🗞 It is "heartbreaking" to have retired

June 03, 2021

G'day sports fans,

Classic quote: "This has been a team effort. No one or two guys could have done all this." Casey Stengel, (Baseball) after the Mets lost 120 games in their inaugural season in 1962

In today's edition of Sport Journal:

🇦🇺 Friday Night Lights

🏉 Burgess set for comeback

🎾 Barty withdraws

🇦🇺 AFL

The AFL enters somewhat of an unknown period. On the plus side, for the second week in a row, we are are being treating to another blockbuster on a Friday night.

🏟 Melbourne v Brisbane Lions: The Melbourne Demons are the new Premiership favourites after their commanding 28 point victory over the Western Bulldogs last Friday night.

The Brisbane Lions put together their seventh win on the trot when they comfortably accounted for the GWS Giants at the Gabba on Saturday afternoon to the tune of 64 points.

Now firmly entrenched in the top 4, Brisbane has rocketed to equal-second favourite in the AFL Premiership market.

🏟 St Kilda v Sydney Swans: St Kilda bounced back from their 111 point loss to the Western Bulldogs in Round 10 with a 20 point win over North Melbourne at the weekend, however they were far from convincing.

The Swans have been the surprise packets so far this season and currently sit in sixth position.

The teams are in!

A furious Eddie McGuire says he’s “sick of being called a liar”, insisting he has nothing to do with Jeff Browne’s attempt to overthrow Mark Korda as Collingwood president. (Fox)

Collingwood has more challenges to navigate in the fallout of last year's trade period, according to new head of football Graham Wright.

St Kilda are no longer in contention for Tayla Harris, who now is likely to request a trade to Melbourne to continue her AFLW career next season. (WAToday)

West Coast's depth will be put to the ultimate test in Sunday's clash with Carlton at the SCG after coach Adam Simpson revealed he could lose up to five players for the match. (AFL)

Tim Kelly (knee) and Oscar Allen (concussion) were casualties from last week's loss to Essendon, with the pair joining Luke Shuey, Jeremy McGovern, Alex Witherden and Liam Duggan on the injury list.

Simpson revealed on Thursday that another three players might be joining the casualty ward.

🏉 NRL

St George Illawarra fullback Matt Dufty scored two tries and set up five more as the Red V overpowered Brisbane 52-24 at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium on Thursday night.

It was the first time the Dragons had hit 50 since a 54-8 win over the Titans in round three of 2018.

Dufty was asked after the match about the club's decision to part ways with him, which he admits left him feeling heartbroken.

"It rattled me and it was a bit heartbreaking, but I put it aside and all I wanted to do was put on a good performance for the fans and our team."

Jack de Belin made his NRL return on Thursday in the Dragons’ big win over the Broncos. Question marks surfaced early, however, but it was promising and he left the field ‘in tears’. (Fox)

A rejuvenated George Burgess has spoken out about whispers of a potential NRL comeback with the Dragons. (nine)

For everything you need to know ahead of Game 1 of the 2021 State of Origin series, check out the Ultimate Guide.

⚽️ Football

⚽️ Adelaide United have secured their place in the A-League finals with battling 2-2 draw against a 10-man Western Sydney Wanderers at Coopers Stadium.

The draw ensures the Reds will play finals football but they won't know their position on the table until the conclusion of the Macarthur-Wellington fixture on Friday night.

👨🏻‍🏫 Ange Postecoglou could be forced to wait weeks to take charge of matches or training if appointed manager of Scottish giants Celtic due to a lack of relevant UEFA qualifications. (SBS)

🚘 Sergio Aguero gave away his car to one of Man City's kit men who won it in a raffle, before he left Manchester for Barcelona.

🔁 Real Madrid will sign France forward Kylian Mbappe, 22, from Paris St-Germain, who will then sign Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 36, from Juventus, with Argentine striker Mauro Icardi, 28, going from PSG to Juve. (La Gazzetta dello Sport, via Mail)

💰 Have a spare couple of million hanging around? why not buy a digital token (NFT), that also gives the owner a 1.5% share in a Mexican soccer club.

Mexican Football? pah! Well, in the U.S. alone, more people watch [Mexican soccer league] Liga MX than Major League Soccer and the Premier League combined 🤯

You'll be joining current investors like; Mesut Özil, Eva Longoria, Kate Upton and others. Who own shares in the club, Club Necaxa. (Bloomberg)

🎾 French Open

🎾 World number one Ashleigh Barty says it is "heartbreaking" to have retired injured from her second-round French Open match against Magda Linette.

The 2019 champion had strapping on her left thigh and said she felt it was "unsafe" to continue when she stopped the match at 6-1 2-2 down.

After Karolina Pliskova's straight-set defeat by Sloane Stephens, there are five top 10 seeds left in the draw.

Barty revealed that a left hip problem had flared up at the weekend.

"I just tried to give myself a chance and see how it felt. It got worse today and it was becoming at the stage where it was unsafe. As hard as it is, it had to be done," she said.

Barty said the injury was a new one and that she has "a plan" to manage it, adding that she hopes to be back in time for Wimbledon on 28 June.

"I've had my fair share of tears this week," she continued.

"There will be a silver lining in this eventually. Once I find out what that is, it'll make me feel a little bit better."

🎾 Swiss eighth seed Roger Federer regained his composure during a heated battle with Croatia's Marin Cilic to reach the French Open third round.

Federer, 39, had some testy exchanges with the umpire on his way to a 6-2 2-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 win on the Paris clay.

Top seed Novak Djokovic produced a focused performance to reach the third round for a 16th consecutive year.

The 34-year-old Serb won 6-3 6-2 6-4 in his first career meeting with tricky Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas.

Djokovic will face Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis, ranked 93rd in the world, in the last 32.

The 18-time Grand Slam champion is aiming for a second title in Paris to follow up his sole win in 2016.

🌍 World Sport

🏀 The Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks will meet in the Eastern Conference semi-finals after both wrapped up emphatic first-round series victories.

The 76ers won 4-1 against the Washington Wizards, while the Hawks beat the New York Knicks 4-1.

In the Western Conference, Utah Jazz advanced past the Memphis Grizzlies with a 4-1 series win.

They will face the Los Angeles Clippers or the Dallas Mavericks next.

The Mavericks currently lead the best-of-seven series 3-2, with Slovenian Luka Doncic scoring 42 points in their 105-100 victory on Wednesday.

🥇 Tokyo 2020 president Seiko Hashimoto is "100%" certain the Olympics will go ahead, but warned the Games "must be prepared" to proceed without spectators in the event of a coronavirus outbreak.

There are 50 days until the delayed Tokyo Games begin on 23 July.

Japan is dealing with a fourth wave of coronavirus cases, with 10 areas of the country under a state of emergency.

🏏 England made strides towards a first-Test fightback on an entertaining second day against New Zealand at Lord's.

The home side recovered from 18-2 to close on 111-2, 267 behind New Zealand's 378 all out.

The tourists' total included 200 from Devon Conway, who became only the seventh man to make a double century on Test debut.

🐴 Racing

🐴 Queensland Oaks: The Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival marches on this Saturday at Eagle Farm with the running of the Group 1 Queensland Oaks between the three-year-olds.

A quality field of 14 fillies will line up with $600,000 on the line, while the Group 2 Moreton Cup also shapes as a fascinating race between the sprinters.

🐴 Invincible Caviar will make her debut Flemington on Saturday, just like her mum, Black Caviar did!

Brian Higgins has first crack at getting Black Caviar’s latest foal over the line in Saturday’s Phillip Jacobsen Sprint (1100m) (Race 4), down the Flemington straight course on Saturday.

Back on Monday!

📺 Live sport 👇🏼

🏌🏼‍♀️ 07:30 - US Women's Open, Round 1 (Fox Sports )

⚽️ 08:00 - CONMEBOL WC Qualifier - Uruguay v Paraguay (BeIN Sports 1)

🏒 09:30 - NHL Conference Semifinals - New York Islanders v Boston Bruins (ESPN 2)

⚾️ 09:40 - MLB - Milwaukee Brewers v Arizona Diamondbacks (Sky Sports 3)

⚽️ 10:00 - CONMEBOL WC Qualifier - Argentina v Chile (BeIN Sports 1)

⚽️ 12:00 - CONMEBOL WC Qualifier - Peru v Colombia (BeIN Sports 1)

⛹🏻‍♀️ 12:00 - WNBA - Phoenix Mercury v Chicago Sky (SBS on Demand or SBS Viceland)

⚾️ 12:10 - MLB - San Diego Padres v New York Mets (Sky Sports 3)

🏉 17:05 - Super Rugby Trans-Tasman - Crusaders v Western Force (Stan Sport)

🏍 17:55 - Catalunya MotoGP Practice 1, Round 7 (Fox Sports More)

🏎 18:30 - Formula 1 Azerbaijan Practice 1, Round 6 (Fox Sports)

🎾 19:00 - French Open, Round 3, Day 6 (GEM, Nine or Stan Sport)

⚽️ 19:05 - A-League - Macarthur FC Bulls v Wellington Phoenix (Fox Sports)

🏉 19:45 - Super Rugby Trans-Tasman - Queensland Reds v Blues (Stan Sport)

🇦🇺 19:50 - AFL - Melbourne Demons v Brisbane Lions (Fox Footy or 7mate)

🏉 19:55 - NRL - Wests Tigers v Penrith Panthers (Fox League or Nine)

🏏 20:00 - Test Match - England v New Zealand (Fox Cricket)

🏎 20:30 - Formula 2 Azerbaijan Qualifying, Round 3 (Fox Sports)

🏀 21:30 - NBL - Perth Wildcats v Melbourne United (ESPN 1 or SBS on Demand)

🏎 22:00 - Formula 1 Azerbaijan Practice 2, Round 6 (Fox Sports)

🏍 22:10 - Catalunya MotoGP Practice 2, Round 7 (Fox Sports More)

🚴🏼‍♀️ 22:20 - Critérium du Dauphiné, Stage 6 (GCN, SBS on Demand or SBS Viceland)

SATURDAY

🏌🏼‍♀️ 07:00 - US Women's Open, Round 2 (Fox Sports)

⚾️ 09:05 - MLB - New York Yankees v Boston Red Sox (ESPN 2 or Sky Sports 3)

⚽️ 10:30 - CONMEBOL WC Qualifier - Brazil v Ecuador (BeIN Sports 1)

⚾️ 11:45 - MLB - San Francisco Giants v Chicago Cubs (Sky Sports 3)

🏒 12:00 - NHL Conference Semifinals - Vegas Golden Knights v Colorado Avalanche (ESPN 2)

🇦🇺13:45 - AFL - Sydney Swans v St. Kilda Saints (Fox Footy or 7)

⛹🏻‍♀️15:00 - Super Netball - Collingwood Magpies Netball v West Coast Fever (Nine)

🏉 15:05 - Shute Shield - Gordon Rugby v Eastwood Rugby (Stan Sport)

🏉 15:05 - Shute Shield - Warringah Rugby v Manly Rugby (Stan Sport)

🏉 15:05 - Shute Shield - Randwick Rugby v Sydney University Rugby (Stan Sport)

⚽️ 15:05 - A-League - Brisbane Roar v Sydney FC (Fox Sports)

🏉 15:35 - Shute Shield - Eastern Suburbs Rugby v Northern Districts (Stan Sport)

🐴 15:53 - Group 1, Queensland Oaks, 2,200m - SW, 3YO Fillies (Sky Racing 1 or 7TWO)

🇦🇺16:35 - AFL - Adelaide Crows v Collingwood Magpies (Fox Footy)

🏉 17:05 - Super Rugby Trans-Tasman - Highlanders v NSW Waratahs (Stan Sport)

⚽️ 17:05 - A-League - Central Coast Mariners v Western United FC (Fox Sports)

🏀17:30 - NBL - New Zealand Breakers v South East Melbourne Phoenix (SBS on Demand or SBS Viceland)

🏍 17:55 - Catalunya MotoGP Practice 3, Round 7 (Fox Sports More)

🏎 19:00 - Formula 1 Azerbaijan Practice 3, Round 6 (Fox Sports)

🎾 19:00 - French Open, Round 3, Day 7 (GEM, Nine or Stan Sport)

⚽️ 19:10 - A-League - Newcastle Jets v Perth Glory (Fox Sports)

🐎 19:20 - Group 3 Pacers, Best In Beds JD Watts Memorial (Sky Racing 1)

🏉 19:35 - NRL - Melbourne Storm v Gold Coast Titans (Fox League)

🇦🇺19:40 - AFL - Essendon Bombers v Richmond Tigers (Fox Footy or 7mate)

🏉 19:45 - Super Rugby Trans-Tasman - Brumbies v Hurricanes (Stan Sport)

🏏 20:00 - Test Match - England v New Zealand (Fox Cricket)

🏀20:00 - NBL - Sydney Kings v Brisbane Bullets (ESPN 1 or SBS on Demand)

🚴🏼‍♂️ 21:20 - Critérium du Dauphiné, Stage 7 (GCN, SBS on Demand or SBS Viceland)

🏍 21:30 - Catalunya MotoGP Practice 4, Round 7 (Fox Sports More)

🏎 22:00 - Formula 1 Azerbaijan Qualifying, Round 6 (Fox Sports)

⛳️ 22:00 - European Tour, European Open, Round 1 (Fox Sports)

🏍 22:35 - Catalunya MotoGP Qualifying 2, Round 7 (Fox Sports More)

🚘 23:00 - 24 Hour Nurburgring Race, Part 1BeIN Sports 1

🏉 23:30 - Challenge Cup Semi-Final - Hull FC v St HelensFox League

SUNDAY

🐴 07:42 - Group 1, Belmont Stakes, 1,810m (Sky Racing 1)

👊🏻 09:00 - UFC Fight Night Main Card - Jairzinho Rozenstruik v Augusto Sakai (ESPN 2)

⚾️ 09:15 - MLB - Atlanta Braves v Los Angeles Dodgers (Sky Sports 3)

🏒 09:15 - NHL Conference Semifinals - New York Islanders v Boston Bruins (ESPN 1)

⚾️ 12:10 - MLB - San Diego Padres v New York Mets (Sky Sports 3)

⛹🏻‍♀️ 13:00 - Super Netball - Giants Netball v NSW Swifts (Nine)

🏉 13:30 - NSW Cup - North Sydney Bears v Blacktown Workers (Fox League)

🏉 13:35 - Super Rugby Trans-Tasman - Chiefs v Rebels (Stan Sport)

⛹🏻‍♀️ 15:00 - Super Netball - Sunshine Coast Lightning v Queensland Firebirds (Telstra TV)

🏀15:00 - NBL - Melbourne United v Adelaide 36ers (SBS on Demand or SBS Viceland)

🇦🇺15:20 - AFL - Carlton Blues v West Coast Eagles (Fox Footy)

🚘 16:00 - 24 Hour Nurburgring Race, Part 3 (BeIN Sports 1)

🏉 16:05 - NRL - Newcastle Knights v Parramatta Eels (Fox League or Nine)

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

🐴 16:40 - Group 1, Yasuda Kinen, 1,600m (Sky Racing 2)

⛹🏻‍♀️ 17:45 - Super Netball - Melbourne Vixens v Adelaide Thunderbirds (Telstra TV)

🇦🇺18:40 - AFL - Fremantle Dockers v Western Bulldogs (Fox Footy)

🏎 18:45 - Formula 2 Azerbaijan Race 3, Round 3 (Fox Sports)

🎾 19:00 - French Open, Round 4, Day 8 (GEM, Nine or Stan Sport)

⛳️ 20:00 - European Tour, European Open, Round 2 (Fox Sports)

🏏 20:00 - Test Match - England v New Zealand (Fox Cricket)

🏍 21:00 - Catalunya MotoGP Race, Round 7 (10 Bold, Fox Sports More)

🏍 21:30 - GP Italy, Round 2, Day 2 (Fox Sports)

🚘 21:30 - 24 Hour Nurburgring Race, Part 4 (BeIN Sports 1)

🏎 22:00 - Formula 1 Azerbaijan Race, Round 6 (Fox Sports)

🚴🏼‍♀️ 22:10 - Critérium du Dauphiné, Stage 8 (GCN, SBS on Demand or SBS Viceland)

🏍 22:30 - Catalunya Moto2 Race, Round 7 (Fox Sports More)