleans Pelicans v Toronto Raptors (ESPN 1 or Sky Sports 2)

🏈 12:00 - Orange Bowl - Texas A&M Aggies v North Carolina Tar Heels (ESPN 2)

⚾️ 13:00 - ABL Regular Season - Melbourne Aces v Perth Heat (Fox Sports More)

🏏 15:25 - Test Match - New Zealand v Pakistan (Fox Sports)

🏏 16:05 - Big Bash League - Perth Scorchers v Melbourne Renegades (Fox Cricket)

⚽️ 16:05 - A-League - Macarthur FC Bulls v Central Coast Mariners (Fox Sports)

⚽️ 16:05 - W-League - Canberra United Women v Melbourne City Women (Fox Sports)

⚽️ 18:05 - A-League Regular Season - Adelaide United v Melbourne City (Fox Sports)

🏏 19:00 - Test Match - South Africa v Sri Lanka (Fox Sports)

🏏 19:15 - Big Bash League - Adelaide Strikers v Sydney Sixers (Fox Cricket, Kayo Sports or 7)

⚽️ 22:30 - Italian Serie A - Inter Milan v FC Crotone (BeIN Sports 1)

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

🏏 22:50 - Test Match - South Africa v Sri Lanka (Fox Cricket)

⚽️ 23:00 - Premier League - Burnley v Fulham (Optus Sport 1)