Welcome to your weekend.

We have a jam-packed weekend of sport waiting for us - plenty of NRL, AFL, Super Netball, Super Rugby, NBA Conference Finals, French Open tennis, Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix, the men’s FA Cup Final, the men’s A-League Grand Final, the Scottish Cup Final, Indian Premier League cricket, Ice Hockey, Baseball, and Surfing. Oh, and the Archery World Cup.

I’ve got 10 seconds

Quote of the day

"The National Rugby League (NRL) has advised Penrith Panthers player Taylan May that he is subject to the no-fault stand down condition under the NRL rules”. The NRL, in a statement after May was charged with domestic violence-related offences. The ‘no-fault stand down condition’ is a rule where players are immediately banned from playing in any Rugby League competition should they be charged with a serious offence with a maximum jail term of 11 years or more, and cannot play again until after the criminal process.

Stat of the day

€73,000
The prize money players - both men and women - will receive in the first round of the French Open should they lose their opening match and exit the tournament, which starts this weekend. That's just under AUD$120,000.

Random fact of the day

At the 1970 VFL (now called AFL) Grand Final between Carlton and Collingwood, 121,696 fans attended the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The stadium could accommodate that many people because of its larger standing zones. Today, the official capacity is 100,024, with about 5,000 standing-room spaces.

I’ve got 1 minute

The NBA, the U.S. men’s professional basketball league, has closed an investigation into Australian basketball player Josh Giddey over allegations of an inappropriate relationship with a minor, according to ESPN. 

Giddey is a star player for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Original investigation

Giddey was originally under investigation after a now-deleted social media account accused him of an inappropriate relationship with a minor, who he allegedly appeared alongside in a video when he was 19. 

In the fallout of the allegations, Giddey was booed at games. 

In January, California police cleared him of wrongdoing and said they would not pursue criminal charges because they were “unable to corroborate any criminal activity.” 

However, Giddey was only cleared by the NBA today after the organisation reached a similar conclusion. 

What’s next 

Giddey, now 21, will form an important part of the Boomers - the Australian men’s basketball team - at the Paris Olympics. 

He is expected to play for Australia in two warm-up matches against China in early July, to be played in Melbourne.

I’ve got 2 minutes

On Sunday, the West Coast Fever - currently undefeated in Australia’s Super Netball competition - will face the Melbourne Vixens, who are coming second on the leaderboard with five wins from six games. Whoever wins this game will end the round at the top of the ladder. 

Here’s what you need to know about one of the most exciting netball games of 2024 so far. 

The Fever

The Fever are the in-form team of the competition. They are now the only undefeated team in the competition, but recorded a very narrow victory last week against the Adelaide Thunderbirds, who they beat by a single point.  

Their best player last week was Kadie Ann-Dehaney, who starred in defence. Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard is currently the top scorer in the competition with 355 goals (from 363 attempts), while Fran Williams is topping the league in defensive rebounds with 13. 

The Vixens

Last week, the Vixens lost to the Sunshine Coast Lightning 64-57 - their first loss of the season. Coach Simone McKinnis said the team was “disappointing”, and “some of [their] basic play and basic skills were a bit sloppy at times”. Goal Shooter Sophie Garbin said the team “took their foot off the gas” at numerous points during the game. 

The team have been without star defender Kate Eddy, who sustained a leg injury a fortnight ago, and is not confirmed to be playing on Sunday.  

In recent years, the Vixens have struggled when travelling to play in Perth - they haven’t won a game against the Fever in the city since 2022. 

First Nations Round

This round, the entire Super Netball competition will celebrate the contributions of its First Nations participants, with each team releasing a special edition of its uniforms featuring artwork from First Nations designers. 

The Vixens will wear a dress designed by Kamilaroi woman, illustrator and artist Teagan Malcolm, based on the core theme of ‘foundations’. 

The Fever will be in a uniform featuring a design by Jilaga Murray, based on an artwork called ‘The Spirit of Fever’.

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