🗞 "I have the power.”

G'day sports fans,

"It's basically the same, just darker." Jonathan Brown, on night Grand Finals vs Day Games.

🇦🇺 Aussie Sport

🇦🇺 North Melbourne utility Tarryn Thomas will play in the VFL on the weekend in a significant step towards returning to the Kangaroos' AFL fold.

Thomas has been training with the Kangaroos' VFL team since April 18 while working part-time and taking part in a respectful behaviour program.

The 23-year-old's career has been hanging in the balance since he was stood down by the Kangaroos for a second time in March amid concerns over his behaviour towards women.

⚽️ Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover is set to depart the club at the end of the season. A move to the UK is the likely destination.

🎾 Nick Kyrgios says he has not slept much this week and is "battling a little" after police accused a man of threatening the tennis player's mother with a firearm and stealing a Tesla car from her.

🐴 Maddie Ray pulled off a remarkable training performance to win her hometown $300,000 Warrnambool Cup with Rolls on a 48-hour back-up.

Rolls was run down in a 1700m race last Tuesday but returned to the home deck on Thursday to outstay Not Usual Glorious in the 2400m Listed feature and hand Raymond a milestone victory.

🇦🇺 Carlton coach Michael Voss says Tom De Koning will need to fight for his spot in the Blues’ AFL team when he returns from concussion, despite lucrative offers elsewhere for the in-demand young gun.

De Koning is out of contract at season’s end with Sydney, St Kilda, Essendon and Geelong, where his brother Sam won a premiership last year, linked to a swoop for the 23-year-old.

It is understood he could draw offers of up to $800,000 per year from rival clubs.

🏉 Rugby Australia are believed to be willing to offer Haas an incredible $4.8 million deal over three years – that’s about $1.6 per year.

Haas is set to come off contract with the Brisbane Broncos at the end of the 2024 season, and is free to negotiate with rival clubs – and codes – from November 1^st.

⚽️ Chelsea striker Sam Kerr scored a late winner to beat Liverpool 2-1, to keep them just 4 points behind leaders Man United with two games in hand.

🎮 The new AFL video game, AFL 23, has received a poor reception upon its launch on Thursday with bugs and issues roasted by the footy world.

🇦🇺 Patrick Dangerfield, the AFL's most influential player voice, has thrown his support behind the new Tasmanian club luring contracted talent away from rival teams.

The Geelong captain believes the AFL's 19th club needs to succeed when it enters the competition in 2028, even if it means other teams giving up at least one player.

"My view is that the Tasmanian team should have access to contracted players," Dangerfield, the AFL Players Association president, told SEN on Thursday. (espn)

🇦🇺 The teams are in for round eight's Friday and Saturday matches, as well as the extended benches for Sunday.

Dual Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe will return from injury as the substitute.

In other team news, Damien Hardwick has also dropped two and rested Trent Cotchin to face West Coast while Dion Prestia returns, with the Eagles welcoming back Dom Sheed. (AFL)

🌎 World Sport

⚽️ Argentina forward Lionel Messi, 35, could follow Portuguese rival Cristiano Ronaldo, 38, to Saudi Arabia in a $4000m-a-year move to the Gulf state after confirming he is leaving Paris St-Germain. Al-Hilal could be rivalled for Messi's signature by Major League soccer side Inter Miami, co-owned by former Manchester United and England superstar David Beckham.

🥊 Deontay Wilder has made a startling accusation regarding the current state of the use of performance enhancing drugs in boxing.

Responding to a question of steroids by ESNews, Wilder admitted he believes all top fighters in the sport are “doing something” – except for himself, of course.

🏏 This year's Women's T20 World Cup was the most watched women's tournament in history, says the International Cricket Council.

Australia beat hosts South Africa in the final to win the tournament for a sixth time. The ICC said global viewing hours for the event were 192 million, a 44% increase on the 2020 edition.

📈 STAT: Higher-seeded NBA teams that lose Game 1 at home are now 16-1 in Game 2s over the past three postseasons.

🏟 The teams in Sportico’s Top 10 are no surprise: It’s one European heavyweight after another. They are, in order, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Paris Saint-Germain.

🏉 Crusaders and All Blacks star Will Jordan will play his first game of the season against the Force after being sidelined since September with a concerning migraine-related illness.

🏉 New Zealander John Mitchell has been named as the new head coach of the England women's team.

🥊 Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez said he is "bringing this fight to the people" in a momentous yet chaotic news conference for Saturday's bout against John Ryder.

The Mexican will defend his undisputed super-middleweight titles against the Briton at Estadio Akron in his home city of Guadalajara.

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📺 Live Sport TV Guide

TODAY

08:00 - Copa Libertadores - Racing Club de Avellaneda v Flamengo (beIN SPORTS 3)

09:00 - NHL Conference Semifinals - Toronto Maple Leafs v Florida Panthers (ESPN 2)

11:00 - NBA Conference Semifinals - Golden State Warriors v Los Angeles Lakers (ESPN)

11:30 - NHL Conference Semifinals - Dallas Stars v Seattle Kraken (ESPN 2)

17:05 - Super Rugby Pacific - Highlanders v Chiefs (Stan Sport)

18:00 - NRL - Canterbury Bulldogs v Canberra Raiders (Fox League)

19:45 - A-League Men Elimination Final - Adelaide United v Wellington Phoenix (10 Bold or Paramount+)

19:50 - AFL - Carlton Blues v Brisbane Lions (Fox Footy or 7mate)

20:05 - NRL - Manly Sea Eagles v Brisbane Broncos (Fox League or Channel 9)

20:30 - ODI Series - Pakistan v New Zealand (Fox Cricket)

23:45 - ODI Series - Pakistan v New Zealand (Fox Sports)

00:00 - Indian Premier League - Rajasthan Royals v Gujarat Titans (Fox Cricket)

SATURDAY

04:00 - PGA TOUR - Wells Fargo Championship, Round 2 (Fox Sports)

04:30 - German Bundesliga - Bayer Leverkusen v FC Koln (beIN SPORTS 3)

04:45 - Super League - Catalans Dragons v St Helens (Fox League)

08:40 - MLB - Tampa Bay Rays v New York Yankees (ESPN 2)

09:30 - NBA Conference Semifinals - Philadelphia 76ers v Boston Celtics (ESPN)

12:00 - NBA Conference Semifinals - Phoenix Suns v Denver Nuggets (ESPN)

12:05 - Super Rugby Pacific - Fijian Drua v Hurricanes (Stan Sport)

13:45 - AFL - Richmond Tigers v West Coast Eagles (Fox Footy)

14:10 - AFL - Geelong Cats v Adelaide Crows (Fox Sports)

14:35 - Super Rugby Pacific - Crusaders v Western Force (Stan Sport)

15:00 - NRL - Warriors v Penrith Panthers (Fox League)

15:05 - Shute Shield - (Stan Sport)

15:55 - Robert Sangster Stakes, 1,200m (Sky1, 7, Racing.com)

16:35 - AFL - Gold Coast Suns v Melbourne Demons (Fox Footy)

17:05 - Super Rugby Pacific - Blues v Moana Pasifika (Stan Sport)

17:30 - NRL - Cronulla Sharks v Dolphins (Fox League)

19:30 - AFL - Fremantle Dockers v Hawthorn (Fox Sports)

19:30 - AFL - GWS Giants v Western Bulldogs (Fox Footy)

19:35 - Super Rugby Pacific - Queensland Reds v NSW Waratahs (9Go! or Stan Sport)

19:45 - NRL Regular Season - Melbourne Storm v South Sydney Rabbitohs (Fox League or Channel 9)

19:45 - A-League Men Elimination Final - Western Sydney Wanderers v Sydney FC (10 Bold or Paramount+)

20:00 - Indian Premier League - Chennai Super Kings v Mumbai Indians (Fox Cricket)

21:40 - UCI Men's World Tour - Giro d'Italia, Stage 1, 19.6km (SBS Viceland)

23:00 - Italian Serie A - Milan v Lazio (beIN SPORTS 3)

23:30 - German Bundesliga - Augsburg v FC Union Berlin (beIN SPORTS 2)

00:00 - Premier League - Tottenham v Crystal Palace (Optus Sport 2)

00:00 - Premier League - Manchester City v Leeds United (Optus Sport 1)

00:00 - Premier League - Wolverhampton Wanderers v Aston Villa (Optus Sport 4)

00:00 - Premier League - Bournemouth v Chelsea (Optus Sport 3)

00:00 - Indian Premier League - Delhi Capitals v Royal Challengers Bangalore (Fox Cricket)

SUNDAY

02:00 - Italian Serie A - Roma v Inter Milan (beIN SPORTS 3)

02:30 - Premier League - Liverpool v Brentford (Optus Sport 1)

02:30 - German Bundesliga - Werder Bremen v Bayern Munich (beIN SPORTS 2)

03:00 - PGA TOUR - Wells Fargo Championship, Round 3 (Fox Sports)

05:00 - France Ligue 1 - Lens v Olympique de Marseille (beIN SPORTS 2)

09:00 - NHL Conference Semifinals - Vegas Golden Knights v Edmonton Oilers (ESPN 2)

10:30 - NBA Conference Semifinals - Los Angeles Lakers v Golden State Warriors (ESPN)

12:00 - UFC 288 Main Card - Aljamain Sterling v Henry Cejudo (Main Event)

13:10 - AFL - Port Adelaide Power v Essendon Bombers (Fox Footy)

13:50 - NRL - Wests Tigers v St. George Illawarra Dragons (Fox League)

14:35 - Super Rugby Pacific Regular Season - Rebels v Brumbies (Stan Sport)

15:20 - AFL - Collingwood Magpies v Sydney Swans (Fox Sports)

16:00 - NRL - Sydney Roosters v North Queensland Cowboys (Fox League or Channel 9)

16:40 - AFL - North Melb. Kangaroos v St. Kilda Saints (Fox Footy)

18:25 - NRL - Gold Coast Titans v Parramatta Eels (Fox League)

20:00 - Indian Premier League - Gujarat Titans v Lucknow Super Giants (Fox Cricket)

20:30 - Italian Serie A - Atalanta v Juventus (beIN SPORTS 3)

20:30 - UCI Men's World Tour - Giro d'Italia, Stage 2, 201km (SBS Viceland)

20:30 - ODI Series - Pakistan v New Zealand (Fox Sports)

23:15 - Scottish Premiership - Hearts v Celtic (beIN SPORTS 1)