G'day sports fans,

Classic quote: “Well, I got there as fast as I could” - Peter Kelly’s defense at the Judiciary when defending a late, high tackle.

In today's edition of Sport Journal:

🏉 Signings and speed records

👊🏻 Is he the GOAT?

⚾️ A comedy of errors at the World Series

...and much more!

🇦🇺 AFL

Inside Trading: Why a Saint may move, contracts coming for stars — www.afl.com.au

The latest on some 'pre-agents', plus why clubs will look to hold onto future picks.

It's a tie: Giants pair can't be split in Kevin Sheedy Medal

Greater Western Sydney has crowd joint winners of its best and fairest for the first time, with Nick Haynes and Lachie Whitfield sharing the Kevin Sheedy Medal.

Whitfield also makes Giants history by becoming the first player to win two best and fairests, following his 2018 gong.

It also caps Haynes' career-best season that saw him named an AFL All-Australian for the first time. The pair tied on 98 votes, ahead of third-placed Harry Perryman, who tallied 96 votes in a breakout campaign. (AFL)

🏉 NRL

The need for Speed

Not only was Ryan Papenhuyzen awarded the Clive Churchill Medal for best on ground in Sunday's grand final, the Storm fullback tore up the Telstra Tracker.

He was clocked at high of 35.6km/h and managed 46 high-speed efforts - surpassing the mark of 45 that he and Clint Gutherson shared.

Cameron Munster topped total distance covered and metres-per-minute, covering 9.3km with an average of 115 metres per minute - an intensity higher than last year's State of Origin series, in which 95 metres per minute was the overall average. (NRL)

State of Origin 2020: Phillip Sami, Queensland Maroons, night winger outran a kangaroo - NRL — www.nrl.com

The night when Phillip Sami outran a giant kangaroo has been hailed by his schoolboy coach as the turning point in the new Maroons squad member’s career.

'Empty' Kyle Flanagan opens up on Roosters axing

Bulldogs recruit Kyle Flanagan says he was left "empty" when the Roosters blindsided him in a one-on-one interview to inform him they would be cutting his time in Bondi short.

Flanagan was snapped up by Trent Barrett's Bulldogs after the Roosters officially lodged the paperwork with the NRL on Monday to terminate Flanagan's contract.

"I was a bit shocked and disappointed to walk in and hear the news that the club was going to go in a different direction next year," Flanagan told Nine's Danny Weidler.

Transfers:

October 27: Dragons sign Faamausili

October 27: Bulldogs secure Flanagan

⚽️ Football

🔁 Adelaide United have signed winger Yaya Dukuly on a scholarship deal ahead of the 2020/21 season. [@AdelaideUnited]

🔁 David Ball has signed a contract extension with Wellington until the end of the 2022/23 A-League season. [@WgtnPhoenixFC]

🔁 George Timotheou is trialling with Adelaide United after training with Western Sydney last week. [@Val61]

🔁 Australian goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer has signed a three-year contract extension with Charlton Athletic. [@CAFCofficial]

🇳🇿 Wellington Phoenix will base their squad in New South Wales for the start of the new A-League season. The club plans to have players in NSW by early November, while contract extensions and signings will be announced in the coming weeks. [@WgtnPhoenixFC]

📈 Every team in the Premier League has been beaten within their first 6 matches for the first time in history.

📰 Breaking News: Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu resigns before no confidence vote. He was due to step down in March after serving the maximum two terms.

Liverpool take on Midtjylland on bumper football morning

Socceroos forward Awer Mabil is set to walk onto hallowed turf and play football royalty this morning (7am AEDT) as his Midtjylland outfit takes on Liverpool at Anfield in the Champions League.

The clash is one of eight for the morning, with Bayern Munich beating Lokomotiv Moscow (2-1) and Shakhtar Donetsk and Inter Milan drawing (0-0) in the early kick-offs, before fixtures between Marseille and Manchester City, Monchengladbach and Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and RB Salzburg, Porto and Olympiacos, and Atalanta and Ajax.

🐴 Racing

Funstar draws carpark in the Golden Eagle

Pre-barrier draw favourite Funstar will start from the outside gate in Saturday's $7.5 million Golden Eagle (1500m) which will be run at Rosehill on Saturday.

The field was declared and barriers allocated on Tuesday with Funstar drawing barrier 22 while Queenslander Alligator Blood also drew out in barrier 15 but will start in gate 12 if the emergencies fail to secure a start.

The field in 2020 consists of four Group 1 winners and 10 Group or Listed grade winners.

The race will be Race 7 on Saturday's card and run at 4.15pm. (Racenet)

🏅 Athletics

Christian Coleman banned for two years for missing drugs test

World 100m champion Christian Coleman has been banned for two years after missing three drugs tests.

The 24-year-old American, who is suspended from 14 May 2020, will miss the postponed Tokyo Olympics next year.

The indoor 60m world record holder has 30 days to file an appeal against the Athletics Integrity Unit's (AIU) decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).

Two-time world champion, was provisionally suspended in June after missing a third test in December 2019.

Three whereabouts failures in a 12-month period can result in a ban of up to two years.

Coleman did not contest his first missed test on 16 January 2019 but disputed his filing failure on 26 April 2019 and whereabouts failure on 9 December.

The investigation into his rule violations said there was no suggestion he had ever taken a banned substance.

However, Coleman's attitude towards his anti-doping obligations was described as "entirely careless, perhaps even reckless" by the AIU.

🏉 Rugby

Introducing: The World Tens Series

The World Tens Series (based out of Hong Kong) is an International, Professional Rugby Tens Tournament.

Privately owned teams tour the globe competing in pools and knockouts.

The first-ever World Tens Series tournament got underway in Bermuda over the weekend and runs until 7th November.

Rhinos Rugby lead after Round One following an enthralling last gasp win against London Royals in the final match of the day.

With the 7s circuit being disbanded, financial backers and supporters feel there is still a gap in the market for a high-speed, off-loading, shortened version of the game.

From 2021 there will be 16 teams participating in the league.

With Team names like: The Miami Suns, London Royals, Ohio Aviators - How can it fail? (TENS)

🏏 Cricket

'I let the noise get to me': Starc vows to tune out India hype 

Australia's spearhead reflects on a disappointing Test series in 2018-19 as he eyes a Blues return and some fine-tuning of technical tweaks.

Mitchell Starc admits criticism of his performances against India two summers ago got on his nerves but ahead of this summer's rematch the Aussie spearhead insists he now "couldn't care less" about the opinions of pundits or keyboard warriors.

Starc will play his first red-ball game in 10 months at the serene Karen Rolton Oval in the parkland fringes of Adelaide's city centre from Friday, a world removed from the "noise" the paceman has vowed to tune out this summer.

Starc's returns at home since are difficult to argue with; he's taken 41 wickets at 17 in seven Tests, including 10 in the second Test against Sri Lanka later in that 2018-19 summer. 

🦸🏽‍♂️ Hero

A snooker player in Pakistan, showcases his talent for the game despite being born without arms.

He hopes to play abroad and gain the backing of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the former cricket all-rounder who led the Pakistan team to victory in the 1992 World Cup.

👊🏻 UFC

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Jon 'Bones' Jones argue over who is UFC's GOAT

Jon 'Bones' Jones and Khabib Nurmagomedov are not letting go of the argument about who should be considered the best UFC fighter of all time.

Nurmagomedov, 32, became UFC lightweight champion at UFC 254 by beating interim champion Justin Gaethje. Immediately afterwards, he shocked the fighting world by announcing his retirement.

With his perfect record of 29-0, there have been plenty - including the man himself - suggesting he should be considered the octagon's greatest of all time.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Jones - the current pound-for-pound top-ranked fighter - is having absolutely none of it.

And the 33-year-old has sent a very salty reply to Nurmagomedov fans.

Since Saturday, this debate has raged on. Nurmagomedov's perfect professional record of 29-0 includes 13 consecutive wins in the UFC.

Daniel Cormier called him "the greatest champion in UFC history". Cody Garbrandt also called him "the best to ever do it".

Even Jones himself was quick to give praise, tweeting: "I want to congratulate Khabib for an outstanding career. I know he made his father along with millions of fans around the world incredibly proud today."

However, once talk turned to rankings, Jones put his medals on the table.

🇺🇸 USA

One day after beating the Cowboys, Ron Rivera took another victory lap Monday, this time to celebrate the end of his cancer treatments.

⚾️ In case you missed it: World Series

'A comedy of errors' - Watch extraordinary finale as Tampa Bay win World Series game four

Watch the extraordinary finale to game four of the World Series as a comedy of errors from the Los Angeles Dodgers handed the Tampa Bay Rays an 8-7 victory and levelled the series at 2-2.

Trailing 7-6 and down to their last strike in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Rays' Brett Phillips hit a single which allowed two of his team-mates to run in thanks to some horrendous fielding by the Dodgers.

Game 5 is this morning at 11am (ESPN 1 and Sky Sports 3)

🏈 Week 7 in the NFL was wild. 

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones makes an 80-yard run against the Philadelphia Eagles before tripping himself up with the touchdown line at his mercy. They lost 22-21.

• The Steelers survived a late comeback attempt from the Titans to move to 6-0. (27-24)

• The Seahawks fell from the ranks of the undefeated in an overtime loss to the Cardinals. (37-34)

• The Browns edged the Bengals on a huge, go-ahead TD with 11 seconds remaining - Baker Mayfield's fifth of the game. (37-34)

• A Panthers tying field goal attempt from 65 yards came up just short, helping the Saints get a big division win. (27-24)

• The Lions beat the Falcons with a touchdown pass on the final play of the game. (23-22)

• Washington kept the Cowboys to three points. (25-3)

• Green Bay dropped 35 (to 20) on Houston, thanks to another strong day from Aaron Rodgers.

• Tom Brady threw four touchdowns in a Tampa Bay win (45-20)

• Justin Herbert led the Chargers back v Jaguars (39-29)

• The Patriots fell flat in a rough, 27-point loss to the 49ers. (33-6)

• The New York Jets took a 10-0 lead against the Buffalo Bills. They didn’t allow a touchdown all game. They still lost. (18-10)

• Bell fit seamlessly in Chiefs' offense in rout of Broncos (43-16)

• LA Rams dominated Chicago Bears in rivals' latest defensive slugfest (24-10)

📺 Live sport 👇🏼

⚽️ 06:45 - English Championship - Wycombe Wanderers v Watford (BeIN Sports 2)

⚽️ 07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge Group Stage:

• Liverpool v FC Midtjylland (Optus Sport 1)

• Atalanta v Ajax Amsterdam (Optus Sport 6)

• Olympique de Marseille v Manchester City (Optus Sport 5)

• Porto v Olympiacos FC (Optus Sport 4)

• Borussia Monchengladbach v Real Madrid (Optus Sport 3)

• Atletico Madrid v Red Bull Salzburg (Optus Sport 2)

⚾️ 11:08 - World Series - Los Angeles Dodgers v Tampa Bay Rays (ESPN 1 or Sky Sports 3)

🐴 16:00 - Group 3 - Bendigo Cup, 2,400m - HCP (Racing.com or Sky Racing 1) 

⚽️ 21:00 - J1 League - Sanfrecce Hiroshima v Yokohama F. Marinos (Optus Sport)

⚽️ 21:00 - J1 League - FC Tokyo v Kashiwa Reysol (Optus Sport)

🎾 22:00 (TBC) - ATP Erste Bank Open

🎱 23:30 - Championship League Group Games (Fox Sports)

Thursday 

🚴🏼‍♂️ 00:35 - Vuelta a Espana, Stage 8, 164 km (SBS Viceland)

🏏 01:00 - Indian Premier League - Mumbai Indians v Royal Challengers Bangalore (Fox Cricket)

🎱 04:30 - Championship League Group Games (Fox Sports) 

⚽️ 04:55 - UEFA Champions Lge Group Stage:

• Istanbul Basaksehir v Paris Saint-Germain (Optus Sport 3)

• FC Krasnodar v Chelsea (Optus Sport 2)

⚽️ 06:45 - English Championship - Luton Town v Nottingham Forest (BeIN Sports 2)

⚽️ 07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge Group Stage:

• Manchester United v RB Leipzig (Optus Sport 6)

• Juventus v Barcelona (Optus Sport 1)

• Ferencvaros v Dynamo Kyiv (Optus Sport 5)

• Borussia Dortmund v Zenit Saint Petersburg (Optus Sport 3)

• Club Brugge v Lazio (Optus Sport 4)

• Sevilla v Stade Rennais (Optus Sport 2)

⚾️ 11:09 - World Series - Los Angeles Dodgers v Tampa Bay Rays (ESPN 1 Or Sky Sports 3)

⚽️ 13:00 - MLS Regular Season - Portland Timbers v LA Galaxy (ESPN 2)

⛳️ 20:30 - European Tour, Cyprus Open, Round 1 (Fox Sports)

🎱 23:30 - Championship League Group Games (Fox Sports) 

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