Parting Ways

AUSSIE SPORTS
Teenage Kicks

🐴 Melbourne Cup contender Riff Rocket has died almost a week after undergoing an emergency colic operation.

Riff Rocket won $3.5 million in prize money with three Group 1 victories to his name — the Victoria Derby at Flemington last year, the Rosehill Guineas in March this year and the Australia Derby at Randwick two weeks later.

🏀 Perth Wildcats coach John Rillie said he is confident he has a Championship-winning squad at his disposal after re-signing with the NBL club for a further three years.

Rillie's new deal means he is locked in until the end of the 2027/28 campaign.

⚽️ The longest serving coach in Matildas history is back in charge after Football Australia confirmed the appointment of Tom Sermanni as interim head coach, effective immediately. 

Sermanni, 70, who replaces Tony Gustavsson, previously coached the Matildas from 1994-1997 and 2005-2012 and has also been head coach of the USA women’s national team across a long coaching career.

🏏 Teenage West Australian fast bowler Mahli Beardman says it’s a bit “surreal” after being called up as a standby player for Australia’s whirlwind five-match ODI series in England.

Beardman, 19, was player of the match in this year’s Under-19 World Cup final triumph over India and will join the 17-player group in Nottingham with the Australian pace stocks due to injury and management.

Left-armer Ben Dwarshuis also joined the squad ahead of the washed-out third T20 in Manchester and will now stay on for the 50-over series, with five matches being played over just 11 days, the first game on Thursday (9.30pm AEST) at Trent Bridge.

🏏 The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced record prize money of more than AU$12m for next month's Women's T20 World Cup (starts 3rd Oct).

The figure is more than double the prize money for the previous tournament in 2023.

The ICC announced in July 2023 that it was committing to equal prize money for all future men's and women's competitions.

NRL NEWS
Very Special Guest

🎙️ Munster, Pap & Hughes finally got Bellyache on the Clubhouse podcast, when they met his one condition.. they win last week. How many f-bombs in 30 seconds from Bellamy in this clip? 🤣 (watch on Twitter) Episode is expected on AusAmerican Aces YouTube channel tonight.

📄 Teams: Roosters name Victor Radley in reserves for do-or-die final, Nicho Hynes survives for Sharks. (NRL.com)

Cowboys: Coach Todd Payten has the luxury of naming the same 17.

Roosters: Veteran prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is back from suspension.

Sea Eagles: Winning form is good form so Manly roll out the same 17.

🐲 The Dragons have announced they will part ways with chief executive Ryan Webb, ending his five-year spell at the helm of the famous Red V club.

According to a club statement, the decision was made during a board meeting on Tuesday morning, with the club’s search for a new CEO set to begin.

Webb will reportedly remain in his position until April next year after being appointed in March 2020, and he will assist with the handover to his successor.

The Sydney Morning Herald are reporting Souths CEO Blake Solly has been approached for the role.

🤔 The Bulldogs are yet to decide whether Josh Addo-Carr will be sacked over a positive cocaine test.

Addo-Carr stood himself down ahead of the Bulldogs' elimination final against the Sea Eagles, which they lost 24-22.

Addo-Carr will face the NRL integrity unit before the Bulldogs make a decision on his contract for the 2025 season. He will take part in exit interviews this week with his teammates.

AFL NEWS
Mo’ Money

🔁 Untried Greater Western Sydney tall Wade Derksen is set to move to a Victorian club after informing the Giants of his intention to seek a trade.

Derksen, who was picked up in the 2022 AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft, is yet to play a senior game at GWS but is contracted until the end of next season.

AFL.com.au's Cal Twomey has reported the 23-year-old told the Giants on Tuesday of his desire to be traded to a Victorian club, with Melbourne among those to have shown an interest.

💰 AFL club 'soft' salary caps will increase to more than $8 million each by 2027, while AFLW club caps will rise to $1.175 million each under expanded league funding.

AFLW clubs will be able to pay 20 per cent of their senior coach's salary outside the soft cap, matching their AFL men's counterparts.

Clubs will also have access to increased deductions for development in AFLW programs and interstate travel to Victoria for grand finals.

🤕 Port Adelaide vice-captain Zak Butters says he will again crash through the pain barrier while warning Sydney he is well placed to cope with a hard tag in their preliminary final.

Butters was substituted from Port's qualifying loss to Geelong because of a sore ribs but played with the injury in their semi-final win against Hawthorn. (abc)

🎙️ icymi: One of the most familiar voices in Australian sports broadcasting is making a shock return to our living rooms for the blockbuster final three games of the AFL season.

Bruce McAvaney, the doyen of football commentary who has provided the soundtrack to some of the game’s finest moments, will take on a key hosting role with Channel 7 for this weekend’s two preliminary finals and the grand final on September 28.

McAvaney retired from full-time commentating at the end of the 2020 season, but will return to screens on Friday night when Sydney host Port Adelaide.

WORLD NEWS
No.1 Pick Axed

⚽️ The newly formatted UEFA Champions League has just got underway… standout ties in round one include; Liverpool v Milan (live now), Man City v Inter Milan, plus Mbappe makes his CL debut for Real Madrid.

⚽️ Football Whispers: Barcelona are set to improve and extend Lamine Yamal's deal (hoping to lock him in until 2030), Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town are looking at Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell, and Steven Gerrard could return to manage Rangers.

🏈 Atlanta Falcons picked up their first win of the 2024 season against Philadelphia Eagles after Drake London's late touchdown levelled the match at 21-21, with Younghoe Koo kicking the extra point.

🏈 The first big quarterback move of the young NFL season has been made, with the Panthers benching last year’s No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young.

Following Tua Tagovailoa’s latest concussion issue, a surprise name has been tossed up as a potential trade target for the Miami Dolphins.

🥊 Daniel Dubois has vowed to make Anthony Joshua ‘quit’ when they meet in their world heavyweight title showdown on Saturday.

Newly-crowned IBF champion Dubois puts the title on the line in front of 96,000 at Wembley Stadium with Joshua seeking to become a three-time heavyweight king.

Dubois has previously been labelled a ‘quitter’ by some of the biggest names in boxing after taking a knee in his 2020 defeat to Joe Joyce. Dubois again saw his heart questioned after coming up short against Oleksandr Usyk last year.

👊🏼 Sean O'Malley is looking at an extended layoff from competition, as the former champ is scheduled to undergo hip surgery early next month.

The 29-year-old suffered a torn labrum in his hip 10 weeks ago but managed the injury through a fight camp to take on Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 on Saturday in Las Vegas. O'Malley (18-2) lost his 135-pound title to Dvalishvili via unanimous decision.

⚽️ Manchester City midfielder Rodri says players are close to going on strike in protest at an increase in games.

City face Inter Milan on Wednesday in the Champions League, with a new format adding at least two extra games before the knockout stage.

The Club World Cup - which his side are also involved in - has also expanded to 32 teams and will be held next summer.

"I think we are close to that," said Rodri when asked whether players will strike. 

"If it keeps this way, it will be a moment that we have no other option, but let's see."

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