G'day sports fans,

Future classic quote: "I wouldn't give him any advice as I am playing against him. I'm hoping that he makes no runs at all." - Australia opener Joe Burns when asked if he had any advice for his India counterpart Prithvi Shaw.

🙋🏻‍♂️ I'll look to put together a 'Best of Sport Journal 2020' for Christmas Day. Then take a few days break before being back on New Years Day to do it all over again!

In today's edition of Sport Journal:

🏏 Two Tests at the MCG?

🐴 Freeman to train again in Australia

🎾 Dylan Alcott finishes the year world number one

...and much more!

🏏 Cricket

Smith expects to be healthy for Boxing Day, backs MCG to hold two Tests if COVID forces move from Sydney

Steve Smith is confident a back complaint won't prevent him from playing the Boxing Day Test against India, while backing the MCG to host successive matches if Sydney's coronavirus outbreak forces a third Test venue change.

Australia is unlikely to risk handing Will Pucovski a Boxing Day Test debut as he continues his recovery from concussion, while Joe Burns avoids being added to the home side's injury list. (ABC)

The Don’s debut baggy green sold for a record price - but it was still below par

The baggy green cap Sir Donald Bradman wore on Test debut has sold for $450,000.

Australian businessman Peter Freedman, founder and chairman of electronics company Rode, bought the cap which was passed in after the initial online auction ended last week.

The week long auction for the cap, given to the legendary Australian batsman in 1928, managed a highest bid of just $391,500.

That was well below expectations from auctioneers who had hoped to attract between $1 million and $2 million for the cap which was presented to Bradman before his Test debut against England in November 1928 in Brisbane.

The current record price for a baggy green was just over $1 million paid for Shane Warne‘s only Test cap. (Fox)

⚽️ Football

A single ball, a single touch can change everything.

It's the return of football. Season starts 27 December. It's on. (A-League)

• Football is back on December 27, starting A-League and Westfield W-League together for the first time ever.

• Updated fixture schedule until Jan 27 to allow for border changes = 40 games, 5 brought forward, 15 unchanged.*

• Over the next four weeks, NSW based teams play one another and all non-NSW based teams play one another.

• Opening with two derbies across the two leagues, including new boys Macarthur FC.

*Remaining games to be rescheduled in the near future.

You can see every player signing here

🏆 As expected Sydney FC top the Grand Final winner market (4.0), Melbourne City (5.0), Western United (8.0) & Perth Glory (10.0), make up the top 4.

🇪🇸 Karim Benzema has been named La Liga’s player of the year!

🇯🇵 Socceroos goalkeeper Mitch Langerak has taken out the J. League Player of the Month for December.

Langerak made history on Saturday, breaking the J.League record for most clean sheets in a single season with 17. (socceroo)

🔁 Manchester United are confident they will be allowed to complete the £19m signing of teenage Atalanta winger Amad Diallo (18) at the beginning of January.

🔁 Sydney FC are closing in on a deal to re-sign fan favourite Bobo, who would be signed primarily as a bench option. Him joining is largely dependent on being given permission to enter the country. At best, Bobo wouldn't be available until at least February. [SMH]

U17 player gets kung-fu kicked in the face as football game descends into chaos in Brazil

🐴 Racing

Training icon eyes off new base (in Australia)

Five-time Melbourne Cup winning trainer Lee Freedman is poised to return to Australia from his three-year stint in Singapore, with south-east Queensland emerging as the favoured destination to continue his training career.

Racenet reports that the Hall Of Fame trainer has been in contact with race clubs on the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast regarding a potential new venture in the Sunshine State.

Negotiations have progressed to the point where Freedman may be on the verge of making a decision on his training future.

It would be a huge coup for Queensland to score a trainer with the profile of Freedman, who won the last of his five Melbourne Cups with glorious triumphs with Makybe Diva in 2004 and 2005. (racenet)

🎾 Tennis

Dylan Alcott finish the year world number one for the fifth time

Two major titles helped Australia's wheelchair tennis star Dylan Alcott cap a memorable 2020 by finishing the year as the International Tennis Federation's world number one for quad singles.

Roger Federer wins fan favourite gong at ATP awards for 18th consecutive year

Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Frances Tiafoe were among the winners of the ATP's top awards for 2020 on Tuesday (AEDT).

Djokovic was the year-end No.1 for a record-equalling sixth time after winning four titles, including a record eighth Australian Open.

US Open champions Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares are the doubles No. 1s.

Federer, who played only six singles all year, was the singles fans' favorite for a record-extending 18th straight year, and Nadal received the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award for the third year straight and fourth time overall after winning a 13th Roland Garros crown.

🏉 NRL Signings

Penrith have bolstered their depth by signing utility back Jaeman Salmon on a one-year deal.

The 21-year-old joins the Panthers from Parramatta, where he made his NRL debut in 2018.

Veteran centre Ricky Leutele will return to the Super League in 2021 after a brief stint back in the NRL with Melbourne.

The 30-year-old former Cronulla Shark, who played 128 games at the club over nine seasons and was a member of the 2016 premiership-winning side, linked with the Storm late last season after the collapse of the Toronto Wolfpack.

🇦🇺 AFL

AFL 2020 What the league can use in 2021 from its bizarre 2020 season — www.espn.com.au

Footy fest? A night Grand Final? Rolling fixtures? There are some things the AFL should take into 2021 from a bizarre 2020, but there are some ideas that should be shelved for good.

🏌🏼‍♀️ Women's Golf

Hannah Green secures massive payday, finishing second in LPGA Tour Championship

Australian golfer Hannah Green has produced a bogey-free final round on her 24th birthday, to finish in a tie for second at the LPGA season finale.

Key points:

• Hannah Green's second place finish is the second highest prize purse of her career

• Green shot five birdies in her final round to climb up the leader board

• Fellow Australian Minjee Lee finished in a tie for 13th

The Tour Championship is the richest tournament of the year, with $US3 million in prize money on offer.

Green (-13) shot five birdies on her final round to finish second with last year's winner, South Korean Sei Young Kim.

Both players took took home $US209,555 ($276,252.17).

The pair were five shots off the winner, world number one Jin Young Ko.

🇺🇸 USA

NBA season preview - New rankings and projections before 2020-21 opening round — www.espn.com.au

The league is taking its talents outside the bubble. Here's everything to know ahead of an NBA season unlike any other.

Ben Simmons leads Australians taking to the court this NBA season

The 2020-21 NBA season starts today, with at least seven Australians set to take the court in the world's premier professional basketball competition. (ABC)

Key points:

• The 72-game NBA season begins on Wednesday, Australian time

• Among the Australians expected to feature this season is first round draft pick Josh Green

• Ben Simmons's 76ers are fifth favourite to win the NBA title

2021 NFL Mock Draft: Jaguars finally get Trevor Lawrence, Jets pass on QB with No. 2 pick - CBSSports.com — www.cbssports.com

Even when the Jets win they lose.

📺 Live sport

TODAY

⚽️ 06:45 - Italian Serie A - Juventus v Fiorentina (BeIN Sports 3)

⚽️ 07:00 - Carabao Cup Quarter-Final - Arsenal v Manchester City (BeIN Sports 2)

🏀 07:00 - EuroLeague - Real Madrid Basketball v Alba Berlin (Fox Sports More)

🏈 07:30 - Idaho Potato Bowl - Nevada Wolf Pack v Tulane Green Wave (ESPN 2)

⚽️ 08:00 - Spanish La Liga - Real Valladolid v Barcelona (BeIN Sports 1)

🏀 11:00 - NBA - Brooklyn Nets v Golden State Warriors (ESPN 1)

🏈 11:00 - Boca Raton Bowl - BYU Cougars v UCF Knights (ESPN 2)

🏀 13:30 - NBA - Los Angeles Lakers v Los Angeles Clippers (ESPN 1)

🏏 19:15 - Big Bash League - Brisbane Heat v Adelaide Strikers (Fox Cricket)

🎯 23:00 - PDC World Championship, Round 2 (Fox Sports)

THURSDAY

⚽️ 01:00 - Indian Super League - Jamshedpur FC v FC Goa (Fox Sports More)

⚽️ 03:30 - Spanish La Liga - Getafe v Celta Vigo (BeIN Sports 3)

⚽️ 04:30 - Italian Serie A - Hellas Verona v Inter Milan (BeIN Sports 1)

⚽️ 04:30 - Carabao Cup Quarter-Final - Stoke City v Tottenham (BeIN Sports 2)

🎯 05:00 - PDC World Championship, Round 2 (Fox Sports)

⚽️ 05:45 - Spanish La Liga - Real Madrid v Granada (BeIN Sports 3)

⚽️ 06:45 - Italian Serie A - Milan v Lazio (BeIN Sports 1)

⚽️ 07:00 - Carabao Cup Quarter-Final - Everton v Manchester United (BeIN Sports 2)

⚽️ 08:00 - Spanish La Liga - Real Betis v Cadiz CF (BeIN Sports 3)

🏀 11:30 - NBA - Boston Celtics v Milwaukee Bucks (ESPN 1)

⚽️ 11:30 - Copa Libertadores Quarter-Final - Boca Juniors v Racing Club de Avellaneda (BeIN Sports 1)

🏀 14:30 - NBA - Phoenix Suns v Dallas Mavericks (ESPN 1)