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Queensland open to NRL restart talks but Premier wants to hear from league

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.




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NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg steps down

Todd Greenberg resigns with immediate effect after four years leading the NRL, in a decision the sporting body says was mutually agreed.




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NRL warned May 28 return date for season is 'very ambitious'

The league wants its competition back up and running next month after being shut down by coronavirus, but a global sporting group says the NRL cannot focus on financial concerns at the expense of player safety.




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Are car rallies possible in the age of social distancing? Targa Australia thinks so

There might be no crowds at the start and finish lines, and drivers would get Zoom briefings, but Targa Australia says it hopes to still deliver its Far North Queensland tarmac rally in September if some restrictions are lifted.




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AFL, NRL need a united front to get footy started again

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.




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Mal Meninga accuses NRL of using former CEO Todd Greenberg as scapegoat

The rugby league immortal defends Todd Greenberg, who has fallen on his sword, calling on the league to share the blame for the poor financial state it finds itself in during the coronavirus pandemic.




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SANFL sticking to May 31 kick-off but doesn't rule out earlier start

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




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Carlton young gun Sam Walsh urges AFL not to raise its draft age

One of the AFL's rising stars wants the league to ignore calls to raise the minimum draft age from 18, as he worries young players may "lose their way" if it is changed.



  • Australian Football League
  • Sport

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A 10-week AFL season? Patrick Dangerfield says it's a realistic option

The Geelong star and AFL Players' Association president says cramming 16 rounds into 10 weeks is not ideal, but it may be the model the league has to adopt to get the 2020 season completed after the coronavirus shutdown.




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Regions could be lifeline for NRL strategy to restart season

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




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Western Bulldogs player Lachie Hunter suspended over alleged drink-driving crash

Lachie Hunter is suspended for four games, gives up his vice-captaincy of the Western Bulldogs and is fined by the club over a drink-driving incident that saw four parked cars damaged in Melbourne last week.




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Jordan told us we'll think he's a 'horrible guy' in his new documentary, but Scottie Pippen's come off worse so far

After a concerted effort from #NBATwitter to bump up the release date of the Michael Jordan documentary The Last Dance, the first two episodes hit Netflix ahead of time on Monday night and we're already hooked.




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Australia's Olympics boss says Gold Coast key to Queensland bid

The head of the Australian Olympic Committee says the Gold Coast has a key role to play in south-east Queensland's 2032 bid.




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Rugby Australia wants to meet ex-Wallabies skippers after receiving no-confidence letter

Rugby Australia is prepared to hold crisis talks with a group of disgruntled retired Wallabies captains, who have penned a letter to the governing body claiming the game has "lost its way", while demanding a change in leadership.




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NFL draft broadcast set to be technological high-wire act during COVID-19 lockdown

It's usually a glamorous event in front of a packed arena, but this year's NFL draft will be broadcast from nearly 200 locations to sports-starved fans.




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'There's no reason not to resume': NRL says it has government approval for May 28 restart

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




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Raelene Castle safe for now but Rugby Australia won't rule out discussing her future as CEO

Raelene Castle's position as Rugby Australia chief executive is not under review in the wake of the no-confidence letter issued by a group of former Wallabies captains, but the governing body can't guarantee it won't hold discussions down the track.




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Queensland NRL teams could soon follow other clubs to begin training for season reboot

Queensland health authorities will consider giving the state's NRL teams the nod to bypass coronavirus restrictions and resume training as the code prepares to restart the season on May 28.




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AFL 'looking at every possibility' for quarantine hubs as states line up to play host

The idea of the AFL setting up quarantine hubs so it can restart its season is gathering support, with the league looking at every state as a contender to be a host.




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How to invent a sport you're naturally good at

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.




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Raelene Castle announces she will step down as Rugby Australia chief executive

Raelene Castle says "the sport is bigger than any one individual", resigning after the Rugby Australia board told her it wanted "clear air" without her as chief executive.




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Coronavirus upended the AFL and NRL coaching world, leaving many facing uncertain futures

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.




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How Australians in shutdown suddenly became a Belarusian soccer club's number one fans

Despairing the lack of sport around the globe, Adelaide man Shane Robinson and his mates stumbled upon a Belarus football team, FK Slutsk. Little did they know that just weeks later they would be helping the struggling club to survive.




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Rugby Australia slams Raelene Castle's critics after she stepped down as CEO

Rugby Australia chairman Paul McLean defends Raelene Castle's tenure as chief executive, as he calls out the bullying she received from "faceless people" during her time in the job.




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Scott Morrison says we're now in the third phase of the coronavirus pandemic

While the latest coronavirus update from the Prime Minister and Chief Medical Officer looked promising for ways we can start to shift back to normal life, they say it's still too early to start lifting baseline restrictions.




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NRL set for May 28 restart after reaching agreement with broadcasters

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.




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As online betting booms, even old-school bookmakers are keeping pace

With their jobs under significant threat and online wagering taking hold, the coronavirus crisis is causing traditional rails bookmakers to re-imagine their future.




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Brydi, 9, completes world-renowned road race after transformation from three years ago

A smiling, happy Brydi Saul is on a mission to get to the Paralympics. But rewind three years, and it was a very different story.




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Calls for change as coronavirus leaves A-League in crisis

Foxtel has effectively walked away from the A-League halfway through a six-year deal leaving the future of soccer in doubt. Player salaries will likely have to be cut if the game is to return to TV screens and there are calls for change in the way the sport is run in Australia.




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Changing the way we view sport could lead to more inclusivity, say experts

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.




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'None of them are going to starve': Dominic Thiem doesn't want to fund struggling tennis players

The men's world number three has earned more than $37 million during his career, but he says he is not willing to contribute money to a planned relief program to help tennis professionals doing it tough during the coronavirus shutdown.




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NRL players fined $1,000 for camping trip amid coronavirus lockdown

NRL players Latrell Mitchell and Josh Addo-Carr have been fined $1,000 each for breaching the state's coronavirus distancing lockdown during a weekend away, as the NRL describes the getaway as "unacceptable".




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Formula 1 season may resume in Austria in July without spectators

The French Grand Prix cancelled its race scheduled for June 28 rather than postponing it, making July 5 the targeted start date at the Austrian GP in Spielberg.




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Peter V'landys's hyper-aggressive approach to restarting the NRL could end in boom or bust

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?




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Germany's Bundesliga plans its return from lockdown as football world watches

The Bundesliga could be the first top-flight football competition in the world to return from an enforced break due to coronavirus, and may become a test case for how other leagues approach a return to normality.




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Dennis Rodman explodes onto scene as Jordan gets first chip in Netflix documentary series

The latest instalment of The Last Dance shows us the Michael Jordan we know and love, as well as some outlandish antics from Dennis Rodman, including a team-sanctioned mid-season trip to Las Vegas.




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St Kilda's new 'G-Train' Caitlin Greiser wins AFLW All-Australian nod

St Kilda's new cult hero Caitlin Greiser is one of 11 first-time selections in the 2020 AFLW All-Australian team after topping the league's goal-kicking chart.



  • Sport
  • Australian Football League

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AFL to decide location of quarantine hubs this week

The AFL has a comeback date in mind, but unlike the NRL, it's waiting for government and broadcaster sign-off before going public.




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NRL announces 20-round season, grand final to be played in late October

The NRL is hoping to complete 20 rounds of its premiership season and hold the grand final on October 25, as it looks to rebound from the coronavirus crisis.




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Teenager Madison Prespakis named AFLW best-and-fairest for 2020

Madison Prespakis of Carlton is named the winner of the 2020 AFL Women's Best and Fairest award, and Isabell Huntington takes out the rising star award.



  • Australian Football League
  • Sport

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Players who breached social-distancing rules put NRL restart at risk, Federal Sport Minister says

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.




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AFL players in 'shock' over 20-week isolation hub proposal

AFL players are stunned by the league's worst-case scenario for completing the season — that they could have to spend up to 20 weeks in isolation without their families.




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An AFL premiership won't define Dangerfield, but he is still desperate to win a flag

He has claimed almost every individual honour there is in the AFL, but the highest goal continues to drive the Geelong star even during this uncertain 2020 season — a maiden premiership victory.




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Bridget McKenzie breaks her silence, defends handling of sports grants

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.




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Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem can disagree, as some tennis pros struggle on the breadline

As tennis stars disagree over a proposed fighting fund for players during the coronavirus shutdown, it remains clear most lower-ranked professionals struggle to make ends meet plying their trade.




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Usman Khawaja misses out on Cricket Australia contract for 2020/21 season

The experienced Test batsman is left without a Cricket Australia men's contract, while Tahlia McGrath is added to the women's list following a lengthy absence from the national team.




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Bryce Cotton walks out on Perth Wildcats after NBL imposes coronavirus pay cuts

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.




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'Keep a bit of match fitness': Origin star calls for young NRL guns to head home

Former Maroon Dallas Johnson says some fledgling NRL players at the Titans, Broncos and Cowboys should consider playing for their junior clubs this season.




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NRL season restart under a cloud as players raise pay concerns

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.




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'Here we are now, entertain us': Fans demanding players hurry up and get back to work are the ones being selfish

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.