G'day sports fans,

Classic quote: "Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that." - Bill Shankly (Legendary Liverpool Manager)

In today's edition of Sport Journal:

🏌🏻‍♂️ Heart warming Adam Scott story

🏉 Breach of Lockdown rules reaction

🇦🇺 Prespakis named AFLW best-and-fairest

🏌🏻‍♂️ Golf

“It’s a story to warm the cockles of your heart in these troubled times.”

Adam Scott extending the kindness to a guy who considers him his best mate.

76-year-old Ross Campbell, who is suffering from seven brain tumours and believes 39-year-old professional golfer Adam Scott is his best mate.

Although wheelchair bound, Ross thinks he plays regular golf games with Adam, exchanges tips and joins him in beers at the Riverside Oaks club house.

His wife Pam says: “Ross thinks a shed on the property is the Riverside Oaks club house and he talks about Adam all the time, waiting for Adam’s call to play a round of golf.”

Adam readily agreed to phone Ross and, although initially surprised by Ross’s immediate familiarity, quickly settled in for a chat.

“You didn’t need me for the game yesterday?” asked Ross, a question which Adam gently deflected.

“He’s in a wheelchair and can hardly stand up but Adam must have sensed this and said he gets wobbly in his legs, too.”

“He’s always loved Adam Scott,” says Pam, “particularly because he is Australian.

“Adam sent him a video, showing him winning his trophy at the Masters in 2013.”

What about those side bets around the course? “Ross thinks the boys over at the club house owe him $55,000,” Pam says. “But in his mind Adam doesn’t owe him anything.”

With the phone call over, Pam thought she would spin out the joy, saying, “What about Adam Scott ringing you?”

Ross answered in his dismissive way: “What are you talking about? Of course Adam would call. He wants a game. He’s here at Riverside Oaks.”

“Many high profile athletes must get so many requests to put themselves out, yet Adam responded to my daughter’s request straight away. - says Pam

In the case of Adam Scott, with the PGA Tour suspended, he quickly reacted to a call from someone he had never met, a request from a daughter seeking a way to bring joy to her seriously ill father. (full story SMH)

🏉 NRL

NRL world’s mixed reaction to penalties

The NRL have been forced to defend their decision to enable Latrell Mitchell, Josh Addo-Carr and Nathan Cleary to escape immediate bans for social distancing breaches.

Interim CEO Andrew Abdo levied $48,000 worth of fines on Tuesday, but claimed players deserved one more chance before missing matches for bringing the game into disrepute.

NRL great Mark Geyer told Rush Hour: “Andrew Abdo (NRL interim CEO) had the perfect opportunity to come in and flex his muscle, but they have basically been slapped on the wrist with a feather”.

It is understood that this was Addo-Carr’s third breach of lockdown rules.

Latrell Mitchell and Josh Addo-Carr were also charged with firearms offences following their controversial weekend camp.

NSW Police confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that the duo had been charged and will face court in August, after Addo-Carr uploaded videos of him shooting a gun on social media.

Police will claim Mitchell gave a firearm to a person not authorised to use it, and he has now had his licence suspended and three guns seized by police. (Fox)

NRL reaches agreement with broadcasters Nine and Fox Sports for 20-round season

When the NRL returns on May 28, it will be for a 20-round season, with the league reaching an agreement with broadcast partners Nine and Fox Sports on key dates and the structure of the draw.

The agreement means that the 2020 NRL Grand Final will be played on October 25 - three weeks later than it was originally scheduled.

"Today is a landmark day for rugby league in 2020," Peter V'landys said in a statement.

Training will commence for all 16 clubs on May 4, with every NRL club to be subject to the league's stringent biosecurity measures.

After receiving government exemption, the New Zealand Warriors will fly in to Australia on Sunday and will serve their 14-day quarantine period in Tamworth ahead of the season.

Despite the NRL announcing its date for the 2020 Grand Final, the venue is still yet to be determined, given the overlap with the T20 World Cup. (nine)

🇦🇺 AFL

AFL stars told to be expected to isolate from families for up to 20 weeks in quarantine hubs

Players were notified of the league's intentions in a lengthy phone hook-up with AFL Players' Association CEO Paul Marsh on Tuesday. 

They were understood to be feeling a level of angst at the revelation.

In the AFL's restart plan, players would be put into one hub for eight weeks before being allowed a week's break with their families at home.

The first phase of the season would see clubs train for three weeks in a mini pre-season, before playing seven games each inside a five-week period. (nine)

Players could be back training within three weeks, and at least two Victorian clubs have told their players to prepare to play games as early as June 8.

In the fallout from the call, it was reported that 'angry' AFL players have reportedly threatened to “stand themselves down” from the rest of the 2020 season if their families can’t enter quarantine hubs with them.

Carlton's Madison Prespakis named AFLW best-and-fairest for 2020

Star Carlton midfielder Madison Prespakis has become the first teenager to collect the AFL women's best-and-fairest award.

Key points:

• Prespakis is the first teenager to win the football honour since Dick Reynolds in 1934

• Head of Women's Football Nicole Livingstone says Prespakis will be a "fantastic player for a long time to come"

• Isabel Huntington was named the winner of the AFLW Rising Star Award

Last year's rising star winner only got better in her second season, polling 15 votes to finish three ahead of Fremantle's tackling machine Kiara Bowers.

📈 Random AFL stats:

Nat Fyfe is the only player in the AFL era with more Brownlow votes than games played (excluding finals as you can’t poll votes in finals).

Tom Mitchell holds the AFL records for most total disposals in a 1 game stretch, 2 game stretch…all the way to at least 25 games.

Lance Franklin has kicked 944 goals in the AFL era, the most of any player in history. (r/AFL)

🐴 Racing

They knocked back millions for Kinane - what would you have done? 

Connections of the new boom horse Kinane knocked back a motza for the gelding, but did they do the right thing? asks racenet's Richard Callander.

Would you have taken $2.5m for Kinane?

Kinane, the three-year-old Gelding by Reliable Man who has had four starts for two wins and won prize-money of $102,990.

The offer was as genuine as the gold in the Royal Australian Mint and, if it had been accepted Kinane would have been off to Honkers.

There are a lot of questions to answer moving forward.

Who knows, after the SA Derby he might be worth $4m. Then again he might get beaten and only be worth $400,000. (racenet)

⚽️ Football

Starting XI Development Committee

Eleven of the most experienced and learned minds in Australian football will come together, under the auspices of FFA’s Football Development Committee (FDC), to create a new Panel to discuss and debate the growth and development of Australian football.

The Panel, to be known as the Starting XI, will act in an advisory capacity on technical and development matters to the FDC.

The inaugural members of the Starting XI, who will serve an initial two-year term on a voluntary basis, are:

Mark Viduka, Josip Skoko, Clare Polkinghorne, Ron Smith, Mark Bosnich, Paul Okon, Frank Farina, Heather Garriock, Vicki Linton, Joey Peters, and Connie Selby.

🤦🏻‍♂️ Own Goals

Nothing gets cheered by fans quite like an own goal (except perhaps the ref getting hit with the ball or a mascot falling over, which both sets of fans can enjoy).

Beat those lockdown blues, by watching these classic Own Goals from the Premier League, featuring big hitters, such as Gareth Bale, Jamie Carragher, Phil Jones! (Watch on YouTube)

🏉 Rugby

Upcoming documentary on the Springboks 2019 RWC triumph

With unique access and exclusive contributions from coaching staff, players and commentators, the documentary is the story of how a team, a nation and the world came to discover that we are all indeed stronger together.