G'day sports fans,

Classic (possibly made up) quote, about kid pulled before the stripes in the 70s:

Stewards: "What were your instructions from the trainer?"

Jockey: "Be patient and wait"

Stewards: "When were you supposed to put your horse into the race?"

Jockey: "Randwick in a fortnight"

In today's edition of Sport Journal:

🇦🇺 Big week for AFL return details

👊🏻 UFC 249 didn't want for the lack of crowds

⚽️ Proposal to move the A-League season the the winter

🐴 Racing

Russian Camelot now Melbourne Cup favourite

The jaw dropping South Australian Derby triumph of Russian Camelot on Saturday has seen the immediate shake up of Melbourne Cup betting with Danny O'Brien's star now elevated to favouritism for the great race.

Russian Camelot became the first northern hemisphere bred three-year-old to win a Derby in Australia after 853 editions at Morphettville on Saturday.

The son of Camelot sat three deep at the rear of the field before charging home to beat talented three-year-olds Dalasan and Victoria Derby winner Warning in the 2500m staying test.

As a result of that performance Russian Camelot is now into outright favouritism at $11 with TAB for the November 3 Melbourne Cup. (racenet)

🇦🇺 AFL

The AFL is set to announce its return-to-play plan (finally)

An AFL Commission meeting will see the league confirm exactly what the resumed 2020 season will look like - details like as the exact return date, the reworked fixture, the games themselves and the football department soft cap.

The AFL is heavily dependent on the moves of the Victorian government, which will provide an update on its coronavirus restrictions today.

It could return as early as Thursday June 11, with a potential Collingwood vs Melbourne meeting to support FightMND - three days after the Queen’s Birthday public holiday - on the cards.

However that would need everything to go right, and for all state governments to work with the AFL constructively.

Suns could host a game with fans in 2020

The Gold Coast Suns remain hopeful of hosting an AFL match - complete with crowd - in the Northern Territory this season.

Under a deal struck with the NT government last year, the Suns were due to host St Kilda at Darwin’s TIO Stadium on June 13.

The plan was dealt a blow when the coronavirus pandemic forced the AFL into shutdown in March.

But with the league poised to announce its return-to-play plan in the coming days, Suns chief executive Mark Evans said the club was eager to breathe new life into the NT concept.

“We are still quite interested in playing a game in the Northern Territory late in the year, which could have crowds,” Evans told ABC Grandstand on Sunday. (Fox)

🏉 NRL

Opinion divided on one ref plan

The potential for the NRL to go back to one whistleblower for the rest of the season has divided opinion.

The Project Apollo taskforce has made the recommendation, which would result in an estimated $1 million in savings if the Australian Rugby League Commission approves the change.

Referees are considering strike action over the plan.

"I think that we'll see referees really get their confidence back, getting out in the middle and owning the game," NSW Coach Brad Fittler said on The Sunday Footy Show.

"I think it will be something that saves the game money, and I think it'll be a huge success."

Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire on The Footy Show said he was hoping the ARL Commission stuck with the two-referee model.

"I understand there's obviously financial reasons why they're looking at changing those sorts of different things," he said.

"I think we've got a very good game. We've just got to make sure now we can get the product out there, and we can get it into America, we can get it around the world. It's a great opportunity for us as a sport." (SMH)

🏌🏻‍♂️ Golf

Luiten wins inaugural indoor event

Joost Luiten posted a six under par round of 66 for a two shot victory in the inaugural edition of the BMW Indoor Invitational powered by TrackMan.

The Dutchman finished top of a leaderboard featuring 18 European Tour players in the first of five events in the new series of virtual golf tournaments using the latest simulator technology.

As a result, he claimed the first prize of €10,000 towards a charity of his choice.

Next week’s course will be Royal Portrush, following by Golfclub München Eichenried (Saturday May 23, Real Club Valderrama (Saturday May 30) and Wentworth (Saturday June 6). Available to watch on YouTube

👊🏻 UFC

UFC 249: Welcome to the new reality

A taped message from President Trump was played during ESPN’s broadcast of the UFC 249.

“They’re going to have a big match. We love it. We think it’s important. Get the sports leagues back. Let’s play. Do the social distancing and whatever else you have to do. We need sports. We want our sports back. Congratulations to Dana White and UFC.”

UFC 249 played out in an empty VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, somehow it did not detract from the moment.

Justin Gaethje landed 136 punches and kicks, and of those, approximately 136 were bombs. Not one thwack or thud was drowned out by fans.

Tony Ferguson took around two dozen knockout blows and didn't fall - not even when referee Herb Dean mercifully stepped in.

The night's co-main event saw 2008 Olympic wrestling gold medallist Henry Cejudo successfully defend his UFC bantamweight title against former champion Dominick Cruz, then make a surprise announcement as he confirmed his retirement from the sport.

If it's your thing - see gruesome photos of Niko Price's demolished eye (Fox)

⚽️ Football

Guide to a winter A-League in 2021 and why it would work

ftbl.com.au have built a case as to why the A-League should switch to a winter league in 2021.

Key points:

Weather: When the temperature pushes into the 30s and 40s, and you’re locked into a broadcast schedule, the A-League and W-League suffer. It’s a nightmare.

Align the Football pyramid: Football, from grassroots, NPL, and elite professional club football. All playing together at one time, one huge football family coming together to power football in this country.

Media Coverage: A 'super November' when there is some clear air from a coverage point of view.

Second Division promotion and relegation: One of the biggest impediments to a second division was the difficultly in aligning the calendar.

If you were promoted from the NPL, technically you were thrust into the league the following month, or you had to wait a year.

AFC Champions League: Switching to ‘winter’ allows teams to prepare throughout pre-season for their ACL campaigns and then play in-season during the knockout stages.

(read the whole article here)

Europe: Operation 'Restart' is underway but not without setbacks

Positive tests in Europe over the weekend:

• Five players have tested positive for coronavirus across Spain's top two divisions, La Liga has said.

• A third player from Premier League side Brighton tested positive for coronavirus

• Bundesliga 2 side Dynamo Dresden put their entire squad and coaching staff into two-week isolation after two players tested positive for coronavirus

🏉 Rugby

Australian rugby's future is local

A national club competition culminating in a state-based representative season should replace a "broken" Super Rugby model in Australia, a leading sports consultancy group says.

The competition, drawing on the top clubs from Queensland, NSW, the ACT, Victoria and Western Australia in a promotion-relegation model, should be modelled on the English Premiership to attract private investment and allow Rugby Australia to concentrate on the Wallabies and its elite pathways under a traditional 'governing body' model.

The Super Rugby sides should function as representative teams that play a championship-style competition at the end of the club season.

That's the conclusion of the Gemba Group, an Australian and UK-based consultancy that has worked with FIFA, Formula 1, Cricket Australia, the NRL and Tennis Australia on their commercial and broadcast rights.

"We said, 'if we started again, what's the most fan-centric model for southern hemisphere rugby and club rugby, with a focus on Australia," Rob Mills, the group's chief executive and founder, said. (SMH)

Yet more bad news for Rugby Australia

Optus has hosed down suggestions it was close to signing a broadcast deal with Rugby Australia (RA) before coronavirus hit, and gave the code more bad news by saying it won’t be looking to acquire local sports rights in the short term. - According to the the NZ Herald.

It’s not what RA wants to hear as The Daily Telegraph also reports Fox Sports will not return to the negotiating table

🥋 Shin-kicking Championship

Shin-kicking, also known as shin diggings or purring. The aim of shin kicking is simple: kick your opponent as hard as you can in the shins. Each time your opponent falls to the ground you earn a point.

The winner is the person with the highest score in the best of three rounds. Competitors face each other and hold onto each other's collar. Trouser legs are usually stuffed with straw!

We'll be back on Wednesday!