Amar’e Stoudemire played in the NBA from 2002 to 2016 and has a glittering basketball CV.

He was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2003, is a 6x NBA All-Star, and was recently inducted into the sport’s Hall of Fame.

But it wasn’t until now, at age 43, that he got to start living out his childhood dream. This week, Stoudemire graduated from Miami’s police academy and is now on the road to becoming a fully-fledged police officer.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, the 6-foot-10 former centre said: “Back when I was in grade school, elementary school. They asked you on career day, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ And my initial response was a police officer.”

Talk about a career change!

🏉 Carlton defender Lachie Cowan has been suspended by the AFL for two matches after he admitted to taking an illicit substance at a teammate’s house party last weekend. He also received a suspended $5,000 fine and an education order under the league’s illicit drugs policy. Cowan was hospitalised on Sunday morning and later apologised in a statement released by the club saying: “This is a wake-up call and I am just so grateful to now be in a position to learn from this.” Teammate Will Hayward, who was hospitalised on the same day but under separate circumstances, was not sanctioned.

🏉 In another blow for Carlton, fellow player Wade Derksen was suspended by the club on Friday afternoon after he received a high-range drink driving charge. Derksen had - in Jabiru in the Northern Territory in late September. The 25-year-old will not be allowed to play for the Blues until the fourth round of the 2027 season. Carlton general manager Chris Davies said in a statement: “While we acknowledge the upcoming legal process will carry its own penalty, Wade’s conduct falls well below the standards we expect.” Derksen added: “I want to express how sorry I am for what I did. The choice I made to get behind the wheel that day was unacceptable and is a moment I deeply regret.” Derksen played 15 games for Carlton in 2026.

🏀 Tasmania’s first Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) team, the Jewels, have won their debut game 103-90 over the Geelong Venom at a sold-out Derwent Entertainment Centre in Hobart on Thursday. It is the state’s first WNBL side in 30 years since the Hobart Islanders folded in 1996. Captain Darcee Garbin and Gianna Kneepkens each scored 20 points, while Steph Reid added 17 points.

🏉 Australia opened its Rugby League World Cup title defence with a 24-22 win over New Zealand in front of a crowd of 41,300 at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium. Dolphins player Jack Bostock scored a hat-trick on debut, the first Kangaroo to do so since 2022, and ran for 231 metres. New Zealand’s Kalyn Ponga scored twice but left the field with a suspected broken arm.

🎾 Serbian tennis player Stefan Milicevic has been banned for 24 years, until October 2050, after the International Tennis Integrity Agency found he fixed six matches and tried to fix six more between 2022 and 2024. The 29-year-old, who has a career-high singles ranking of 1338, was fined $US70,000 ($AU101,000). He was also accused of recruiting other players into the scheme.

Talking points: After a thrilling opening match at the Men’s Rugby League World Cup on Thursday night, the Women’s Rugby League World Cup will look to follow suit as they kick off in Sydney tonight. Australia’s team, the Jillaroos, will open their title defence against tournament debutants Samoa. Australia are heavy favourites, having only lost one match since 2017. Meanwhile, the men’s Rugby League World Cup action continues with another four fixtures throughout the weekend.

How to watch: The women’s tournament kicks off at 8:05pm (AEDT) tonight. The men’s action continues this afternoon with Samoa taking on France at 5:45pm. You can watch all matches on Channel 7 and 7Plus.

Talking points: The new A-League season kicks off this weekend, headlined by Friday night’s Sydney Derby between Sydney FC and the Western Sydney Wanderers at Allianz Stadium. The men’s competition continues through the weekend with matches including reigning champions Auckland FC hosting Melbourne City and another local derby between the Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets. The A-League Women also begins its season this weekend, with five matches across Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s opening fixture will see the Newcastle Jets hosting Perth Glory and the Western Sydney Wanderers taking on Melbourne Victory, with both matches kicking off at 3pm (AEDT). Sunday’s fixtures are headlined by a grand final rematch between last year’s runner-up Wellington Phoenix and defending champions Melbourne City.

How to watch: Tonight’s Sydney Derby kicks off at 8pm (AEDT). You can watch all A-League matches on Paramount+, with select matches available on Channel 10.

Talking points: It’s also a big weekend for rugby union, with four fixtures featuring Australian teams taking place in Sydney on Saturday afternoon. At midday, the Wallaroos meet Scotland in the second of a three-match series. Australia’s women will be looking to build on their 30-10 victory in the first Test last month. The Wallaroos have made five changes and will be boosted by the return of Eva Karpani, Cecilia Smith and Maya Stewart to the starting side. Then, Australia’s men’s and women’s 7s teams will play rivals Fiji and New Zealand, respectively. Rugby 7s is an alternative rugby union format in which each team fields seven players who play seven-minute halves. Finally, the day is headlined by the Wallabies hosting the All Blacks in the second and final Test of the Bledisloe Cup. New Zealand have already claimed this year’s trophy with a 50-19 win at Eden Park in Auckland last week, but Australia still have plenty to play for as they seek to end the All Blacks’ 12-match winning streak in the trans-Tasman rivalry. Coach Les Kiss has made five changes to the Wallabies starting side, with Declan Meredith set to start at five-eighth after Ben Donaldson was ruled out through injury.

How to watch: The Wallaroos kick off at midday, followed by the Wallabies at 3:45pm. You can watch rugby union on Stan Sport and Channel 9.

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