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🗞 All or Nothing
Australia's captain Mitch Marsh defended the decision to omit Mitchell Starc in their 21-run defeat to Afghanistan
G’day Sports Fans,
🗣️ “Really, I’m the bogeyman” - Aussie Champion Robert Whittaker aka ‘Bobby Knuckles’, on a UFC promo video this week.
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AUSSIE SPORTS
All or Nothing
🏏 Australia's captain Mitch Marsh defended the decision to omit Mitchell Starc in their 21-run defeat to Afghanistan. Despite a strong opening partnership from Afghanistan, Marsh instead emphasised the poor fielding, with Australia dropping five catches.
Starc’s absence was felt, though Ashton Agar performed well. The loss makes their upcoming match against India crucial for advancing in the T20 World Cup.
Record: Pat Cummins became the first cricketer to take multiple hat-tricks at the T20 World Cup during Sunday’s loss against Afghanistan in St Vincent.
👊🏻 icymi: Headlining the UFC’s historic debut in Saudi Arabia, Robert Whittaker went and confirmed himself the next UFC middleweight title challenger in every sense – and potentially on a Down Under blockbuster – after finishing breakout Dagestani phenom Ikram Aliskerov with a stunning first round KO.
🎾 Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) failed to win her first WTA title when Yulia Putintseva captured the third Hologic WTA Tour singles title of her career on Sunday in Birmingham with a 6-1, 7-6(8) win in the final of the Rothesay Classic.
Tomljanovic was contesting her first tour-level singles final in five years. She dropped to 0-5 in career finals with the loss. Nonetheless, it was an encouraging week for the Australian, a former World No.32 currently ranked No.190 after missing most of 2023 following knee surgery.
She was contesting just her fourth tournament since a procedure in the winter to remove ovarian cysts, as well. She has now lost five of six career matches against Putintseva.
NRL NEWS
Tigers Win
🗞 Round 16 Wrap, in 30 seconds: In Round 16, the Rabbitohs continued their resurgence with a 14-0 win over the Sea Eagles, marking their fourth straight victory.
The Titans dominated the Warriors 66-6, with Jayden Campbell scoring a club record 26 points and Alofiana Khan-Pereira bagging four tries.
The Storm edged out the Dolphins, Roosters overcame the Bulldogs, and Wests Tigers defeated the Raiders.
📄 Match Report: Adam Doueihi made a triumphant return after 14 months sidelined with his third knee reconstruction, guiding Wests Tigers to a commanding 48-24 victory over the Raiders.
In his first NRL appearance since Round 6 last year, Doueihi starred with a try, 212 run metres, and five tackle breaks.
Young talent Lachlan Galvin also shone, scoring two tries and amassing 181 run metres.
❌ Junior Pauga has been slapped with a four-game ban for his ugly high tackle on Bulldogs fullback Connor Tracey that saw the Roosters flyer sent off on Saturday night.
AFL NEWS
Nervous Wait for Pearce
🗞 Round 15 Wrap, in 30 seconds: Adelaide, Collingwood, Hawthorn, Richmond, St Kilda, and Western Bulldogs had a bye. Brisbane Lions made a statement, confirming their return to form.
Carlton solidified their position as the clear No. 2. Essendon is looking at a top-four finish, while Fremantle emerged as a silent threat. Geelong is barely hanging on, and Gold Coast struggled with their away performance. GWS overcame Sydney’s strong play.
Melbourne is far from contending, and North Melbourne faced another tough lesson.
Port Adelaide needs changes, Sydney Swans cruised, and West Coast endured another valiant loss.
📲 On Socials: The AFL debutant video where no one seems to really care (Twitter)
📄 Match Report: Fremantle strengthened its bid for a top-four berth by defeating Gold Coast on Sunday at Optus Stadium, securing a crucial 20-point victory led by its emerging midfield talents. Despite the Suns narrowing the margin to 15 points late in the game after trailing by 35 in the third quarter, the Dockers held firm.
Jaeger O'Meara sealed the win with a pivotal long-range goal, lifting Fremantle to fifth place on the ladder with a composed display from their youthful squad.
📄 Match Report: Essendon strengthened its top-four hopes with a 30-point victory over West Coast at Marvel Stadium. Dyson Heppell's decisive goal sealed a 19.8 (122) to 13.14 (92) win, thrilling the crowd. Despite West Coast's late surges in the first and third quarters, Essendon maintained control. Jake Stringer's five-goal performance and Sam Durham's relentless midfield efforts were crucial.
Nate Caddy, filling in for Todd Goldstein, added two goals in only his second game for the Bombers.
🤕 Fremantle faces a nervous wait on the availability of key defender Alex Pearce for next Saturday's clash against ladder leader Sydney after the captain was substituted with a forearm injury in Sunday's win against Gold Coast.
Pearce, who is in All-Australian form, landed awkwardly on his arm in a marking contest with Sam Day in the third quarter at Optus Stadium and was substituted after leaving the ground immediately for assessment.
🦶 Geelong is bracing to be without champion forward Tom Hawkins following a foot injury sustained in Friday night's loss to Carlton, with the veteran Cat set to undergo scans.

Live Sport
Euro’s Football: Scotland v Hungary 0-0 (60’), Germany 0-1 Switzerland (60’)
PGA Tour Travalers Championship: Scottie Sheffler is currently in a play off with Tom Kim as both finished -22.
WORLD NEWS
Shoulda, Woulda
🏎️ Red Bull’s Max Verstappen prevailed in a tense, strategic battle with McLaren’s Lando Norris to win the Spanish Grand Prix.
Verstappen’s seventh victory in 10 races this year hinged on a decisive opening phase of the race from the Dutchman.
Verstappen was in the lead by lap three while Norris stayed stuck behind Mercedes’ George Russell for 15 laps.
It left Norris too much to do and Verstappen was able to measure his pace to control the McLaren behind.
Lewis Hamilton took his first podium finish of the year for Mercedes in third, ahead of Russell, as Britons finished second, third and fourth. Charles Leclerc was fifth, leading home Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz.
"I should have won it," Norris said. "I got a bad start, as simple as that. The car was incredible today, we were for sure the quickest, I just lose it in the beginning.
The race underlined the fact that Red Bull have lost the massive advantage they held over the first five races of the season, but also that Verstappen is operating at a level of consistent excellence in the cockpit and will be tough to beat.
This is the single worst hot take of all time.
Ever
Makes me laugh every time
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer)
8:58 PM • Jun 22, 2024
🏏 T20 World Cup: England charged into the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup with a ruthless 10-wicket thrashing of the United States.
Chris Jordan took a hat-trick - England's first in men's T20s - as the USA were dismissed for just 115 in Barbados.
🏉 Dan McKellar has been sacked as coach of top English club Leicester, with another Australian rugby luminary Michael Cheika being hotly tipped to replace him.
🎾 Novak Djokovic has decided to travel to Wimbledon and is due to arrive on Monday - but the seven-time champion does not yet know if he will be able to compete after undergoing knee surgery.
Serbia's Djokovic withdrew from the French Open after his fourth-round victory over Francisco Cerundolo, in which he tore the medial meniscus in his right knee.
While Andy Murray has been ruled out of Wimbledon… surgery for a spinal cyst and has been advised to have a six-week lay-off period, resulting in his withdrawal from the Championships at SW19.
🎾 Jannik Sinner claimed his first title as world number one with victory over Hubert Hurkacz at the Halle Open.
Italy's Sinner won his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January and replaced Novak Djokovic at the top of the world rankings earlier in June.
He secured his first grass-court title with a 7-6 (10-8) 7-6 (7-2) victory against Poland's Hurkacz, who he also played doubles with in Germany.
⚽️ Chelsea have beaten the competition of the likes of Bayern Munich, Paris St-Germain and Manchester City to sign the Palmeiras wonderkid Abel Ferreira in a deal that could eventually be worth AU$100m and that will see him arrive at Stamford Bridge after Fifa’s new Club World Cup in July 2025.
"Estevao is the best player to have emerged from Brazilian football since Neymar. You watch him and you fall in love," - the head of Palmeiras' academy, Joao Paulo Sampaio.
🏃🏽♀️ Sha'Carri Richardson secured her place at this summer's Olympics in Paris by winning the women's 100m at the US trials.
The 24-year-old world champion claimed victory in 10.71 seconds, which is the fastest time in the world this year, to qualify for her first Games.
⚾️ Toronto Blue Jays infielder Orelvis Martinez has been suspended for 80 games for violating Major League Baseball's doping policy.
The 22-year-old from the Dominican Republic only made his Major League debut on Friday but has tested positive for clomiphene, a fertility drug on MLB's banned performance-enhancing drugs list.
Martinez said in a statement he was prescribed Rejun 50, which contains clomiphene, by a fertility clinic in his homeland after trying unsuccessfully since 2020 to start a family with his girlfriend.
"In my attempt to start a family, I made a mistake," - he said in a statement.
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