Australia's four football codes make a big show of investing in their women's teams and competitions, but their commitment to the cause is under the spotlight amid the coronavirus pandemic, writes Amanda Shalala.

Alicia Meneghetti met Stephen Dank in 2014 when the sports scientist was at the centre of Essendon's infamous supplements program and serving a lifetime ban.

With major sporting competitions on hold because of coronavirus, now is the time to reassess how we approach the sport-lifestyle balance of professional athletes and even how they are recruited, writes Richard Hinds.

Young Adelaide Crows forward Tyson Stengle has been reported for drink driving after he recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.125. He is the second AFL player to be caught up in a drink driving offence in the last 24 hours.

Australia's elite sportspeople wronged by dud selection calls or dodgy doping violations are set to chase justice in a new legal arena.

Annastacia Palaszczuk softens her stance on the NRL's attempt to restart the competition during the coronavirus pandemic, but says the league is yet to submit any plan.

Gillon McLachlan and Peter V'landys may be in charge of two rival football codes, but it would be wise for them to work together to make sure both their games get back on the field this year, writes Richard Hinds.

The SANFL sidesteps speculation it could resume games earlier than planned, despite South Australia recording zero new cases of coronavirus over three consecutive days.

A plan being hatched inside the walls of rugby league headquarters could see Mudgee host games in a modified NRL competition.

NRL clubs will be able to resume training from May 4 as the competition charges towards its planned restart three weeks later.

Don't let all this extra time at home get in the way of your long-cherished athletic goals. Here's how you can emerge from social distancing the proud champion of a sport you've just invented.

Assistant coaches are among those doing it tough in Australia's football codes during the coronavirus shutdown, as they learn to adapt to a challenging environment, writes Richard Hinds.

NRL television broadcasters Channel Nine and Foxtel agree to recognise May 28 as the competition recommencement date following extensive meetings, according to chairman Peter V'landys.

Imagine an Australia where every sporting club in the country had players with autism and intellectual disability playing on teams, serving on committees, and helping run events.

Flattering comparisons with other leading sports officials have also helped elevate the ARL chairman's current status as the can-do man of Australian sport, but as Richard Hinds asks, is he about to make a huge mistake?

Federal Minister Richard Colbeck says he hopes sport halted by the coronavirus pandemic can get started again, but warns NRL players' misbehaviour threatens a return of play.

Former Cabinet minister Bridget McKenzie defends her actions in the sports grants scandal, saying it was her "responsibility" to exercise discretion and allocate grants to projects that had not been merit-listed.

Perth Wildcats star Bryce Cotton has walked out on the final year of his contract with the club, citing unforeseen circumstances, after the NBL announced big pay cuts in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

The resumption of the NRL season on May 28 remains in doubt, with the players seeking answers over pay and other conditions only days out from their planned return to training.

The cries of football fans demanding players return to the field under any circumstances have become shrill as the craving for lockdown distraction turns from stoical whimsy to rank desperation, writes Richard Hinds.

The NRL has declared its intention to come back in four weeks, but the Government wants you to beat them onto the park, court, even bowling green.

AFL chief Gillon McLachlan is cautiously optimistic following yesterday's National Cabinet meeting — and he leaves open the possibility that the league's hubs model might not be needed to get through the season.

The reigning champions of the Women's World Cup have the equal pay elements of their multiple-claims lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation tossed out by a federal judge.

Sporting organisations can afford to join the national redress scheme for institutional child sexual abuse but have chosen not to, according to government documents obtained by the ABC.

Former footballer, AFP assistant commissioner and ASADA boss David Sharpe says his first challenge at the newly former Sport Integrity Australia will be to tackle organised crime.

Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin says he did his best "Bradbury" to avoid the carnage and win the virtual IndyCar race at Indianapolis.

Five men are charged with match fixing offences — some of which carry penalties of up to 10 years in jail — as part of the first Australian criminal investigation into esports.

Despite more relaxed coronavirus restrictions in South Australia and Western Australia, the AFL says it does not want clubs from those states training in bigger groups until Victorian teams are allowed to do so.

Junior participation numbers in sport may face long-term effects caused by the coronavirus shutdown, meaning it's crucial community clubs act now so the battle isn't lost, writes Richard Hinds.

Chinese swimmer Sun Yang has reportedly appealed against his eight-year suspension for doping — it is the three-time Olympic champion's last hope to remain eligible for a fourth Games in Tokyo.

The NRL ticks another box ahead of its planned restart later this month, as the players officially sign off on a new pay agreement ahead of a return to training this week.

Americans should have been marking a milestone at the weekend — both in sport and the civil rights movement. Instead, a grieving nation has been forced to go without.

Community sporting clubs, particularly in country towns, are facing "catastrophic" consequences because of coronavirus, Australia's leading sports fundraiser warns.

Residents in the Adelaide Hills will cover the cost of an "unfortunate" planning error involving state soccer authorities which has led to construction of smaller pitches than intended in original plans.

Rapman moves from YouTube to feature films with "Blue Story," a tale of two South-East London friends living in different neighborhoods torn apart by gang violence.

Anderson Cooper says he and ex-partner Benjamin Maisani are not back together, but they will co-parent new baby Wyatt Morgan Cooper.

TikTok, a popular based social video app owned by China-based ByteDance, has seen explosive growth this year amid the coronavirus crisis. The company has plans to hire more people, including at its Culver City office.

Prince Harry shot the sweet video of Meghan Markle reading a book to their son, Archie, for #SaveWithStories, a coronavirus-relief initiative.

Adele returned to Instagram for the first time in several months to thank fans for their birthday wishes and salute workers on the pandemic's front lines.

What Hulu's 'Mrs. America' gets right and wrong about Republican congresswoman Jill Ruckelshaus and evangelical activist Lottie Beth Hobbs in Episode 6.

The feature directing debut for actor Clark Duke, "Arkansas" amiably places Liam Hemsworth in a dangerous world of low-level criminals.

We chat with two movie vets featured on Disney+'s "Prop Culture": the director of "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" and the animator of "The Nightmare Before Christmas."

"Pose" star Mj Rodriguez discusses what's helping her endure the grief of losing her grandmother and her aunt to coronavirus.

Matt Wolf's latest documentary, "Spaceship Earth," is a layered and absorbing account of a widely dismissed but remarkable scientific study.

According to reports, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are quarantining in a Beverly Hills home owned by "Madea" franchise mastermind Tyler Perry.

What's on TV Friday, May 8: Great Performances: L.A. Phil's 100th Birthday in PBS; Coronavirus; Movies on TV; TV Talk Shows

Long before coronavirus, we attended the Beverly Hills Dog Show to shoot portraits of the pups and their owners. Let them brighten your Friday.

In March, Hollywood unions applauded a government package to help entertainment gig workers. Flaws in the rollout meant many couldn't access it.

Artivist Nikkolas Smith combines personal storytelling with issues of national significance in his work.

In the U.S. almost three quarters use it, along with others such as Instagram and Snapchat. Twenty-four per cent say they’re online almost constantly.