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Good afternoon,

In celebration of the CommGames getting underway in Glasgow this morning, I'd love to hear what you think Australia's greatest Commonwealth Games moment is.

Or if you have any stories or experiences at the Games you'd like to share, send them my way.

If you need me to help jog your memory, some of the most memorable include Cathy Freeman's double gold at Victoria in 1994, Ian Thorpe’s four swimming golds as a 15-year-old in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, and Kurt Fearnley's final international race when he won wheelchair marathon gold on home soil at the Gold Coast in 2018.

Friday’s headlines

Here’s what’s making news today…

πŸ‰ The Penrith Panthers produced a late comeback to defeat the Parramatta Eels 24-18 on Thursday. The Panthers spent 20 minutes with 12 players after two sin bins and did not take the lead until the 57th minute before edging clear to win. Panthers winger Thomas Jenkins scored his 26th try of the season, setting a new club record. The result keeps the Panthers at the top of the NRL ladder, four points clear of the Warriors and Roosters. Meanwhile, Parramatta sit in 15th, and their chances of making the finals are now incredibly slim.

Thomas Jenkins set a new try-scoring record for the Panthers (Getty)

πŸ‰ Collingwood beat the Adelaide Crows 108-74 at Adelaide Oval on Thursday for their first win over a top-half side all year. The Magpies trailed at half-time before surging ahead, with midfielder Nick Daicos gathering 39 disposals. The win extends Collingwood's winning streak to six, while Adelaide's hopes of finishing in the top four suffered a blow. The night was overshadowed by Adelaide fans booing Collingwood's Isaac Quaynor, who was the target of a homophobic slur from Adelaide’s Izak Rankine last season. Collingwood coach Craig McRae said: "It's a fascinating narrative as to why they would boo him. From my understanding he was the victim of a homophobic slur, and he's getting booed for that? It's a fascinating world we live in.”

Isaac Quaynor was booed at Adelaide Oval last night (Getty)

🀽 Australia's men's water polo team, the Sharks, opened the World Cup Finals in Sydney on Thursday by stunning Spain, the reigning world champions, in a penalty shootout. Level at 18-18 after four quarters, Australia’s Matt Byrnes forced the shootout with a buzzer-beater before the Sharks went on to win it 5-3. Australia meet Hungary in Saturday's semi-final. Australia's women, the Stingers, play the United States in their semi-final tonight, a repeat of the Sydney 2000 gold medal match, which Australia won.

Tristan Glanzing celebrates a goal in the shootout (Getty)

🚴 Ecuador's Richard Carapaz won stage 18 of the Tour de France on Thursday, attacking on the final climb to break clear of his breakaway rivals and finish 45 seconds ahead at the OrciΓ¨res-Merlette ski resort. It was the first stage win of this year's race for the 2019 Giro d'Italia champion. Overall leader Tadej Pogačar finished safely in the group behind and holds a lead of more than four minutes, with three stages remaining in this year’s race. There are still some gruelling climbs to come, back-to-back finishes at the famous Alpe d’Huez on Friday and Saturday.

Richard Carapaz climbs to victory (Getty)

TDA’s top three…

Sport to keep an eye on this weekend…

Super Rugby Women’s: Grand Final

Talking points: The Fijian Drua host the New South Wales Waratahs on Saturday in the first Super Rugby Women’s Grand Final ever played in Fiji. The Drua finished top of the table after the regular season and will field an unchanged side, while the Waratahs arrive after a 33-22 semi-final win over the Western Force in Perth. Waratahs head coach Mike Ruthven said the group had drawnΒ  β€œa huge amount of confidence” from training over recent weeks and its performance in Perth. The Waratahs are chasing a seventh title and a place in the Women’s Super Rugby Champions Final. The winner will face the Super Rugby Aupiki champion next Saturday at Sydney’s Leichardt Oval.

How to watch: The final kicks off at 11:05am AEST on Saturday. You can watch it live on Stan Sport.

Desiree Miller will start on the wing for the Waratahs this Saturday (Getty)

Commonwealth GamesΒ 

Talking points: The Commonwealth Games have officially begun. Australia has 256 athletes competing, from household names to 75-year-old visually impaired lawn bowler Jacky Hudson, and even reality TV faces like weightlifter Ridge Barredo from Married at First Sight. The Commonwealth Games also stand out because para and able-bodied athletes compete alongside one another, with all medals counting towards the same tally. Australia topped the medal table at the last Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022. More than half of Australia’s team is made up of swimmers and athletics competitors. Our powerhouse swimming group features Olympic champions Mollie O’Callaghan, Kyle Chalmers and Cam McEvoy, who broke the 50-metre freestyle world record in March. In athletics, pole vaulters Nina Kennedy and Kurtis Marschall will both defend their titles, while several rising stars will compete, including sprinter Torrie Lewis, who set a new national record in the women’s 100m earlier this week. Meanwhile, cricket, hockey, rugby sevens and diving are among the sports left off this year’s schedule.Β 

How to watch: The Games will be live and free on Channel 7 and 7mate, with every session also streaming free on 7plus.Β 

Formula One: Hungary Grand Prix

Talking points: Formula 1 reaches its final round before the four-week mid-season break this weekend at the Hungaroring, a tight, twisting circuit near Budapest where Australia's Oscar Piastri claimed his first win in 2024. Piastri arrives in a very different position from last year, when he led the title race for much of the season before finishing runner-up to McLaren teammate Lando Norris. Under the new 2026Β  rules, McLaren have slipped back, and Mercedes have surged, leaving Piastri sixth in the standings and Norris, the reigning champion, fifth. Out front, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli has been the story of the season, winning six races to build a 45-point lead over Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton as he closes on a maiden title.

How to watch: The race will begin at 11pm AEST on Sunday. You can watch it live on Fox Sports and Kayo

Oscar Piastri won the Hungarian GP last year (Getty)



Reporting by Pavitra Ravi and George Finlayson.

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Looking forward… (All times are AEDT)

AFL (Round 20)

Friday
Melbourne v Geelong at 7:40pm
Fremantle v WC Eagles at 8:10pm

Saturday
Carlton v GC Suns at 1:05pm
Hawthorn v Essendon at 4:15pm
GWS v Sydney Swans at 4:35pm
Bulldogs v Richmond at 7:40pm

Sunday
Lions v Port Adelaide at 1:10pm
Kangaroos v St Kilda at 3:15pm

Where to watch: Seven and 7plus (selected matches), Fox Footy and Kayo (all matches)

NRL (Round 21)

Friday
Knights v Roosters at 6:00pm
Rabbitohs v Storm at 8:00pm

Saturday
Raiders v Wests Tigers at 3:00pm
Bulldogs v Warriors at 5:30pm
Cowboys v Broncos at 7:30pm

Sunday
Dragons v Titans at 2:00pm
Sea Eagles v Sharks at 4:05pm

Where to watch: Nine and 9Now (selected matches), Fox League and Kayo (all matches)

NRLW (Round 4)

Saturday
Raiders v Sharks at 12:40pm
Bulldogs v Dragons at 3:15pm
Cowboys v Titans at 5:15pm

Sunday
Eels v Warriors at 12:00pm
Broncos v Knights at 1:45pm
Wests Tigers v Roosters at 6:15pm

Where to watch: Nine and 9Now, Fox League and Kayo

Tour de France (Stage 19)

Who: The world's best cyclists
What: 128km mountain stage
Time: from 10pm tonightΒ 

Where to watch: SBS, SBS On Demand

Super Rugby Women's (Grand Final)

Who: Fijian Drua v Waratahs
Time: 11:05am Saturday

Where to watch: Stan Sport

Formula 1 (Hungarian GP)

Who: The world's best drivers
Time: qualifying 12am Sunday, race 11:00pm Sunday

Where to watch: Fox Sports, Kayo

Water Polo World Cup (Semi-finals)

Who: Aussie Stingers v USA (women's)
Time: 6:30pm tonight

Who: Aussie Sharks v Hungary (men’s)
Time: 6:30pm Saturday

Where to watch: Kayo

TDA asks

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