It’s the 2nd of October. So, naturally, let’s reflect on a few major (and slightly random) sporting moments from this day.

1988: Gelindo Bordin wins the men’s marathon at the Seoul Olympics, becoming the first Italian to win an Olympic marathon. Two years later, Bordin won the 1990 Boston Marathon and remains the only man to have won both events.

1991: German tennis player Steffi Graf becomes the youngest player to record 500 professional wins, aged 22. She still holds the record. For reference, Serena Williams was 30 when she recorded her 500th win.

2005: The NFL held its first match outside of the U.S., with the Arizona Cardinals defeating the San Francisco 49ers 31-14 in Mexico City. The match drew a crowd of 103,467. It remains the highest attendance for any regular-season NFL game.

Poll results for “Can the Lions win without Chris Fagan?”

Remarkably, it was a tie.

This answer (from pgroves) was my favourite: “All kids must learn to live without their dad at some point! They’ll be right”

🏏 Cancer survivor Nic Maddinson is in line for a potential return to Australia’s Test cricket team after selectors named the squad for the upcoming Test series against South Africa. The 34-year-old batter, who beat testicular cancer in October last year, has been added to the squad alongside Josh Harper as injury cover for wicketkeeper Josh Inglis (broken finger) and all-rounder Cameron Green (abdominal injury). Maddinson last played for Australia’s Test team in 2016 while Harper could make his debut as wicketkeeper. The first Test begins next Friday in Durban.

🏉 Sydney Swans player Isaac Heeney won the club’s “Most Valuable Player” award, also known as the Bob Skilton Medal, on Thursday night. It comes after Heeney and four teammates were suspended by the club in August for a “serious breach” of standards. Despite the suspension, all five players were still eligible for the club’s end-of-season awards night. The 30-year-old was not present to accept the medal but delivered an acceptance speech via video in which he said he was “truly sorry” for what the club had been through in the wake of the incident in August. The winner is determined by coaches’ voting, who can give up to five votes for the best-performing players after each match.

🏉 Carlton has weathered torrential rain to defeat Hawthorn by 12 points and move into the AFLW top four. The Blues led from start to finish at Ikon Park, racing to a 19-point quarter-time lead before holding off a second half fightback to win 5.6 (36) to 3.6 (24). Abbie McKay made her mark - pun intended - and collected 33 disposals and six clearances, while Irish star Erone Fitzpatrick kicked two goals. The result lifts Carlton to 6-2, while Hawthorn falls to 4-4. After the win, Carlton coach Mathew Buck said: “It was a game of needing to take your moment. We had those opportunities, and the players buried them really well.”

🏉 Papua New Guinea’s incoming NRL team has been warned its “Chiefs” name risks being confused with Super Rugby’s Chiefs. IP Australia has issued three adverse reports on the PNG franchise’s trademark applications, declaring there is a “real and tangible danger” of confusion with the existing brand. The team is due to launch later this month ahead of its NRL debut in 2028. According to multiple outlets, the New Zealand club has also asked the NRL to reconsider the name, saying its three decades of brand building are at stake.

Reporting by Pavitra Ravi and George Finlayson.

Talking points: Just because the AFL Grand Final was last weekend doesn’t mean footy season is over. This weekend, the AFLW heads into Round 8, billed as the league’s ‘Rivalry Round’. The biggest rivalry of all is undoubtedly the QClash between the AFLW’s two Queensland-based teams, the Brisbane Lions and the Gold Coast Suns. The Suns are chasing their first win in this fixture, having lost seven and drawn one. This year might mark their best chance yet, as they sit sixth on the ladder with five wins and two losses, while the Lions sit 13th with just two wins. Other notable matchups include the Adelaide ‘Showdown’ between Port Adelaide (14th) and the Adelaide Crows (11th) and the Sydney Swans (5th) taking on the two-time reigning premiers, the North Melbourne Kangaroos (1st).

How to watch: You can watch the AFLW on Kayo, Foxtel, and Channel 7 (select fixtures). Check the schedule below for timings.

Talking points: Formula 1 returns this weekend for an unusual Bahrain Grand Prix, not set in Bahrain but… Malaysia. This is due to the war in the Middle East. Drivers will be put to the ultimate test with heat, tyre degradation and tropical storms. It will feature 15 corners, two long straights and heavy braking zones, with the race running for 56 laps. Lewis Hamilton has won at Sepang once and has five podiums there, while only 10 current drivers have raced at the circuit. The race is also the second event of a triple header. Which driver will prevail in these new conditions?

How to watch: Watch all the action on 6pm Sunday (AEDT). You can catch it on Kayo Sports and Foxtel.

Talking points: Sunday's NRLW Grand Final is a rematch of last year's decider, with third-placed Brisbane facing an unbeaten Sydney Roosters after both won their preliminary finals. It's the last game of Broncos five-eighth Ali Brigginshaw's career, while fullback Tamika Upton chases a sixth premiership. In the NRL decider, seventh-placed Newcastle have reached their first grand final since 2001 after upsetting the competition's top three sides, including last week's 22-14 win over Penrith which was played mostly with twelve men. Fourth-placed Sydney, led by halves Daly Cherry-Evans and Sam Walker, head into the Grand Final as favourites, chasing a first title since 2019.

How to watch: The NRLW kicks off at 4:00pm (AEDT), with the NRL Grand Final to follow at 7:30pm. You can watch both on Channel 9 and 9Now.

Reporting by Pavitra Ravi and George Finlayson.

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