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NRL season under a cloud following NZ Government's response to coronavirus fears

There is renewed speculation about whether the 2020 NRL season will be postponed following the New Zealand Government's decision to tighten border restrictions.




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AFL looking at cramming matches in case coronavirus postpones season

In what would be a drastic change, the AFL is considering playing as many premiership fixtures as possible in the first weeks of the season in case the coronavirus outbreak forces the competition to shut down.




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NRL season continues for now, but Super Rugby suspends competition over coronavirus

NRL warns the coronavirus pandemic is rugby league's greatest ever challenge but games will continue for the moment, while Super Rugby announces it is suspending its season after this weekend.




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NT's Nightcliff Tigers make NTFL history with back-to-back premierships

Coronavirus concerns see low crowd numbers at the NT's NTFL grand final, where the Nightcliff Tigers make history winning back-to-back premierships in a first for the club, beating St Mary's by 13 points.



  • Sport
  • Australian Football League
  • Community and Society

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Candice discovered she was losing her eyesight — so she took up cycling

The 20-year-old was a softballer on an elite path, but was told her eyesight was failing because of a genetic condition — so she turned to the Tandem Project.




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Cameron Smith wants NRL season suspended because of coronavirus pandemic

The NRL is facing pressure from one of the greats of rugby league, as Melbourne Storm captain Cameron Smith calls for the 2020 season to be halted as a result of coronavirus.




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Wellington Phoenix commit to Australian stay but call for A-League to be postponed

A-League championship contenders Wellington Phoenix believe the competition should be suspended because of coronavirus as they prepare to go into self-isolation in Australia.




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Urgent economic measures being considered as Government moves to calm public

Scott Morrison says Australians need to "help each other out" as ministers call for an end to panic buying, and travel restrictions and bans on mass gatherings come into force.




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NRL players could face salary cuts during coronavirus crisis

NRL boss Todd Greenberg says players could be forced to take pay cuts as the organisation looks to cut costs amid the coronavirus crisis.




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A-League and W-League games to continue behind closed doors

The A-League and W-League seasons will continue despite the coronavirus outbreak, the FFA says, but games will take place behind closed doors and the Wellington Phoenix will be based in Australia.




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The health crisis no-one's talking about

Endometriosis in the AFLW can be debilitating, but experts say it's time to sort the hype from the facts, writes Kate O'Halloran.



  • Sport
  • Australian Football League

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Our major sporting codes are bracing for a huge coronavirus hit as an extended shutdown looms

The coronavirus outbreak has caused chaos on the sporting calendar, with seasons and competitions either cancelled or suspended — and there are even bigger concerns for clubs and leagues, writes Tom Wildie.




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AFL cuts season to 17 rounds but delays call on suspending start of competition

The AFL reduces the men's competition to 17 rounds as it responds to the coronavirus pandemic, but it is yet to decide whether it will postpone the start of the season.




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Coronavirus will inflict financial pain on the AFL and NRL. But who will pick up the bill?

Even wealthy sports are going to take a massive hit, and the only guarantee is that someone will have to pay, writes Richard Hinds.




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Will football be suspended if a player catches COVID-19? It depends on the code

The AFL and NRL will both play matches this weekend, but both leagues are taking different approaches to dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.




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NSW handed Sheffield Shield as coronavirus bring season to abrupt finish

Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cricket Australia calls for a halt to all community and grade cricket, cancelling the Sheffield Shield final and handing the title to New South Wales.




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SANFL facing more 'tough decisions' as coronavirus hits season

South Australia's premier football league forced into tough call and the prospect of drastic reductions to Adelaide Oval revenue.




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Perth Wildcats demand NBL trophy after Kings' coronavirus fears end finals series

The NBL have yet to confirm a winner of the now cancelled Grand Final series between Perth and Sydney but the Wildcats are adamant that they deserve the title, not the Kings.




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AFL delays decision on 2020 season opener as players demand 22 rounds

The AFL will decide on Wednesday whether the opening round of the men's season will go ahead this week, as the players push for a full home-and-away campaign of 22 matches instead of 17.




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Abe says Olympics will go ahead despite top official testing positive to COVID-19

Japan's plans to hold a "complete" Olympics despite the advent of coronavirus may have taken a hit after one of its top Olympic committee officials was diagnosed with COVID-19.




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'That's how we play the game': The essence and beauty of football on the Tiwi Islands

The game of footy is almost a different sport on the Northern Territory's Tiwi Islands — a place where former AFL star Austin Wonaeamirri says Aussie Rules is a way of life.




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The big hit: An extended coronavirus shutdown may change sport as we know it in Australia

With the major sports leagues in Australia facing an extended shutdown, the financial impacts could be severe, if not devastating for clubs and sports as a whole.




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The 'madness' and uncertainty of the coronavirus outbreak has floored grassroots sport

It is not just the major national sports leagues and events being stalled by coronavirus, with everyone from semi-professional all the way to junior athletes across the country caught up in the storm.




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Kids sport is off, but not because the government said so

With a lack of clear instruction from above, the local competitions and clubs have taken matters into their own hands.




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Euro 2020 postponed as coronavirus hits the sporting calendar

UEFA postpones the European football championships, with the French Open tennis tournament and cycling classics also delayed as European sport continues to deal with the fallout of the coronavirus outbreak.




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Australia's richest footrace Stawell Gift on hold drawing a pall over busy Easter business

The long-term future of the Stawell Gift is secure, but businesses could be forced to close after this year's event was put on hold.



  • Sport
  • Epidemics and Pandemics
  • Regional
  • Business
  • Economics and Finance
  • Infectious Diseases (Other)
  • Diseases and Disorders

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'Bring the game home': Elders say hosting match will be just recognition for footy's birthplace

Titta Secombe says it's time the origins of Australian Rules football — which she says involved Indigenous mobs playing for pride with a possum-skin ball — are properly recognised.



  • Indigenous (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander)
  • History
  • Australian Football League
  • Sport
  • Community and Society
  • Human Interest

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Community rugby league clubs set to 'go under' as coronavirus leaves its impact at grassroots level

The impact of coronavirus is not just being felt in the NRL, as community and junior rugby league clubs struggle to stay afloat because of the current health crisis.




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Finke Desert Race cancelled due to coronavirus, costing Alice Springs millions

Australia's toughest off-road motorsport event is called off for the first time in its 44-year history amid concerns competitors or visitors might spread coronavirus to remote communities.




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AFL to go ahead with round one amid coronavirus crisis

The league's commission decides to go ahead with at least the first round of the men's 2020 season after days of doubt over the fate of the season.




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The knowns and unknowns of the 2020 AFL season

Who is projected to finish on top of the ladder? What impact will the lack of crowds have on the AFL season? Will the season even be completed? We crunch the numbers ahead of the first bounce.



  • Sport
  • Australian Football League

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AOC preparing for Tokyo Olympics to go ahead as planned

The Australian Olympic Committee is preparing for the Olympic Games to go ahead as planned on July 14 despite the coronavirus threat, saying the International Olympic Committee is not living in an "Olympic bubble".




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Perth Wildcats awarded NBL title after coronavirus interrupts grand final series

The Wildcats are awarded the NBL championship, with the league announcing their decision two days after the grand final series against the Kings was cancelled because of the coronavirus crisis.




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Will racing shut down with a positive coronavirus test? Not necessarily, according to officials

Racing is hoping to buck the trend of sports shutting down during the coronavirus pandemic, even if a jockey tests positive.




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Coronavirus forces NRL to introduce self-isolation program for players

The NRL is introducing a self-isolation program for its players, as it looks to continue the premiership amid the coronavirus pandemic.




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Coronavirus shutdown could send country footy clubs to the wall

This autumn, for the first time since World War II, footy fields across Victoria will be empty on Saturdays, which could spell the end for some struggling regional clubs.




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'It is like a ghost town': AFL, NRL enter the brave new world of no crowds at matches

AFL and NRL players begin to get used to the "weird" sensation of playing matches inside empty stadiums as both competitions step up measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic.




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AFLW talent spread too thin? Next gen can 'change the game in two years'

A new generation of female footy players is beginning to hit the AFLW, with coaches saying their talent is "really quite scary" and could change the game in the next few years.




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Olympic organisers commit to July games date despite COVID-19 outbreak

While major events are being cancelled and postponed around the world, those behind the Tokyo Olympics say they don't have to make a decision about the games with just four months to go.




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AFL a masterclass in social distance signalling — maintaining a facade of following the rules

The league, clubs and broadcasters found multiple ways to demonstrate they could stage the game without breaching all these cloying new societal protocols, writes Richard Hinds.




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NZ Warriors to stay in Australia amid coronavirus troubles for NRL

The NRL season still has 16 teams, as the New Zealand Warriors make the call to remain based in Australia for the foreseeable future.




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Former English Premier League player Peter Whittingham dies aged 35 after pub fall

Former English Premier League footballer Peter Whittingham dies at the age of 35, nearly two weeks after an accidental fall.




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AFL to shut down for 30 days if player has coronavirus

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan says the competition will shut down for at least 30 days — not 14 — if a player tests positive to coronavirus.




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Middle-aged women are turning to bodybuilding — and they've got the edge on their younger rivals

The transformative nature of bodybuilding is particularly appealing to those already going through a transition period: middle-aged women.




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The footy rolls on, and the fan inside us all should enjoy it while it lasts

The world is shutting down but the AFL and NRL are among the very small handful of sports carrying on. The risks are real, writes David Mark, but their presence should be treasured for now.





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Suburban cricket finals go ahead against Cricket Victoria's 'strong recommendation'

A suburban Melbourne community cricket competition's finals matches are going ahead this weekend against the advice of the sport's state and national governing bodies and despite the concerns of some teams and players.




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Melbourne City captures W-League championship with grand final win over Sydney FC

The undefeated Melbourne City missed its supporters in the grandstand as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, but the W-League giant is celebrating another championship after beating Sydney FC 1-0 in the season decider.




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Giants crush Cats as Power overwhelm Suns in AFL's opening round

As the AFL's ban on spectators continues because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Giants and Power impress in their season openers, while the Bombers and Swans also enjoy victories.




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Warriors lose to Raiders on Gold Coast as Storm and Sea Eagles triumph

The Warriors go down to the Raiders during their indefinite NRL road trip in Australia caused by the coronavirus pandemic, while the Storm and Sea Eagles manage wins.