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Good afternoon,

The AFL Grand Final is set, with the Fremantle Dockers set to challenge two-time reigning premiers, the Brisbane Lions, for the 2026 AFL Premiership this Saturday.

The Dockers, chasing the clubโ€™s first premiership, beat the Sydney Swans 83-71 on Friday, while the Lions defeated Hawthorn 131-122 in a preliminary final for the ages on Saturday.

In the meantime, the Lions are set to appeal a one-match ban handed down to veteran midfielder Lachie Neale for striking Hawthornโ€™s Jack Ginnivan during the match, and the 2026 Brownlow medallist will be named tonight.

If you want to understand more about the Brownlow before tonightโ€™s ceremony, scroll down to todayโ€™s 2-minute.

Who would you rather see win?

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Stat of the day

1 hour 5 minutes and 15 seconds
The time it took Kenyaโ€™s Agnes Ngetich to finish a half marathon at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen. Ngetichโ€™s time is a new world record for the women-only half marathon, meaning there were no male competitors or pacers on the course. She beat the previous record, set by fellow Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir in 2020, by one second. Next week, three of TDAโ€™s very own (Billi, Orla, and Avegail) will be running a half marathon. Could the record be in danger?

Agnes Ngetich crosses the line in Copenhagen (Getty)

Quote of the day

โ€œIโ€™ve never thought about how hot a stadium can be if itโ€™s turfโ€ฆ This is why we want all grass fields, to create a standard of play in the league where weโ€™re not putting players in dangerous positions.โ€
Australian NFL star Jordan Mailata after several players had issues with melting cleats during the Philadelphia Eagles 24-20 win over the Tennessee Titans. The air temperature during the game was 35ยฐC, but the temperature of the artificial grass (turf) reached as high as 69ยฐC, according to the TV broadcast.

Jordan Mailata (right) and Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (Getty)

Random fact of the day

During his time with Manchester City, Erling Haaland has scored against all 25 English Premier League (EPL) teams he has played against. Haaland scored against Sunderland in Cityโ€™s 5-3 win over the weekend to complete the set. Only one other player, Harry Kane, has played more than one EPL match and scored against every team he played against (32) at least once.

Recommendation of the day

Win two tickets to Super Bowl LXI - and sleep inside the stadium itself.

Marriott Bonvoy is turning a SoFi Stadium suite into a hotel room. One winner will wake up there on Super Bowl Sunday, with flights and stay in LA included.

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In case you missed itโ€ฆ

๐Ÿ Australia edged Zimbabwe by one wicket in a nail-biting finish in Harare on Sunday, completing a 3-0 sweep of the three-match ODI series. Wicketkeeper Josh Inglis anchored Australiaโ€™s run chase with his second ODI hundred, while paceman Nathan Ellis held his nerve to score 36 runs and lead a match-winning 27-run partnership with Spencer Johnson. Ellis scored the winning run with just one ball remaining.

Josh Inglis scored a century in the third and final ODI (AAP)

๐Ÿ‰ Hawthorn stunned two-time defending AFLW premiers North Melbourne 32-25 in Cairns on Friday night, ending the Kangaroos' 32-game winning streak, a run unmatched across the AFLW, AFL and VFL. Midfielder Jasmine Fleming led the seven-point upset with 25 disposals, filling the void left by injured Hawks captain Emily Bates, who was sidelined with a knee injury last week. North's last defeat came in the 2023 Grand Final. The Melbourne Demons remain the only undefeated team in the competition this season after beating Carlton 58-24 on Saturday.

Hawthorn celebrate a historic victory on Friday night (Getty)

๐Ÿ€ The Australian Rollers claimed their first men's wheelchair basketball world championship title in 12 years on Sunday, with an 81-57 win over Italy in the final. 21-year-old Jaylen Brown top-scored for Australia with 28 points, having averaged just under 30 points a game across the tournament. It was Australia's third world crown, following wins in 2010 and again in 2014.

The Rollers lift the world championship trophy (AP)

๐Ÿ‰ The Newcastle Knights stunned the New Zealand Warriors 12-10 before 48,511 fans at Eden Park on Sunday to reach their first NRL preliminary final since 2013. The Knights will meet minor premiers Penrith next Sunday. Earlier in the weekend, the Sydney Roosters defeated the Cronulla Sharks 46-10 in Sydney, ending Cronullaโ€™s season and setting up a preliminary final with the Dolphins next week. In the NRLW, two elimination finals saw the Canberra Raiders down Wests Tigers 6-0, and the Brisbane Broncos beat the Newcastle Knights 40-16.

Knights star Kalyn Ponga makes a break (Getty)

๐Ÿšด Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepoel won the men's world time trial title for a fourth consecutive time on Sunday at the UCI Road World Championships in Montreal. The 26-year-old finished nearly a minute ahead of Italy's Filippo Ganna to become the third male cyclist to win the event four times, and the first to do so in consecutive years. Meanwhile, Switzerland's Marlen Reusser defended her women's crown on her 35th birthday, seeing off British 21-year-old Zoรซ Bรคckstedt by 40 seconds.

World champions Marlen Reusser and Remco Evenepoel (Getty)

A message from Swisse

Only 3% of Australia's medical research funding goes towards women's health issues.

If that makes you feel hysterical, you're not alone. Swisse gets it: that's why they've launched HYSTERIA, a platform reclaiming the word and pushing for real conversation and funding for women's health. Their Ultiboost range backs that up, with support for everything from PMS and hormones to vaginal health and mental clarity, at every life stage.

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(Getty)

Australia claims first Davis Cup win on home soil since 2022 to seal spot in 2027 Qualifiers

Australia has booked a spot in the 2027 Davis Cup Qualifiers following a 3-1 win over Poland at Pat Rafter Arena in Brisbane on Sunday. It marked Australiaโ€™s first Davis Cup win on home soil since 2022.

Hereโ€™s what to know.

How the tie unfolded

Saturday's opening singles finished 1-1, with Alex de Minaur beating Maks Kasnikowski in straight sets before Australian teammate James Duckworth went down to Kamil Majchrzak in three sets.

On Sunday, Australia took a 2-1 lead after doubles pairing Max Purcell and Rinky Hijikata defeated Polish duo Jan Zieliล„ski and Karol Drzewiecki in straight sets.

World number nine de Minaur then closed out the tie with a dominant singles win over Majchrzak (6-3, 6-3).

What's next

The result reversed Australia's fortunes after a shock loss to Ecuador in a tie earlier this year forced captain Lleyton Hewitt's side into the must-win qualifier. The team will next be in action in February's Qualifiers, where a place at the November 2027 Finals in Italy will be up for grabs.

Australia has won the Davis Cup 28 times, more than any nation besides the United States, though its most recent title came in 2003.

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Gold Coast star Matt Rowell won the Brownlow Medal in 2025 (Getty)

How is the AFL's Brownlow Medal actually decided?

The Brownlow Medal is an annual award for the AFL's best and fairest player. It's recognised as the highest individual honour in the AFL. But how does it actually work? Here's what to know before tonight's ceremony at 8pm (AEST) on Channel 7.

How does it work?

The Brownlow is voted on by the league's umpires. After every game during the regular season, the four field umpires who officiated the match meet and must agree on which three players performed the best. The best player is awarded three votes (effectively points), the second-best two and the third-best one.

This year, the league also introduced a shift in the voting process where the umpires had access to player statistics after the match to assist with their voting. Previously, they voted based only on what they saw on the field. During the ceremony, AFL CEO Andrew Dillon will go through all 207 fixtures during the AFL regular season โ€“ not the finals games โ€“ and read out the three players who received votes. The top players and captains from every club, past winners, and coaches and officials are invited to the ceremony.

Suspensions

Players who have been suspended by the AFL Tribunal during the season are ineligible to win the Brownlow Medal. These players can still tally votes and even finish the night at the top of the leaderboard, but will remain ineligible to collect the award. In August, the Sydney Swans suspended five players โ€“ Isaac Heeney, Nick Blakey, Chad Warner, Riley Bice, and James Jordon โ€“ for a breach of standards which included staying out late, drinking, and having people in their hotel room after a match in Melbourne.

Four of the five have spoken to Victoria Police as part of a sexual assault investigation relating to an incident on the same evening. TDA is not suggesting the players face allegations, only that they have spoken to police. Given that these players were suspended by their club and not by the league, they will still be eligible to tally Brownlow votes and even win the medal (though that is unlikely). Heeney, Warner, and Blakey are all likely to receive votes. Last month, Dillon said the players will not be invited to the ceremony.

Whoโ€™s the favourite?

The favourite to win this year's award is Collingwood midfielder Nick Daicos. In the past three years, the 23-year-old has finished third once and runner-up twice. Daicos was also the favourite to win last year's award but finished runner-up to the Gold Coast Suns' Matt Rowell.

Looking backโ€ฆ

AFL Finals (Preliminary Finals)

Who: Sydney Swans v Fremantle
Result: Fremantle won 83-71

Who: Hawthorn v Brisbane Lions
Result: Brisbane Lions won 131-122

AFLW (Round 6)

Who: Hawthorn v North Melbourne
Result: Hawthorn won 4.8 (32) to 3.7 (25)

Who: Geelong v Collingwood
Result: Geelong won 6.1 (37) to 3.14 (32)

Who: Melbourne v Carlton
Result: Melbourne won 8.10 (58) to 3.6 (24)

Who: Sydney Swans v Port Adelaide
Result: Sydney Swans won 5.7 (37) to 4.6 (30)

Who: Western Bulldogs v Fremantle
Result: Western Bulldogs won 6.4 (40) to 4.6 (30)

Who: Richmond v GWS Giants
Result: Richmond won 9.14 (68) to 10.1 (61)

Who: Gold Coast Suns v Essendon
Result: Gold Coast Suns won 7.9 (51) to 1.4 (10)

Who: West Coast Eagles v St Kilda
Result: West Coast Eagles won 5.6 (36) to 3.7 (25)

Who: Adelaide v Brisbane Lions
Result: Adelaide won 5.9 (39) to 4.6 (30)

NRL Finals (Semi Finals)

Who: Roosters v Sharks
Result: Roosters won 46-10

Who: Warriors v Knights
Result: Knights won 12-10

NRLW Finals (Elimination Finals)

Who: Tigers v Raiders
Result: Raiders won 6-0

Who: Broncos v Knights
Result: Broncos won 40-16

International cricket

Who: Zimbabwe v Australia (Second ODI)
Result: Australia won by 84 runs

Who: Zimbabwe v Australia (Third ODI)
Result: Australia won by one wicket (Australia won the series 3-0)

Davis Cup (World Group I)

Who: Australia v Poland
Result: Australia won 3-1

BMW PGA Championship (Final Round)

Who: The world's best golfers
Result: JJ Spaun won by two shots

UCI Road World Championships (Elite Time Trials)

Who: The world's best female cyclists
Result: Marlen Reusser won the women's time trial

Who: The world's best male cyclists
Result: Remco Evenepoel won the men's time trial

WXV Global Series

Who: France v Wallaroos
Result: France won 29-26

World Surf League (Trestles Pro)

Who: Erin Brooks v Gabriela Bryan
Result: Brooks won 13.00 to 11.90

Who: Miguel Pupo v Kanoa Igarashi (men's final)
Result: Pupo won 14.77 to 14.40

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