🗞 A Tearful Goodbye

G’day Sports Fans,

🗣️ Classic quote: "Any time Carlton scores more than 100 points and holds the other team below 100 points they almost always win."- Lou Richards

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🇦🇺 Jy Simpkin gets 7 games; In delivering the verdict, panel chief Jeff Gleeson said Webster's bump on Jy Simpkin was a "classic case of avoidable head-high contact".

"Simpkin was wide open, vulnerable to contact, and had no reason to anticipate being bumped after disposing of the football."

Gleeson said the bump was "extremely careless" and Simpkin was in a "relatively defenceless" position.

He said the bump was at the highest end of the definition of careless in the charging guide.

He said the panel accepted Webster's remorse as genuine, and took into consideration the glowing character references that had been shared.

He will be unavailable for St Kilda until the club's round eight match, coincidentally against North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium.

🏉 Corey Parker says he’s OK; Despite suffering symptoms of CTE post-NRL career, while thanking everyone for their support after his admission.

"I do display symptoms of you know, what you could class as CTE and that being memory loss from time to time and a few other things."

"I will just make it clear, I am okay," Parker said.

🇦🇺 Clarify injury timelines;The AFL will crack down on clubs who do not announce a player's specific injury return timeline to the public.

The change to the league's ruling comes after sides like Geelong, Essendon and Richmond came under fire during the 2023 season for not specifying timelines for when players would likely be available for senior selection.

The use of wording like short, medium or long term to describe an injury will no longer be acceptable in 2024.

🏟️ The Brisbane Lions would be willing to stay at the Gabba in its current tired state provided a proposed new super stadium – which would eventually become their home ground – at inner-city Victoria Park for the 2032 Olympics gets the green light.

Findings of a review of the Brisbane Olympics venue infrastructure headed by former lord mayor Graham Quirk are set to be announced later this month.

It’s expected the plans for the Gabba to be redeveloped to become the main Olympic Stadium will be scrapped due to its $2.7bn cost.

🇦🇺 The 2024 AFL season kicks off on Thursday with Sydney (1.85) facing Melbourne (1.96) at the SCG, marking the first-ever Opening Round fixture.

Both teams' 2023 campaigns ended in heartbreaking losses to Carlton. Melbourne faces scrutiny over culture issues, while Sydney gains strength with key acquisitions like Brodie Grundy and Taylor Adams.

However, injuries sideline Adams, Callum Mills, and Luke Parker, weakening Sydney's midfield. Melbourne triumphed twice over Sydney last season, including a 77-56 win at the SCG.

• Sydney has failed to cover the line in each of its last six Thursday night matches at the SCG.

• Seven of Melbourne's last eight night matches have gone UNDER the total match points line.

• Bayley Fritsch has kicked 3+ goals in each of Melbourne's last four matches against Sydney.

• Tom Papley has kicked 2+ goals in each of his last three appearances against Melbourne.

🏉 Official team lists, updates and injury news for Round 1 of the 2024 NRL Telstra Premiership (NRL.com)

• Knights: Co-captain Jayden Brailey is laid up with a hamstring issue, so Phoenix Crossland starts at hooker.

• Raiders: Teenage prospect Ethan Strange has won the battle to have first crack at the No.6 jersey.

• Sharks: Nicho Hynes has been cleared to play after battling a quad complaint.

• Storm: Cameron Munster is named to play as he continues to battle a pre-season groin injury.

• Panthers: Jarome Luai will play his first game since being injured midway through last year’s grand final.

• Bulldogs: New skipper Stephen Crichton lines up at centre 

🏏 Australia stars Meg Lanning and David Warner are among the international players in The Hundred draft for 2024. 

The Hundred 2024 starts on 23 July (BST) with Oval Invincibles hosting Birmingham Phoenix in a double header.

Warner has not previously played in the competition but Lanning represented Trent Rockets in 2022.

There are 75 places available from the draft process in the men's and women's competitions, with 137 players having already been retained across the 16 teams.

⚽️ Brazilian soccer is wild; The Botafogo player drags his “injured” teammate back into the field to try to waste time, then the Fluminense players drag him back out so the game can go on.

🏎️ F1 is a bit of a mess; Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of motorsport's governing body the FIA, is under investigation for allegedly interfering over a Formula 1 race result.

A whistleblower has told the FIA that Ben Sulayem allegedly intervened to overturn a penalty given to Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

🎾 Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep's four-year ban for doping has been reduced to nine months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The decision means Romanian former world number one Halep, 32, can return to tennis as soon as possible.

In response to the ruling, Halep hit out at "scandalous accusations".

While her case was partially upheld, Cas ruled Halep "on the balance of probabilities" had not taken roxadustat intentionally.

🏈 Mo Money mo problems; The Denver Broncos have released quarterback Russell Wilson - just two years after signing him in one of the most valuable trades in NFL history (US$245m)

He was the NFL's fifth-highest paid player in terms of annual salary but won just 11 of his 30 Denver games.

⚽️ Everyone need s striker; Manchester United and Paris St-Germain are emerging as frontrunners to sign Napoli and Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, 25, this summer.

🏈 A tearful Jason Kelce confirmed his retirement on Monday after 13 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.

The 36-year-old spent his entire career with Philadelphia, helping them win their first Super Bowl in 2018 and reach the NFL showpiece again in 2023.

Kelce was a sixth-round draft pick by the Eagles in 2011 but is now regarded as one of the NFL's best-ever centres. (Announcement on Twitter)

🐴 Last year's Champion Hurdle winner Constitution Hill has been ruled out of the Cheltenham Festival.

The seven-year-old had a poor workout at Kempton Park last week which led to medical checks with returned “non-satisfactory”.

TODAY
07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge R16 - Real Sociedad v Paris Saint-Germain (Stan Sport)
07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge R16 - Bayern Munich v Lazio (Stan Sport)
11:30 - NHL - Boston Bruins v Edmonton Oilers (ESPN 2)
11:30 - NBA - Cleveland Cavaliers v Boston Celtics (ESPN)
14:00 - NBA - Denver Nuggets v Phoenix Suns (ESPN)
14:30 - NHL - Los Angeles Kings v Vancouver Canucks (ESPN 2)
20:00 - Pakistan Super League - Quetta Gladiators v Karachi Kings (Fox Sports)

THURSDAY
01:00 - Pakistan Super League - Islamabad United v Lahore Qalandars (Fox Sports)
07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge R16 - Real Madrid v RB Leipzig (Stan Sport)
11:30 - NBA - Houston Rockets v Los Angeles Clippers (ESPN)
14:00 - NBA - Golden State Warriors v Milwaukee Bucks (ESPN)
15:00 - Test Match - India v England (Fox Cricket)
19:30 - AFL - Sydney Swans v Melbourne Demons (Fox Footy or Channel 7)
19:30 - NBL Semi-Final Series - Melbourne United v TBC (ESPN)
20:00 - NRL - Newcastle Knights v Canberra Raiders (Fox League or Channel 9)