🗞 A pinch me moment

Aussie Sports News
Gold Rush

⚽️ Former Manchester United and Chelsea star Juan Mata is the latest international to join the A-League.

Just two weeks after Sydney FC unveiled their marquee signing of ex-Bayern Munich star Douglas Costa, the Western Sydney Wanderers announced the addition of a 2010 World Cup winner.

🥇 Vanessa Low defended her women's long jump T63 crown she won in Tokyo.

Low's opening jump of 5.45m, a new world record for T61 athletes (which Low is classified as), was more than enough to claim the gold medal.

🥇 Women's H1-4 cycling road race: Lauren Parker is still processing what she's done, winning two golds across different sports in the space of a few days.

"I really can't believe it, I certainly didn't expect that," she told the Nine Network.

"It definitely wasn't easy. My arms are absolutely smashed.”

🥇 Timothy Hodge, the reigning world champion claimed Paralympic gold in the men's 200m individual medley SM9.

🥉 In the men's singles MS11 Table Tennis, Samuel Von Einem claimed bronze.

🎾 Jin Woodman made a memorable Grand Slam debut at US Open 2024. The 15-year-old from Melbourne scored a 3-6 6-4 6-3 victory against Yassin Hill in an all-Australian battle in the quarterfinals of the boys’ wheelchair singles competition.

🐴 We return to The Valley for the third time this season on Saturday, while Group 1 racing returns for the first time!

The Moir Stakes is always an exciting contest, but there is no doubt that Saturday’s edition looms as one of its strongest since the turn of the century, and we’ll see the likes of I Wish I Win, Chain Of Lightning and Estriella take on exciting three-year-olds like Lady Of Camelot and Coleman for the first time.

⚽️ A 10-man Socceroos (Striker Kusini Yengi sent off for high challenge ‘77) outfit suffered a shock 1-0 loss to Bahrain in a disastrous setback to their hopes of direct World Cup qualification.

The game marked the side's first on the Gold Coast and Bahrain's maiden win over Australia.

The third round of World Cup qualifying continues in Jakarta against Indonesia on Tuesday.

🏉 The Wallabies’ hopes of leaving Argentina with consecutive wins have suffered a setback, with Joe Schmidt to be forced into a series of changes.

Injuries are set to see Ben Donaldson start at fly-half, while Andrew Kellaway is likely to shift to fullback to cover Wright, thereby allowing 19-year-old Max Jorgensen to start for the first time on the wing.

NRL News
Spoon Fight

📄 Melbourne embarrassed the Broncos 50-12 on their home turf, ending a diabolical 2024 campaign for Kevin Walters and his under-fire squad.

In a completely one-sided affair at Suncorp Stadium, the contest was over inside the opening 20 minutes as the Storm flew out to an early lead with relative ease. 

🥄 They will come to Campbelltown from far and wide tonight night to watch two struggling teams do their best to clear that lowest of bars — not finishing last.

They're calling it the Spoon Bowl and it's already gotten bigger than just the Tigers and the Eels. Tickets to the game sold faster than cold beer in hell, enough so that by Tuesday there were none left. It's expected to give the all-time ratings record for its time slot a serious nudge.

Home finals and the last spot in the top eight are on the line later in the weekend but there is no disputing that this game between 16th and 17th has, somehow, become the people's match of the round.

There hasn't been a final-round shootout with last place on the line since 2015, so novelty plays a part, and there's a fair bit of gallows humour to it all as the memes begin to fire.

🐔 Trent Robinson will blood rugby union convert Mark Nawaqanitawase against South Sydney, as the Sydney Roosters pick up the pieces from their week of carnage.

Robinson confirmed on Thursday that Nawaqanitawase would debut against the Rabbitohs in place of the injured Dom Young, less than two months after playing in the Olympics.

The Roosters had not initially planned on playing Nawaqanitawase this year, but the 23-year-old former Wallaby had impressed in his three games in NSW Cup.

AFL NEWS
Power Failure

📄 Geelong are just one win away from another grand final appearance after demolishing Port Adelaide in Thursday night’s AFL finals opener.

The Cats reached the preliminary finals with a 20.18 (138) to 7.12 (54) victory, while the Power are now forced to back up next week in a semi-final as they bid to avoid another straight-sets exit.

To add to Port’s woes Zak Butters was struggling to breathe after copping a hit to the ribs during the second quarter. Butters was not sent to hospital during the game but will be assessed on Friday morning to formally allay fears of a broken rib and possible punctured lung.

📄 Preview: Arguably the AFL’s two most in-form sides will do battle in an elimination final when the Western Bulldogs meet Hawthorn at the MCG. The Hawks’ rise to seventh has been meteoric, with their 170-46 demolition of North Melbourne in Launceston marking a 14th win from 18 matches to make them just the third team in V/AFL history to play finals after starting the season at 0-5.

The Bulldogs have been similarly impressive across recent months, defeating GWS 98-61 in Round 24 to mark a sixth win from their last seven matches.

These sides last met in Round 8, seeing Hawthorn claim a thrilling 98-91 victory at Marvel Stadium.

The Dogs have had a tough time when playing at the MCG in recent seasons, winning just two of their last six matches, whereas the Hawks have won their last five at the home of football by an average margin of 55.6 points.

• Jack Gunston has kicked 3+ goals in five of his last six appearances against the Western Bulldogs.

• Each of the Western Bulldogs' last four matches at the MCG have gone OVER the total match points line.

WORLD NEWS
Let’s Footbaw

🏈 As the 2024 NFL season kicks off, (10am today) all eyes are on the Kansas City Chiefs, who are aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl win.

It has been over two decades since a team last achieved this feat, making the Chiefs' quest a historic one.

Led by the dynamic duo of quarterback Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid, the Chiefs boast a formidable roster (including Mr Taylor Swift - Jason Kelce). However, their journey won’t be without obstacles, including intensified competition (many awesome things are expected of Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, & No. 1 overall draft pick, for example), and potential injuries. Experts are optimistic about the Chiefs' ability to sustain their high level of performance and secure the three-peat.

⚽️ Alex Morgan, who has won two Women's World Cups and an Olympic gold medal with the United States, has announced her retirement from professional football.

Morgan, 35, who confirmed her decision to retire in a video posted to social media on Thursday, also said she is pregnant with her second child.

🏃🏼 icymi: Olympic pole vault champion Armand Duplantis beat 400m hurdler Karsten Warholm in a 100m exhibition race in Zurich.

🚴🏻‍♂️ Urko Berrade took the win from the breakaway on stage 18 of the Vuelta a España to win a third stage for Equipo Kern Pharma at their home Grand Tour. 

Ben O’Connor retained his lead at the top of the overall standings. The Australian is still just five seconds ahead of Primož Roglič as the race enters the final weekend of action. It is set to conclude in Madrid on Sunday (local).

🍣 The winner of Vuelta does receive US$150k, but surely it doesn’t come close to the prize for best climber at this years Arctic Race of Norway… a whopping 500kg of Salmon

⛳️ PGA Tour players Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler will face LIV Golf stars Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka in a televised match later this year, according to reports.

The news of the contest between four of the biggest names in the sport comes as the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) - which funds LIV - continue to discuss a merger.

"I'm thrilled to partner with Scottie in what promises to be an exciting duel against Bryson and Brooks in Vegas this December," McIlroy told Golfweek.

🏏 England captain Jos Buttler has been ruled out of the three-match Twenty20 series against Australia and is a doubt for the five one-day internationals that follow.

Buttler, 33, has not played since the T20 World Cup in June because of a calf injury.

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