‘Wow, this year has gone so quickly’ has officially re-entered my rotation of small-talk starters.

No, but seriously.

AFL Finals start this weekend, and the U.S. Open, the final tennis major of 2026 begins on Monday.

While this year has gone quickly, there are still many, many sporting questions to be answered before the year closes out.

🏒 The Hockeyroos, Australia’s women’s hockey team, have fallen just short of the World Cup final, losing 1-0 to Argentina in the semi-final. Scores were locked at 0-0 through the first three quarters before Argentina found a breakthrough in the final quarter. Australia are now set to take on Belgium in a third-place playoff, while Argentina and the Netherlands meet in the final.

⏱️ Two new athletics world records have been set at the Zurich Diamond League meet in Switzerland on the same night. Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos was the first to break new ground, clocking 45.80 seconds in the men’s 400m hurdles. Then, the U.S’ Masai Russell won the women’s 100m hurdles in a world record time of 12.09 seconds. Meanwhile, Australia had a champion of its own with Nicole Olyslagers winning the women’s high jump event.

🏉 In a grand final rematch on Thursday night, the Melbourne Storm defeated the Brisbane Broncos 46-20. The Storm scored eight tries as the Broncos recorded their ninth consecutive loss at home. With one round of NRL remaining, both teams are out of finals contention. It’s the first time since 2010 that both grand finalists from the previous year have failed to make the top eight the next year.

🚴‍♂️ Tadej Pogačar won Stage 6 of the Vuelta a España on Thursday, extending his overall lead to 3 minutes and 34 seconds ahead of second-placed Spaniard Enric Mas. The five-time Tour de France winner, who is seeking his first Vuelta win, came off the road on a descent with 20 kilometres to go but recovered before going on to claim his third stage win of the race so far.

Talking points: The first edition of the AFL’s ‘Wildcard Round’ is here. The addition of the wildcard round to the AFL Finals means that 10 teams will take part in the finals instead of eight. The wildcard round takes the bottom four teams of the top 10 and pits them against each other in elimination finals for a chance to join the top six teams in the next round. In its debut year, four Melbourne-based clubs will take part, with both matches at the MCG. Tonight, the Western Bulldogs (8th) play Collingwood (9th). The last time these two teams met, in Round 12, the Bulldogs won by four points. On Saturday night, Melbourne (7th) take on Carlton (10th). Melbourne won their last match against Carlton in Round 3, but under coach Josh Fraser the Blues have completed a remarkable turnaround, losing just two of their last 14 matches.

How to watch: Tonight’s match begins at 7:40pm (AEST). You can watch the AFL on Channel 7, Kayo, or Foxtel.

Talking points: The Wallabies begin their two-Test tour of Argentina by taking on Los Pumas at Estadio 23 de Agosto in the city of San Salvador de Jujuy. It’s the third match under coach Les Kiss and is set to provide a tougher Test after two wins against Japan. The Wallabies are chasing a third straight win for the first time since 2021. Kiss has made some changes to the team that beat Japan 56-17 last week, with usual captain Harry Wilson being rotated out to manage his workload and veteran prop Allan Alaalatoa starting as captain. Flanker Tom Hooper will make his first start of the year, while prop Isaac Kailea returns to the Wallabies for the first time in two years. Kiss said of the changes he has made: “It may not seem like order from what you’re seeing, but it’s making sense internally.” The Wallabies will be out to make amends after their last appearance on Argentinian soil in 2024, where they conceded a record 67 points in a Rugby Championship Test in Santa Fe.

Wallabies (1-15): Isaac Kailea, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Allan Alaalatoa, Josh Canham, Jeremy Williams, Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight, Rob Valetini, Ryan Lonergan, Carter Gordon, Harry Potter, Hunter Paisami, Isaac Henry, Max Jorgensen, Tom Wright.

How to watch: The Wallabies play Argentina at 5am on Sunday (AEST). You can watch international rugby union on Stan Sport.

Talking points: While it’s not an official major, the Tour Championship is one tournament on the PGA calendar that all golfers would like to win. The tournament is the richest on the men’s golf tour, with the winner receiving a prize of $US10 million ($AU13.9m). It is the last in a three-tournament series, with only the 30 best golfers in the world earning a spot. To make things even more interesting, Australian Min Woo Lee leads the field by two shots (-8) after the opening round. Norway’s Viktor Hovland is in a tie for second with Americans Collin Morikawa and Chris Gotterup, while world number one Scottie Scheffler sits three shots off the lead. The only other Australian in contention, Adam Scott, is just four shots off the lead.

How to watch: The second of four rounds will tee off at 1am on Saturday (AEST). You can watch the Tour Championship through the weekend on Kayo and Foxtel.

Two heritage brands just dropped a collab we didn't see coming - Ford x Brixton.

The limited-edition collection brings Ford's Built Tough legacy into Brixton's signature streetwear - think tees, caps and jackets in that unmistakable Ford Blue, plus bold racing stripes straight from decades of American automotive heritage. Workshop-grade quality with weekend-ready style.

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