🗞️ Shock Homecoming

🏏 Glenn Maxwell was back to his old ways during Australia's first T20 International match against Pakistan at the Gabba, as the hosts claimed a 29-run victory on Thursday night.

Despite being reduced to just seven overs due to inclement weather, Australia piled on a whopping 4-93, before ripping Pakistan apart with ball in hand 9-64.

Maxwell's 43 off just 19 balls, headlined by eight boundaries, set up Australia for success. Marcus Stoinis finished off the job in style.

🏏 Former Australian star David Warner has backed Nathan McSweeney to succeed as a Test opener, rubbishing comments from former national teammate Ed Cowan.

Earlier this week, Cowan made headlines after declaring that McSweeney’s selection was a “guess”, arguing he doesn’t have the technique nor the temperament to open in Tests.

However, Warner disagreed, telling Fox Cricket: “I just want everyone to be positive and wish him well. I think he can go out there and have a few games and he might score runs, he might not score runs, (but) let him have a chance. Let him explore the greatness of playing cricket for Australia and finding a new position for himself.”

🏀 First NBA points for Johnny Furphy. While the Australian rookie had only seen 13 minutes of playing time prior to Thursday’s match-up against the Magic. This time around Furphy got an extended look at the end of the first quarter and the start of the second. 

Furphy forced Jalen Suggs into a turnover which he quickly turned into a fast-break dunk on the other end for his first points in the NBA.

🎾 Alex De Minaur needed to defeat the American fifth seed in straight sets for any chance of progressing to the ATP semi-finals in Turin, Italy.

Despite winning the first set, his hopes were crushed when Fritz stole the second set against the run of play.

Fritz, who went on to win 5-7 6-4 6-3, will progress to the last four of the season-ending tournament if Jannik Sinner beats Daniil Medvedev this morning.

⚽️ Costly missed chances could come back to haunt the Socceroos, but Saudi Arabia felt equally aggrieved after they were denied an injury-time winner (off-side call for a player being in the keeper’s eyeline) in a dramatic scoreless draw in Melbourne.

⛳️ Future Star: Former Aussie child prodigy Karl Vilips has joined current world No.1 Scottie Scheffler as a winner of a coveted rookie of the year award just months into his professional career. 

Vilips, who moved to the US when he was 10 to further his golfing ambitions and this year finished college career at Stanford, Tiger Woods’ school, was named the Korn Ferry Tour’s rookie of the year, an award Scheffler won in 2019.

The 23-year-old from Perth , who only turned professional in June, did enough in 10 starts on the secondary tour to also secure his PGA Tour card for 2025. He’ll also play in the Australian Open later in the month.

NRL NEWS

🏉 It’s almost two weeks after the November 1 deadline with player contracts coming to an end and teams free to negotiate with potential players for 2025 and 2026.

The Eels are expected to secure the signature of Josh Addo-Carr “imminently” with the axed Bulldogs star set to sign a short deal. 

The Roosters, Bulldogs, Broncos and Dolphins are all keen on signing Ben Hunt who finally parted ways with the Dragons last month. 

Hunt’s family is in Queensland and he’s set to meet with Broncos officials in the coming days, but his preference is reportedly to stay in Sydney.

The Roosters have cash to splash after stars Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Joey Manu, Joseph Suaalii and Luke Keary all departed, leaving the club around $2 million to spend. While Hunt’s expected value is between 800k-900k a season.

It’s been revealed Clint Gutherson’s management reportedly reached out to the Sea Eagles regarding a potential shock homecoming.

The former Eels skipper was unveiled as the Dragons’ newest recruit on Friday, however his path could have taken a very different turn.

That is according to WWOS, who are reporting the Sea Eagles considered signing Gutherson, but were forced to snub any potential moves due to salary cap limitations.

AFL NEWS

🗓️ 2025 FIXTURE: Hawks and Bombers fly into primetime. More Thursday and Sunday night footy features in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season fixture (»AFL.com)

🤕 Prodigious midfielder Harley Reid was diagnosed with a concussion after suffering a head knock during a pre-season training session, per Seven reporter Mitch Cleary on Thursday night. 

The incident is understood to have occurred on Wednesday, with West Coast understandably taking zero risks with its first-year wunderkind. 

“Harley received a minor head knock during training, and we took precautionary measures,” Eagles football boss Gavin Bell said, via Channel Seven.

“I’ve spoken to him today and so has the club doctor.

“He is doing well, but as he has entered the AFL concussion protocols.”

🥊 Jake Paul and Mike Tyson are just a day away from one of the biggest and most controversial fights in boxing in years, as they prepare to square off on Netflix.

Ring walks for Mike Tyson and Jake Paul are expected on Saturday at 3pm AEDT. Fans can stream the showdown on Netflix Australia.

There are hundreds of wild Mike Tyson stories, but one that get under reported is when he tried to fight a Gorilla.

It is sometime in the late 1980s, and Mike Tyson is being led around New York zoo on a private tour with his wife Robin Givens. Nearing the gorilla enclosure, the champ notices that one particular silverback is bullying the others. An incident he takes such an exception to, Tyson immediately offers the zookeeper $10,000 to open the cage so he can “smash that silverback’s snot box”. Thankfully for all concerned, the employee declines.

🏀 icymi: Victor Wembanyama became the fourth-youngest player to score 50 points in an NBA game as he led the San Antonio Spurs to a 139-130 win over the Washington Wizards.

The three players who scored 50 points at a younger age than the 20-year-old Frenchman were Brandon Jennings, LeBron James and Devin Booker, all of whom were also aged 20.

🏀 The Cavaliers won again, fending off a depleted 76ers team to improve to 13-0. One more win and they'll tie the 2002-03 Mavericks and 1957-58 Celtics for the fourth-best start in league history.

🏉 Spring/Autumn International fixtures: France play New Zealand. Ireland will look to bounce back from the NZ defeat against Argentina, and Wales are trying not to make it 11 loses in a row when they face the Wallabies.

And, England faced World Champions South Africa. S.A Captain Siya Kolisi and former world player of the year Pieter-Steph du Toit return in the back row, while winger Cheslin Kolbe have been named in the side.

Ox Nché has been talking about his love for baking, and chocolate caramel cake…(put this quote on a t-shirt)

⚽️ Referees' body PGMOL says it is taking new allegations around Premier League official David Coote "very seriously".

On Wednesday, the Sun newspaper published pictures it says were taken during this summer's European Championship, alleging they appear to show Coote sniffing some Colombian marching powder through a rolled up US bank note. He was officiating at the Euro Finals at the time.

⚽️ 57-year-old Ex-Sydney FC forward Kazuyoshi Miura plans to extend his professional career into his 40th season for Japanese fourth-tier side Suzuka. Miura's career began in 1986 with Brazilian club Santos. Miura scored 55 goals in 89 international appearances between 1990 and 2000. 

🐴 Cool hobby bro: A collection of more than 850 samples of hair from racehorses has sold for £38,000 (AU$74.5k)

Ray Goddard collected hair from the manes and tails of some of the world's most famous racehorses between 1948 and 2004, when he died.

The collection contains locks of hair from Red Rum, Shergar, Arkle, Nijinsky and other champion thoroughbreds.

One of the most famous horses in Goddard's collection Shergar, was famously kidnapped in 1983 and never seen again in public (when valued at AU$19m).

🏎️ Monaco will continue to host Formula 1 races until at least 2031 after a new six-year deal was agreed.

One of the sport's most iconic and prestigious races, the Monaco Grand Prix has hosted races every year since 1955, other than during the Covid-affected 2020 season.

⛷️Three-time Olympic skiing medallist Lindsey Vonn is returning to the sport more than five years after her retirement.

The American, 40, retired in February 2019 but has announced her competitive comeback having had successful knee surgery in April.

Vonn won Olympic downhill gold at the Winter Games in Vancouver in 2010, and tried to tame Tiger Woods in a three year relationship.

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TODAY 

05:00 - PGA TOUR - Bermuda Championship, Round 1 - Fox Sports

06:45 - UEFA Nations League - Belgium v Italy - Optus Sport 6

06:45 - UEFA Nations League - Greece v England - Optus Sport 2

08:00 - CONMEBOL WC Qualifier - Venezuela v Brazil - SBS

10:30 - Sheffield Shield - Victoria Men v Western Australia Men - Kayo Sports

11:00 - Sheffield Shield - South Australia Men v NSW Men - Kayo Sports

11:00 - Sheffield Shield - Queensland Bulls v Tasmania Tigers Men - Kayo Sports

12:15 - NFL - Philadelphia Eagles v Washington Commanders - ESPN

13:00 - NBA - Utah Jazz v Dallas Mavericks - ESPN 2

18:00 - DP World Tour Championship, Round 2 - Fox Sports

18:00 - Adelaide 500 - Adelaide 500 Qualifying Race 1, Round 12 - Fox Sports

19:30 - NBL - Tasmania JackJumpers v Brisbane Bullets - ESPN

21:30 - NBL - Perth Wildcats v South East Melbourne Phoenix - ESPN

SATURDAY

02:00 - T20 Series - South Africa v India - Fox Cricket

05:00 - PGA TOUR - Bermuda Championship, Round 2 - Fox Sports

06:45 - UEFA Nations League (multiple) - Optus Sport

07:10 - Autumn Nations Series - Ireland v Argentina - Stan Sport App

10:30 - Sheffield Shield - Victoria Men v Western Australia Men - Kayo Sports

11:00 - CONMEBOL WC Qualifier - Uruguay v Colombia - SBS

11:00 - Sheffield Shield - South Australia Men v NSW Men - Kayo Sports

11:00 - Sheffield Shield - Queensland Bulls v Tasmania Tigers Men - Kayo Sports

11:30 - NBA Cup - San Antonio Spurs v Los Angeles Lakers - ESPN

13:00 - NHL - Colorado Avalanche v Washington Capitals - ESPN 2

13:05 - Adelaide 500 Top 10 Shootout, Round 12 - 7mate, Fox Sports

14:00 - NBA Cup - Golden State Warriors v Memphis Grizzlies - ESPN

15:50 - Adelaide 500 Race 1, Round 12 - 7mate, Fox Sports

17:30 - NBL - Cairns Taipans v New Zealand Breakers - ESPN

18:00 - DP World Tour Championship, Round 3 - Fox Sports

19:00 - T20 Series - Australia v Pakistan - Fox Cricket

20:00 - NBL - Illawarra Hawks v Sydney Kings - ESPN

SUNDAY 

02:10 - Autumn Nations Series - Scotland v Portugal - Stan Sport App

03:30 - PGA TOUR - Bermuda Championship, Round 3 - Fox Sports

04:40 - Autumn Nations Series - England v South Africa - Stan Sport App

06:45 - UEFA Nations League - Germany v Bosnia and Herzegovina - Optus Sport 2

07:10 - Autumn Nations Series - France v New Zealand - Stan Sport App

10:30 - Sheffield Shield - Victoria Men v Western Australia Men - Kayo Sports

10:50 - Adelaide 500 Qualifying Race 2, Round 12 - Fox Sports

11:00 - Sheffield Shield - South Australia Men v NSW Men - Kayo Sports

11:00 - Sheffield Shield - Queensland Bulls v Tasmania Tigers Men - Kayo Sports

12:30 - NBA - Dallas Mavericks v San Antonio Spurs - ESPN 2

13:05 - Adelaide 500 Top 10 Shootout, Round 12 - Channel 7, Fox Sports

14:00 - UFC 309 Main Card - Jon Jones v Stipe Miocic - Main Event

14:30 - NBL - Melbourne United v Adelaide 36ers - Channel 10, ESPN

15:45 - Adelaide 500 Race 2, Round 12 - Channel 7, Fox Sports

16:30 - NBL - Brisbane Bullets v Perth Wildcats - 10 Bold, ESPN

17:30 - DP World Tour - DP World Tour Championship, Round 4 - Fox Sports