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Please note that as of 2/10/2022 I am no longer active on The Roar. I covered AFL, AFL Women's, NRL, the Supercars and tennis.
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A new chapter in the rivalry between Port Adelaide and the Adelaide Crows will be opened when they face off in the first ever…
All you need to know for Sunday's big games.
Joel Selwood has completed his graduation from being a premiership rookie in 2007 to a premiership captain in 2022, leading his beloved Geelong Cats…
And then there were two. After 198 regular season matches, 1,188 Brownlow Medal votes, 4,781 regular season goals (and a further 194 goals in…
Only four teams remain in the race for this year’s NRL premiership, with the Eels, Panthers and Rabbitohs to carry the hopes of the…
Only four teams remain in the race for the NRLW premiership in the fifth season, with defending premiers the Sydney Roosters looking to make…
World sport has been rocked by the sudden news on Thursday that Roger Federer is to retire from tennis after next week's Laver Cup…
For over 17 years, the Dreamtime at the G has been a highlight on the AFL calendar. First held on a Saturday afternoon during…
Going into the final round of the fifth NRL Women's season, all teams are still in contention for a finals berth, including the last-placed…
Only four teams remain in the race for this year's AFL premiership, with the Geelong Cats and Collingwood to carry the hopes of the…
After week one of the finals, the Melbourne Storm and Sydney Roosters have had their premiership dreams dashed, while the Penrith Panthers and North…
Men's tennis has a brand new Grand Slam champion - and a brand new world number one. His name? 19-year-old Spanish teenage sensation Carlos…
After suffering through a form slump following her French Open victory in June, many questioned whether Iga Swiatek still had the hunger and desire…
And then there were two. The 2022 US Open will reach its climax when Casper Ruud and Carlos Alcaraz square off for not just…
And then there were two. World number one Iga Swiatek will shoot for her second Major title this year when she comes up against…
With only two rounds remaining before the finals, the clash between the Sydney Roosters and Newcastle Knights shapes as a potential grand final preview,…
Carlos Alcaraz's chances of claiming his maiden grand slam title and becoming the youngest men's world No. 1 in history remain alive after he…
Australian involvement in both the men's and women's singles draws are over, with Nick Kyrgios and Ajla Tomljanovic both bowing out of the US…
A new men's Grand Slam champion is guaranteed after Rafael Nadal and Marin Cilic both bowed out of the US Open, leaving Casper Ruud…
For forty years between 1982 and 2011, the Sydney Swans were the only AFL club in town, which naturally meant that Sydneysiders would have…
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And yes that is correct, Optus is only allowed 50% for the Eagles-Suns game, which in normal circumstances wouldn’t draw a full house anyway…
2022 AFL season: Grand final rematch and a return to Sydney headlines opening round
Last I heard, the SA government put a 65% capacity limit on the Adelaide Oval last month, meaning a crowd of only roughly 35K for the Crows-Freo game.
No call on lifting Adelaide Oval capacity as Labor kicks up about dancing ban
2022 AFL season: Grand final rematch and a return to Sydney headlines opening round
My tip for the four teams to enter the competition are the Cowboys and Storm (2023), and Raiders and Warriors (2024, and in the case of the Warriors, re-entry after COVID forced them into recess this year). Would be nice to see north Queensland, Victoria and the ACT represented in our game!
NRLW, Origin expansion exciting steps in move toward full-time professionalism
It should also be remembered that Mal Meninga’s record as Raiders coach (1997-2001) was moderate at best, with the club’s best result during this time being a semi-final showing in 2000 where they lost to the Roosters.
Meninga was sacked the following season, after they finished 11th (out of 14 teams).
And despite his achievements as Queensland Origin coach (nine series wins out of ten between 2006-15), he actually never won a series as captain (1992-94).
Is the future finally looking bright for the Brisbane Broncos?
Cheers Peter. I’ve always been passionate about AFL Women’s (and women’s sport in general for that matter), and have been since the first season in 2017.
Having this competition gives women the chance to shine in a professional sport they were never previously able to play; so much so, the NRL followed suit the following year. Like we have seen in AFLW, the standard in NRLW has continued to improve this year, if what we’ve seen in the first three rounds of the latter competition is anything to go by.
The top six from last year will return for another stint at the flag, with the Adelaide Crows again repeating as minor premiers. The only certainty is that there won’t be a Crows vs Lions Grand Final, because if the Lions (which finished third) beat the Pies in the first qualifying final, they’ll face the Crows in the prelim. The winner of the other qualifying final, between North Melbourne and Fremantle, will face Melbourne in the other prelim.
I reckon it will be a Crows vs Dees Grand Final, with the Crows’ experience and hunger after last year’s heartbreak spurring them on. It would also, potentially, be the best way to send off Erin Phillips as a Crow, as it’s expected Port Adelaide will poach her for their first season in the AFLW later this year (or whenever it happens).
Having the full suite of teams for next season will definitely make things exciting and intriguing.
2022 AFL Women's season: Round 10 preview
Completely forgot about that – my memory must’ve failed me on this occasion.
Is the future finally looking bright for the Brisbane Broncos?
CORRECTION: “… that was preceded by a 26-16 win over the Titans in Newcastle.”
The score was 20-12.
Is the future finally looking bright for the Brisbane Broncos?
The last time the NRL had an odd number of teams was between 2002-06, which necessitated that one team (or two during Origin rounds) have a bye every round.
And yes, the Knights beat the Storm in Melbourne no less. That was before all hell broke loose the following round vs the Eels at Parramatta Stadium when Andrew Johns did his ACL and missed the rest of the season as a result. Newcastle would end up finishing 10th that year – out of the finals for the first time since 1996.
NRL 2022: Men's Round 1 preview and Women's Round 3 preview
Must have misread the round info then. Thanks for the heads up.
NRL 2022: Men's Round 1 preview and Women's Round 3 preview
CLARIFICATION: “… with the tenth-slowest racer going first.”
That should be “tenth-fastest” or “slowest of the ten racers”.
Shane van Gisbergen makes an early statement to open the 2022 Supercars season
My article only went to print this morning, and I had delayed writing it until Wednesday as there was no Friday night football.
Normally, I write my round previews on Tuesdays (or sometimes Mondays if there is a Thursday night match).
2022 AFL Women's season: Round 9 preview
Another noteworthy win was their round 1, 2019 win over the West Coast Eagles at home – at quarter-time they trailed by 27 points and appeared headed for a long night in the office before they turned it all around to win by 44 points.
The Lions would build on that result to finish second on the ladder at season’s end and thus qualify for the finals for the first time in a decade before ultimately going out in straight sets.
The four greatest home-and-away wins in Brisbane Lions history
Ahh yes, I remember the ODI’s during the 2005-06 cricket season were played at (what was then known as) Telstra Dome in that period. The Test you mentioned would’ve been the MCG’s last event before the Commonwealth Games; the venue underwent significant redevelopment in the preceding three-and-a-half years in order to be ready for the event.
The difference between then (2006) and the future (2026) is that Melbourne now has a stadium that was designed to host soccer, rugby league and rugby union, and while unlikely (I say this because the premier Daniel Andrews has stated it will be a mostly regional event) I would also like to see it play host to the rugby seven’s, like Robina Stadium hosted the event on the Gold Coast four years ago.
Why Melbourne should consider hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games
sorry, got that wrong. Was meant to say “Harford’s side”. Apologies for that slip-up.
2022 AFL Women's season: Round 7 preview
This will be massive for the Victorian economy, especially as it continues its recovery from COVID-19. Melbourne Rectangular Stadium would be the most obvious venue for the rugby sevens, while Kardinia Park in Geelong and Eureka Stadium in Ballarat, among other venues, could host cricket.
Though unlikely, would love to see tennis make a comeback – which could raise the prospect of a soon-to-be 30-year-old Ashleigh Barty win a Commonwealth Games gold medal on home soil (she’ll be 29 before April of 2026).
Com Games goes bush: Aussie Premier secures exclusive deal to take event to regional areas in 2026
UPDATE: the Fremantle vs Carlton and West Coast Eagles vs Collingwood matches will go ahead this weekend, behind WA’s hard borders. The Blues and Pies will fly in and fly out for those matches.
2022 AFL Women's season: Round 6 preview
Was a magnificent final to watch. Ash Barty had the pressure of the nation on her shoulders but didn’t seem to show it as she played the match of her life to win the touranment many other Aussies had longed (and failed) to win since that last triumph by Chris O’Neil in 1978.
To fight back from 1-5 in the second set highlights her determination not to give up in the face of adversity, because who knows what would’ve unfolded had it gone to a deciding set? Yes, we know that she was taken to a third set in last year’s Wimbledon final, but how would she have handled the pressure of playing a deciding set in an Australian Open women’s final?
Amazing to think that, of all active players, only she and Serena Williams have won Majors on different surfaces, and that itself is royalty. Who knows how many Majors Ash will end up with when her career comes to a close.
Party like it’s 1978: 4 MILLION tune in as Ash Barty claims Aus Open glory
Also, the original venue of the Australian Open was in Kooyong.
A decade after her Australian Open debut, Ash Barty's date with destiny has arrived
CORRECTION: “…the second of any gender to do so here after Lleyton Hewitt in 2005.”
Pat Cash also made the final in 1988, the very year the Australian Open moved to Melbourne Park.
A decade after her Australian Open debut, Ash Barty's date with destiny has arrived
Thought for a while that was in Brissy, but thanks for the head up.
Australia expects: How all the semi finalists shape up as Barty fights to break drought
All she (and other players for that matter) can do is just take matches one at a time.
If anything, I reckon the media had centered interest in the women’s tournament around the possible Barty vs Osaka fourth round match, as we all now know won’t eventuate. The same thing happened at Wimbledon in 2019, when Barty was drawn to face Serena Williams in the quarter-finals in what would’ve been an intergenerational match, only for the Aussie to lose to Alison Riske in the fourth round after winning the first set.
In recent years women’s tennis has thrown up the odd unexpected champion, such as Iga Swiatek and Barbora Krejcikova at Roland Garros eight months apart between 2020 and 2021, and Emma Raducanu at the US Open last year. While we rarely see this in men’s tennis, it had been known that the next generation would break through sometime, like Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev did at the last two US Opens.
That said, Medvedev deserves to be the title favourite but you just cannot count out Rafael Nadal, who is the only former champion still remaining in the men’s draw.
Now or never for Barty as Osaka crashes out at the Australian Open
“I was also a little confused by you describing Darcy Vescio as ‘the league’s leading goalkicker.’ For all I know, maybe she is since the AFLW began, and perhaps that is what you meant.”
Yes that’s correct; I read the match reports from the previous round when writing my AFLW round previews.
And thanks for the heads up I had forgotten that Carlton lost to Collingwood in round one.
2022 AFL Women's season: Round 3 preview
TOURNAMENT UPDATE
As a lot of you will have heard this evening, Novak Djokovic’s visa has been cancelled, however he is appealing against this decision and whether he actually participates at the Australian Open is now in the balance. As it stands right now, he is still in the draw, but if he is indeed forced out of the country, there will be a draw reshuffle. Stay tuned!
No more Barty party: Forecasting the unpredictable 2022 Australian Open
CORRECTION: Zverev is drawn to play Nadal in the quarters, not the semis.
No more Barty party: Forecasting the unpredictable 2022 Australian Open
Thought it was the other way around, anyway thanks for the correction.
2022 AFL Women's season: Finals Week 1 preview