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Please note that as of 2/10/2022 I am no longer active on The Roar.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…
You may also recall that Paul Roos and the Swans copped plenty of severe criticism for the way they played against the Saints earlier that season (in Fraser Gehrig’s 200th, the Saints blew them out of the water with a 43-point win with the G-Train kicking seven goals). If I also remember correctly, that match copped some terrible television ratings in Sydney as well.
Both Andrew Demetriou and Robert Walls went as far as saying that the club couldn’t win the flag that year, but both would ultimately be proven wrong. Ironically it was the Saints that would save their worst for when it mattered most, despite going in as flag favourites.
The ten greatest preliminary finals of the last 30 years
I was at that game, and as a GWS member I was so heartbroken that I left immediately after the final siren. Still, it was a privilege for me to witness one of the great finals matches in the flesh.
The ten greatest preliminary finals of the last 30 years
May have to wait until the team lists are released tonight, but there is a good chance he will.
'Through hell and back': AFL prelim previews
From what I can remember, Parra attended the Grand Final breakfast that year looking tense and nervous, while the Knights seemed to enjoy it more. Also worth noting, the Novocastrians had only won the title four years earlier in 1997 and so had that big game experience as opposed to the Eels side which was contesting its first decider since 1986.
Still on the Eels, when they reached the Grand Final in 2009, they tended to enjoyed the moment more because they were the underdog and didn’t have the burden of favouritism on their shoulders. Sydney embraced them, as they would in a typical Sydney vs Melbourne rivalry.
NRL finals Week 1 preview: The quest to stop the Storm
Now that’s the million dollar question. As I noted in the article, they have twice wasted a double chance, in 2017 and 2020, and in both years were unlucky to have had to face the Storm in a qualifying final.
The other time they reached the finals in the past decade, in 2019, they thrashed the Broncos by 58-0 only to then get blanked themselves by the Storm in the semi (32-0).
My feeling is that if the Eels drop their first final, it could be curtains as far as Brad Arthur’s coaching career is concerned.
NRL finals Week 1 preview: The quest to stop the Storm
Cheers, I hope you are enjoying the US Open as much as I am.
Two more favourites fall in New York as Djokovic closes in on the Calendar Slam
“There’s no telecaster for the Beijing Paralympic Games but I believe that Seven will more likely have the rights to the Games (becuase due to the fact that Seven secured the rights to the 2022 WInter Olympics in Beijing).”
I think you’d be on the money with that. The last Winter Paralympics, Seven was restricted to only daily highlights, partially because of 1) the limited sports/disciplines that were held and 2) the fact that winter sports aren’t really our strength, Alisa Camplin and Steven Bradbury aside.
A look back at Australia's very successful Tokyo Paralympics campaign
CORRECTION: “She did, however, reach last year’s US Open final – her first in eight years…”
That should be seven years – prior to last year, her most recent appearance in a US Open final was in 2013.
Azarenka, Muguruza set up third round clash while Osaka walks over
Sorry I forgot about those two losses in 2019.
It's winners vs losers: AFL finals Week 2 preview
Some (if not all) of the time, it’s not how you perform in the regular season, but rather how you perform in September, that counts.
Look at Parramatta in 2001 for example – they broke all sorts of records but then choked in the biggest match of all. Again looking at them in 2009 – they had a poor season right up until just after Origin, but then went on a stunning run that took them to a shock Grand Final berth where they then fell short vs the Storm.
The difference between 2001 and 2009 was that the Eels went into the latter Grand Final with a relaxed attitude as opposed to the former year when they appeared nervous as hell and were caught on the hop by the Newcastle Knights (which still had remnants of its 1997 premiership side playing in their 2001 team).
In 2005 the Eels and Broncos were the standout teams for the majority of the season, but neither side reached the Grand Final. The Wests Tigers were as low as 12th after round 15, but timed their run to an unexpected premiership well.
2021 NRL season: Round 25 preview
UPDATE: Both Williams sisters have withdrawn from the US Open due to injuries.
2021 US Open: Preview
That’s a good point you make there!
Also, this year and in 2004, a Summer Olympics were held, too. That being said, this is the first season in which Essendon has made a finals series in the same year a Summer Olympics was held (though the Tokyo Games delayed by twelve months due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
Historic firsts and only one 'home' advantage: AFL finals Week 1 preview
at least for the Giants, which had made a Grand Final in 2019 and were expected to again contend for the flag in season 2020, even with the season interruptions.
The Swans also failed to win a match in south-east Queensland last year, too.
Two Sydney derbies in two different sports is what Sydney needs right now
I think it was a tongue-in-cheek from the Parramatta Lord Mayor in reference to the Storm’s salary cap scandal.
Also worth noting, while the Eels went into the 2009 decider as the underdogs, they took a more relaxed approach as opposed to 2001 when they were the ones feeling the pressure and were thus caught out by the Knights early on (it was 24-0 to the Knights at HT). I still remember the Eels players feeling nervous at the Grand Final breakfast two decades ago, whereas in 2009 they seemed to enjoy the moment more.
History awaits the Melbourne Storm this Saturday night
In a way I was somewhat disappointed that he wouldn’t go on for another season, as he would’ve had the chance to bring up his 400th game as coach in round ten.
Anyway, as I noted in the article, he leaves Hawthorn in a better state than when he found it, and in the more than capable hands of Sam Mitchell.
Thanks for the memories, Clarko
CORRECTION: their round eleven clash was played in Dubbo, not Bathurst.
Finals come early for the Panthers and Rabbitohs in Brisbane this Friday night
I did say “if Essendon and West Coast beat Gold Coast and Freo respectively“ meaning Bombers > Suns and Eagles > Freo.
And thanks for correcting the ordinal mistake it was on my end.
The beginning of the end of Richmond - or is it?
which is why I didn’t include him in the small group of Hawthorn players that are still at the club.
The beginning of the end of Richmond - or is it?
Nope – Dean Rioli (Essendon) missed out on playing in his side’s 2000 premiership, and the following year he played in the Grand Final where they finished runners-up to the Brisbane Lions.
Maurice Rioli also won the Norm Smith Medal in the year Richmond lost to Carlton in the Grand Final (1982).
The beginning of the end of Richmond - or is it?
they proved they could win without Toby and Cogs against West Coast in round ten, though I’d put the result down to the Eagles’ poor record on the road.
Do or die for GWS and Richmond this Friday night
Also worth noting, when Beijing had the Summer Olympics in 2008, it was also in the same timezone as WA so those residents would’ve been watching events in “real time”, if you know what I mean.
A look back at Australia's very successful Tokyo Olympics campaign
CLARIFICATION: “being the only Australian male individual gold medallist.”
Add to that: “…in the swimming pool”.
A look back at Australia's very successful Tokyo Olympics campaign
I think Channel 10 should consider itself lucky that they were assigned to televise the Bulldogs vs West Coast game that was being played at the same time as the Cats vs Dees match.
The following week, however, the Port-Pies match that was shown on Ten turned into a blowout, while at the same time the Bombers and Swans played out a thriller at Etihad Stadium, which the former team won after Adam Goodes missed a set shot at goal after the final siren.
Revisiting the Geelong Cats vs Melbourne massacre at Kardinia Park a decade on
“I’m pretty sure have beaten them in Geelong a couple of times too”
Just once, in fact (round twelve, 2015). It was Corey Enright’s 300th game.
Including that win, the Dees have beaten Geelong just three times since 2006.
Revisiting the Geelong Cats vs Melbourne massacre at Kardinia Park a decade on
That is not possible this time, because Alexander Zverev, who faces Novak Djokovic in the men’s semis tomorrow morning (AEST), is 24.
But yes, it would be nice if we could have two teens facing off in a men’s Major final one day. If my memory serves me well, Rafa (2005 French Open) was the last male teenager to reach a Major final, let alone win one, when he beat Mariano Puerta to win the first of his 20 Major titles.
Raducanu, Fernandez in all-teen US Open final