🗞 Say it ain't so

AUSSIE SPORTS
Golden Oldies

🥇 Australian basketball is gearing up for a historic moment with the confirmation that 43-year-old Opals legend Lauren Jackson and veteran Boomers guard Matthew Dellavedova will compete in France this month. Jackson, a four-time Olympic medallist, is making a remarkable return after retiring due to knee issues before the 2016 Games.

Her comeback began tentatively in 2022, and despite a partial Achilles tear last year, the three-time WNBA MVP is now fully fit and poised to lead Australia's charge against four-time defending champions USA.

Jackson's appearance marks the fourth longest gap between Olympic Games for an Australian athlete, joining the elite company of Andrew Gaze, Patty Mills, and Joe Ingles as one of Australia's few five-time representatives on the Olympic stage.

🤽🏻‍♀️ icymi, Aussie success : The Aussie U16 female water polo team picked up bronze at the World Championships in Türkiye. 🥉

📺 The Wallabies launched Joe Schmidt's era with a 25-16 victory over Wales, on Saturday, marking a promising start under their new coach. However, Australian sports fans remain cautiously supportive. According to TV viewing figures from News Corp, 561,000 viewers tuned in to Channel 9 for the game, combining free-to-air TV and streaming audiences.

This figure is approximately half the audience that watched Queensland triumph over NSW in the women's State of Origin series decider.

NRL NEWS
Best Back

🔵 Bradman Best has been handed a crucial role in the NSW backline as he steps in to replace the injured Latrell Mitchell for the State of Origin decider. Blues coach Michael Maguire has selected the Newcastle centre for his second Origin appearance after Mitchell was sidelined with a foot injury following South Sydney's recent victory over Parramatta.

Best, 22, joins the lineup alongside debutant Mitch Barnett, who replaces Haumole Olakau'atu, aiming to strengthen NSW's forward dominance against Queensland in the July 17 showdown at Suncorp Stadium. (NRL.com)

🔴 Queensland will reportedly need to replace Cowboys winger Murray Taulagi for the Origin decider due to a hamstring injury.

The SMH reports Taulagi’s injury suffered on Saturday night against Manly is set to rule him out of game three, meaning Billy Slater has to replace two hamstrung wingers.

Selwyn Cobbo is reportedly leading the race to win Xavier Coates’ wing spot after he suffered a hamstring injury in Round 17, with Dane Gagai expected to take Taulagi’s place. But he may move to the centres with Valentine Holmes on the other wing.

Two years after helping the Maroons clinch a series win at Suncorp, Kalyn Ponga and Dane Gagai will likely be thrust back into the Queensland side for the 2024 decider.

Team is expected to be announced at 9am today.

📄 Match Report: The Sydney Roosters delivered a fitting tribute to Jared Waerea-Hargreaves in his milestone game on Sunday, securing a commanding 42-12 victory over the Dragons at Allianz Stadium. The veteran prop, now the club's most capped player with 307 games, showcased his resilience with 143 run metres, enduring six stitches to the head and a sin-binning.

The Roosters' triumph lifted them to third place on the ladder.

📄 Match Report: Ricky Stuart's men suffered their fourth-straight defeat as star fullback Kalyn Ponga inspired the Newcastle Knights to a tense 16-12 victory over the Raiders in his first game since Round Seven. 

AFL NEWS
Timber Roof

📄 Match Report: Lachie Neale dominated the early stages, Josh Dunkley provided consistent performance throughout, and Brisbane managed to withstand a late surge from Adelaide to secure their fifth consecutive victory by 11 points at the Gabba 14.13 (97) to 13.8 (86) win.

📄 Match Report: Sydney forward Logan McDonald missed a shot on goal with less than a minute remaining for the second week in a row as the Swans suffered a second-straight defeat in a stunning upset win by St Kilda.

The Saints kicked eight of the last 10 goals of the match in a stunning fightback to punish the wasteful Swans, winning 13.6 (84) to 11.16 (82).

📄 Match Report: Melbourne livewire Kysaiah Pickett showcased his skills with a spectacular mark and two goals in his team's crucial 54-point demolition of West Coast on Sunday afternoon.

The Demons surged to their highest-scoring first half of the season, establishing a commanding lead that they maintained in the second half to secure a comfortable 17.10 (112) to 8.10 (58) victory at the MCG.

🏟️ New renders for the Tasmania Devils’ planned home ground have been revealed, with plans to build “the world’s largest timber-roofed stadium”.

Designs for the Macquarie Point venue, which is set to be built in time for the 2029 AFL season - one year after the 19th team debuts in 2028 - were unveiled this weekend.

The 23,000-seat stadium will showcase Tasmanian timber with a translucent roof, reaching a height of 51 metres in a bid to soothe concerns around the build’s impact on the neighbouring Hobart Cenotaph.

Tasmania’s government has pledged to spend a maximum of $375 million on the stadium with private investment contributing if necessary.

🗣️ Following another disappointing loss for West Coast, questions about coach Adam Simpson's future at the club have resurfaced. The Eagles, now perilously close to the bottom of the ladder, suffered a nine-goal defeat to Melbourne on Sunday, extending their losing streak to six matches since their last win against the Demons in Round 10.

In his post-match press conference, Simpson addressed speculation about his tenure, stating, “I’m here to do a job as best I can, and I’ll do that until I get tapped on the shoulder – so that’s not really in question.” Despite the challenges, Simpson expressed readiness to continue but acknowledged the uncertainties in football, saying, “I sort of know how long the road’s going to be – I’m up for it, but if the club’s not, then they’re not – so that’s fine; I’m okay with my football mortality, it’s okay.”

WORLD NEWS
Emotional Win

🏎️ Lewis Hamilton won a race-long fight with Max Verstappen and Lando Norris at a gripping, wet-dry British Grand Prix to take his first victory since December 2021.

Hamilton had just enough to hold off a late charge from Verstappen’s Red Bull to take his 104th career win, and his ninth at home to become the record-holder for victories at a single circuit.

Verstappen, who had struggled for pace through much of a race that was hit by two separate periods of rain, came alive in the closing laps to take second place from Norris, who grabbed the final position on the podium.

Hamilton appeared to be in tears in the car as he told his team: "This means so much to me," as they congratulated him over the radio.

Norris’ team-mate Oscar Piastri (AUS), who was also in the lead fight for the first half of the race, took fourth place ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.

🎾 Wimbledon Summary:

• Emma Raducanu beaten 6-2 5-7 6-2 by qualifier Lulu Sun

• Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz beats Ugo Humbert 6-3 6-4 1-6 7-5

• World number one Jannik Sinner beats Ben Shelton 6-2 6-4 7-6 (11-9)

• Women's second seed Coco Gauff knocked out in 6-4 6-3 defeat by Emma Navarro

• Jasmine Paolini progresses to quarter-finals after Madison Keys retires injured

⚽️ EPL Whispers: Bayern Munich have signed (confirmed) winger Michael Olise from Crystal Palace on a five-year deal after paying a release clause of about AU$110m. Manchester United are closing in on Dutch striker Joshua Zirkzee (AU$70m), Arsenal are yet to match Bologna’s Riccardo Calafiori's asking price (AU$85m), and Pascal Gross is set to join Borussia Dortmund from Brighton for a fee of around (AU$12m).

🏍️ Ducati Lenovo rider Francesco Bagnaia took the lead in the championship title race by winning the German MotoGP at the Sachsenring.

The defending champion from Italy moves ahead of Jorge Martin [in the Championship], who crashed with two laps remaining while leading the race.

⚽️ icymi: Uruguay reached the Copa America semi-finals with a 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Brazil following a feisty 0-0 draw in Las Vegas.

They will face Colombia, who thrashed Panama 5-0. While Argentina will face Canada.

🏀 icymi: An Olympics berth has eluded Giannis Antetokounmpo so far during his basketball career. He is one victory away from changing that.

Thomas Walkup had 19 points, Antetokounmpo added 13 points in 21 minutes, and Greece moved one victory from the Paris Games, eliminating Luka Doncic and Slovenia 96-68 from the semifinals of the Olympic qualifying tournament.

❤️ Minnesota Vikings cornerback Khyree Jackson has died in a car crash at the age of 24.

Rookie Jackson and two former high school team-mates, Isaiah Hazel and Anthony Lytton Jr, died early on Saturday morning in Prince George's County, Maryland.

The Dodge Charger they were travelling in collided with another vehicle that was trying to change lanes at high speed.

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