🗞 Working the phones

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Sport Journal
March 26, 2023

G'day sports fans,

Monday Motivation: “There may be people that have more talent than you, but there’s no excuse for anyone to work harder than you do.” – Derek Jeter

🇦🇺 Aussie Sport

AFL SUNDAY WRAP

The Swans were too powerful and polished for a young Hawks side and cruised to their 17.16 (118) to 4.13 (37) victory as Logan McDonald and Joel Amartey enjoyed breakout performances at the SCG on Sunday. (match report)

A career-high five goals from Kyle Langford has seen Essendon pull away from a determined Gold Coast to record a 28-point win.

With scores locked at 72-apiece at three-quarter time, the Bombers added 5.6 to 1.2 in the final term to finish with a 16.12 (108) to 11.14 (80) victory and consign the Suns to a 0-2 start to the year. (match report)

West Coast found a winning brand, responding to a week of fierce criticism with an impressive 19-point result against Greater Western Sydney at Optus Stadium.

Having battled to implement a new game style through a disastrous 2022 season, the Eagles showed what their best can look like when everything clicks, winning 14.16 (100) to 11.15 (81).

🇦🇺 The Western Bulldogs have contacted the AFL integrity unit after Indigenous player Jamarra Ugle-Hagan was targeted in an "abhorrent" racist attack.

🇦🇺 Nathan Broad has been sent straight to the tribunal on a charge of rough conduct by the MRO for his tackle on Adelaide's Patrick Parnell during Saturday afternoon's win.

The MRO also charged Port Adelaide's Ryan Burton with Rough conduct, grading the incident with Collingwood's Jamie Elliott as Careless Conduct, High Impact, High Contact.

Jy Simpkin has been handed a suspension, charged with Striking Fremantle's Caleb Serong.

The MRO findings for the rest of the weekend's action will be released on Monday evening.

🐴 Court documents have laid bare the bitter dispute between Alligator Blood's former owner Allan Endresz and Queensland racing authorities, over the superstar's disqualification from the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas in 2020. (article on racenet)

🐴 Trainer Bjorn Baker confirmed Tancred Stakes winner Arapaho will chase more Group 1 success in the $2 million Sydney Cup (3200m) during The Championships at Royal Randwick next week.

But the other Group 1 winner at last Saturday's Rosehill Gardens meeting, boom filly Prowess, has already returned to New Zealand following her Vinery Stud Stakes romp.

 🏉 The Western Force's struggles in New Zealand continue with a 30-17 loss to the highly professional Blues.

The Force made the Blues work for it early and didn't concede a try until the 29th minute, but were ultimately put away comfortably at Eden Park in their second straight defeat.

🤔 The Eels have been working the phones around the league in recent days in an attempt to sign a "game-breaker" or "X-factor" at the fullback position, according to Nine's Michael Chammas. - If you’re a bit slow this Monday morning, it's the position played by their skipper Clint Gutherson.

🏏 For the second successive season, Western Australia is the undisputed benchmark of men's cricket having emphatically added the Marsh Sheffield Shield to a trophy cabinet already bulging with national one-day and T20 silverware.

Match report: Western Australia win by 9 wickets

🇦🇺 St Kilda skipper Jack Steele will undergo surgery on Monday after breaking his collarbone during the Saints' 51-point win over the Bulldogs on Saturday.

🏉 The Storm have revealed their plan to make a play for club legend and Queensland coach Billy Slater to succeed Craig Bellamy.

Melbourne are of the belief that Bellamy is likely to retire at season’s end, and the club are keen to quickly move and find the 63-year-old’s successor.

According to the Courier Mail, Slater will also be offered a lucrative new deal by Queensland Rugby League to stay on as coach of the Maroons.

NRL SUNDAY WRAP

A Shaun Johnson classic has handed the Warriors their third victory of the season, coming from behind to down the Bulldogs 16-14 in a Sunday afternoon thriller in Auckland. (match report)

The Knights ended a six-game losing streak at home after outclassing the Raiders 24-14 on Sunday afternoon.

After trailing 14-8 at half-time Adam O'Brien's side ran in three tries in six minutes to down an error-riddled Raiders at McDonald Jones Stadium. (match report)

Reigning Dally M Medal winner Nicho Hynes returned with a bang for the Sharks, as Cronulla savaged local rivals St George Illawarra with a dominant 40-8 win to close out Round 4.

A brutally honest Ben Hunt described the Dragons’ second half as “rubbish” while admitting talk surrounding coach Anthony Griffin’s future “won’t go away”(match report)

🏉 Former Wallabies player Drew Mitchell is forecasting "a number of shocks" when Eddie Jones names his first squad since returning as head coach.

This comes on the back of Jospeh Suaalii who has reportedly signed a deal with the 15-man game for $1.6 million a year and will leave the Roosters at the end of next season to take up a three-year, multimillion-dollar contract with the NSW Waratahs and RA.

🌎 World Sport

🏀 The Denver Nuggets beat fellow NBA conference leaders the Milwaukee Bucks 129-106 in a statement victory before the play-offs.

⚽️ Manchester United are interested in signing Brighton's Republic of Ireland international striker Evan Ferguson, 18. (Football Insider)

🏏 England's Jonny Bairstow will miss the Indian Premier League (IPL) to continue his recovery from injury.

He has said he will be fit to play in this summer's Ashes series against Australia, which starts in June.

❌ Three-time Formula 1 world champion Nelson Piquet has been ordered to pay five million Brazilian Reals (AU$1.4m) for making racist and homophobic comments about Lewis Hamilton.

⚽️ Manchester City are ready to offer Norway striker Erling Haaland, 22, a new contract worth £500,000 per week in a bid to stave off interest from Real Madrid. (Sun)

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📺 Live Sport TV Guide

TODAY

10:00 - NBA - Portland Trail Blazers v Oklahoma City Thunder (ESPN)

13:00 - Sheffield Shield Final - Western Australia v Victoria (Fox Cricket)

13:30 - NHL - Los Angeles Kings v St. Louis Blues (ESPN)

TUESDAY

05:45 - UEFA EURO Qualifier - Republic of Ireland v France (Optus Sport 1)

12:00 - ODI Series - New Zealand v Sri Lanka (Fox Cricket)

12:30 - NBA - Denver Nuggets v Philadelphia 76ers (ESPN)

19:30 - Friendly - Australia v Ecuador (10 Bold or Paramount+)