πŸ—ž Messi & Ronaldo on the same team?

G'day sports fans,

Classic quote: β€œHonestly, I ate nothing else in all my time out in China except chicken nuggets,” Usain Bolt estimates he ate 1,000 McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets during the Beijing Olympics.

In today's edition of Sport Journal:

πŸ‡¦πŸ‡Ί Costs increase

πŸ‰ Bio-Bubbles are back

πŸƒπŸΎβ€β™‚οΈ Of course Usain Bolt named his son Thunder

πŸ… Weird World Records

Another one that I think the Sport journal readership would be world class at!

Most drinks cans place on the body using air suction: 20

πŸ‡¦πŸ‡Ί AFL

✈️ The Sydney Swans and the GWS Giants have temporarily moved players and football staff to Victoria amid concerns over possible border closures because of COVID-19 cases in NSW.

Key points:

  • The AFL informed the Swans and Giants they would be required to travel to Melbourne on Tuesday evening

  • Sunday's match between GWS and Hawthorn has been relocated to the MCG

  • The Swans are due to play the Power at Adelaide Oval on Sunday

πŸ’° AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan told the 18 club presidents on Tuesday that the latest COVID-19 outbreak had increased the costs of running the competition by $15m - a figure that did not take into account lost revenue through reduced or lost crowds or other game-related revenues

🏟 Crowds of up to 25,000 will be allowed at the MCG and Marvel Stadium this weekend, per @superfooty

πŸ—£ AFL 360 co-host Mark Robinson has called on Geelong captain Joel Selwood to front the media to address two contentious on-field actions during his side’s thrilling win against the Western Bulldogs last Friday.

Selwood was fined a combined $3000 for the actions, one of which saw him make contact with the face of Bailey Dale and the other him trampling on the leg of Taylor Duryea.

πŸ‰ NRL

πŸ€• Harry Grant has a slim chance of making his return for Queensland for Origin III on July 14.

😷 The NRL has brought back its stage three biosecurity protocols for players amid the COVID-19 cluster in NSW.

Under the restrictions, players are not to leave their homes unless it's for training and team duties or to buy essentials.

Weidler also revealed earlier that the NRL staff working on Sunday's Origin clash would be rushed into Brisbane today.

With Origin Game II taking over the weekend, all NRL clubs are on a break, which means the biosecurity protocols won't apply to players from Sydney clubs who are on leave outside of the city.

πŸ‘‹πŸΌ Former Country Origin forward Joel Thompson, is set to retire despite having a year left on his contract, with St Helens in the UK.

The 32-year-old has told the Saints that his body is starting to let him down and he has personal matters back home to attend to at the end of this season.

⚽️ Football

πŸ… Out of a list of worthy contenders, only one head coach can be honoured as the best of the 2020/21 campaign at the Dolan Warren awards on tonight.

  • Warren Moon - Brisbane Roar

  • Patrick Kisnorbo - Melbourne City

  • Alen Stajcic - Central Coast Mariners

🀝 Barcelona president, Joan the Gate (Joan Laporta) dreams of pairing Cristiano Ronaldo with Lionel Messi next season and is ready to offer two players in exchange to help persuade Juventus to sell the 36-year-old Portugal forward. (AS - in Spanish)

πŸ’° Manchester City are ready to include Brazil striker Gabriel Jesus, 24, and England forward Raheem Sterling, 26, in any bid for 27-year-old England striker Harry Kane, who Tottenham value in the region of Β£150m. (Times)

πŸ™‹πŸ»β€β™‚οΈ Jarredd Gillett is to become the first Aussie referee in the Premier League.

🏏 Cricket

πŸ“Ί on Twitter

Former Australia spinner Stuart MacGill has said his alleged kidnapping and assault has taken a major toll on his family.

Four people, including the brother of MacGill's partner Maria O'Meagher, have been charged over the incident, which took place on 14 April.

"It's hurt my family, and I know that a lot of people don't really know what's going on," MacGill, 50, said.

Referring to himself and his partner, he added: "But I can put both of us in the same boat too. We don't know what's going on."

Police said MacGill had introduced his partner's brother to a reputed drug dealer, known to authorities as "Sonny", before his alleged abduction.

MacGill, who worked as a manager at a Sydney restaurant owned by his partner, said they introduced people "all the time" through work.

MacGill waited five days to report the incident but police said he was "purely" a victim.

The former spin bowler has since told Channel Nine he "wasn't thinking particularly clearly in those first couple of days".

"I know that I have done nothing wrong, Maria has done nothing wrong," the former cricketer told Australian broadcaster Channel Nine.

"If people choose to think something contrary to what's been presented by both myself and the police, then that's up to them."

MacGill, a Test spinner for Australia between 1998 and 2008, sustained minor injuries in the alleged incident but did not require medical care, police said following arrests made in May.

What do police say happened?

Police allege MacGill had been approached and confronted in the Sydney suburb of Cremorne one evening by a 46-year-old man he knew.

Two other men then appeared and the group forced the ex-cricketer into a car.

He was driven to a remote site in Bringelly, on the city's outskirts, where he was allegedly assaulted and threatened at gunpoint by the "criminal gang", police said.

After about an hour, he was driven to the south-west suburb of Belmore and released.

Authorities said no money was handed over or obtained in the course of the attack, but the kidnapping attempt had been financially motivated.

🌍 World Sport

πŸ€ The 2021 NBA Playoffs were an absolute nightmare for Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers.

According to a number of reports, the occasional Aussie might be on the way out of Pennsylvania after amassing a grand total of 19 points across the final three games against Atlanta.

But just who would be interested in a guard with a US$29m per season salary, whose last three pointer came in a Four’n’Twenty ad?

Simmons is doubtful to play for Australia in Tokyo Olympics, sources said. Will spend offseason working on skill development. Aussies scheduled to begin training this week in L.A.

πŸ‹πŸ»β€β™‚οΈ New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard to become first transgender athlete to compete at Olympics. Hubbard is set to make history by competing in the super-heavyweight 87+kg category next month.

πŸ‘ΆπŸ» Usain Bolt welcomed twin boys into the world, and named one of them Thunder Bolt.

πŸ³οΈβ€πŸŒˆ Raiders Defensive End, Carl Nassib has become the first openly gay active NFL player. He made an announcement on Monday. Coach Jon Gruden "I learned a long time ago what makes a different if what makes a man great". (Instagram)

πŸ€ One of the hottest free agents in the NBL market is off the table, with South East Melbourne fan favourite Kyle Adnam re-signing with the Phoenix for another two years.

πŸƒπŸΎβ€β™‚οΈTrayvon Bromell blasted to victory in the 100m at the US Olympic track and field trials on Monday, sealing his ticket to Tokyo with a wire-to-wire win in 9.80 seconds.

⚾️ Ronal Acuna Jr hit his 100th career home run. It took him 378 career games. The 6th-fewest for everyone that has hit the milestone. Future HOF.

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TODAY

⚾️ 09:10 - MLB - Tampa Bay Rays v Boston Red Sox (Sky Sports 3)

⚽️ 09:30 - MLS - Orlando City SC v San Jose Earthquakes (BeIN Sports 2)

πŸ“Ί 10:30 - NBA Draft Lottery (ESPN 1)

πŸ’ 11:00 - NHL Conference Finals - Vegas Golden Knights v Montreal Canadiens (ESPN 2)

πŸ€ 11:00 - NBA Conference Finals - Phoenix Suns v Los Angeles Clippers (ESPN 1)

⚾️ 12:10 - MLB - Seattle Mariners v Colorado Rockies (Sky Sports 3)

⚾️ 13:30 - MLB - San Diego Padres v Los Angeles Dodgers (ESPN 2)

🎾 20:00 - ATP Eastbourne International, Round 2, Day 3 (BeIN Sports 1)

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⚽️ 20:00 - J1 League - Yokohama F. Marinos v Sagan Tosu (Optus Sport)

🎾 21:30 - ATP Mallorca Championships (BeIN Sports 3)

THURSDAY

⚽️ 07:00 - Copa America - Ecuador v Peru (Optus Sport 3)

⚽️ 09:00 - MLS - New England Revolution v New York Red Bulls (BeIN Sports 2)

⚾️ 09:05 - MLB - Baltimore Orioles v Houston Astros (Sky Sports 3)

⚽️ 10:00 - Copa America - Brazil v Colombia (Optus Sport 1)

πŸ’ 10:00 - NHL Conference Finals - New York Islanders v Tampa Bay Lightning (ESPN 2)

⚽️ 10:30 - MLS Regular SeasonHouston Dynamo v Portland Timbers (BeIN Sports 3)

⚽️ 10:30 - MLS - Nashville SC v Toronto FC (BeIN Sports 1)

πŸ€ 10:30 - NBA Conference Finals - Milwaukee Bucks v Atlanta Hawks (ESPN 1)

11:30 - Australian Open, Day 13 Finals (7TWO, Fox Sports)

⚽️ 12:00 - MLS - Seattle Sounders v Real Salt Lake (BeIN Sports 2)

⚾️ 12:10 - MLB - San Diego Padres v Los Angeles Dodgers (Sky Sports 3)

⚽️ 12:30 - MLS - Los Angeles FC v FC Dallas (BeIN Sports 3)

⚽️ 12:30 - MLS - Vancouver Whitecaps v LA Galaxy (BeIN Sports 1)

πŸ‡¦πŸ‡Ί 19:20 - AFL - Brisbane Lions v Geelong Cats (Fox Footy or 7mate)

🎾 20:00 - ATP Eastbourne International, Quarter-Finals (BeIN Sports 1)

🎾 20:00 - WTA Eastbourne International, Quarter-Finals (BeIN Sports 1)

20:30 - BMW International Open, Round 1 (Fox Sports)

🎾 21:30 - ATP Mallorca Championships, Quarter-Finals (BeIN Sports 3)