How much wood could a woodchop chop if a woodchop could chop wood?

Probably not as much as David Foster OAM.

Today’s random fact will help you understand.

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The number of years since the men’s S10 200m freestyle world record was last broken. That was until Australian two-time Paralympic gold medallist Rowan Crothers set a new world record at the Australian Short Course Championships in Sydney last night. Crothers touched the wall in 1 minute and 49.93 seconds, eclipsing the mark Canada’s Philippe Gagnon set in 2002 by almost three seconds. Afterwards, Crothers said: “I did not see that coming at all. Not even close.”

“It is damning beyond belief. My immediate thoughts are, should the board continue? Should the people involved be suspended immediately?”
Former Manchester City chairman David Bernstein in a radio interview with the BBC, after the English Premier League released a statement confirming that the club is guilty of 114 of the 115 charges relating to financial violations and failing to cooperate with an investigation. The charges span nearly a decade between 2009 and 2018, during which Manchester City was found to have used ‘sham’ contracts to misrepresent its finances and appear compliant with the league’s financial rules. No sanctions have been handed down yet, and the club is expected to appeal the verdict. Bernstein, who served as the club’s chairman between 1998 and 2003, added: “If the appeal fails, Manchester City cannot stay in the league, they have to suffer. And I say that as a supporter and a fan.”

David Foster OAM is the only woodchopping athlete in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Over 21 years, the Tasmanian won 186 world titles and over 1800 titles across various competitions. 60 of Foster’s world championships were won at the Royal Sydney Show, widely referred to as the ‘Wimbledon of woodchopping’.

🏉 The Brisbane Lions have confirmed that two-time Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale will depart the club. Neale, who has played 186 games for Brisbane and won three Grand Finals, is set to sign a three-year deal with Collingwood. The 33-year-old dominated headlines last week as he overturned a one-match ban on appeal and ultimately took to the field in Brisbane’s 96-89 win over the Fremantle Dockers on Saturday.

⚽ The Socceroos have fallen short of an upset victory against Brazil, losing 4-2 to the world’s fifth-ranked team in Brisbane last night. After falling behind early in the match, the Aussies scored two goals within five minutes, courtesy of Alessandro Circati and Connor Metcalfe, to take a 2-1 lead. Brazil then struck back on the cusp of half-time to equalise before demonstrating their class with two more goals in the second half. Brazil’s manager Carlo Ancelotti paid the Socceroos a compliment after the match, saying: “It’s a really good team, in my opinion, a really good team.”

🏀 The Minnesota Lynx are the first team to be eliminated from this year’s WNBA Playoffs after losing 87-71 to the New York Liberty on Tuesday night (local time). The Lynx finished the regular season on top of the table but were upset by the eighth-seeded Liberty, who sealed a 2-0 series win with last night’s victory. The Liberty, featuring Australian veteran Rebecca Allen, now advance to the semifinals, where they will take on the winner of the three-match series between the Atlanta Dream and Washington Mystics.

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Rugby league’s best will come together at the Dally M Awards to crown the season’s top performers ahead of the NRL and NRLW Grand Finals this weekend.

Here’s what to know.

The Dally M medal is rugby league’s highest individual honour. It is awarded to the game’s best and fairest player across the regular season, and is determined by votes from match officials after every round.

Alongside the two medals, the NRL also hands out awards for Team of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Captain of the Year, Coach of the Year, Try of the Year, and Tackle of the Year, plus the Ken Stephen Medal and Veronica White Medal for community contribution.

Last year’s NRL and NRLW Dally M medallists were Roosters fullback James Tedesco and Broncos fullback Tamika Upton, respectively.

Panthers star Nathan Cleary is the favourite for the men’s award. Cleary will be watching the ceremony from hospital after breaking his leg in Sunday’s preliminary final against the Knights (more on that below). The medal is just about the only rugby league award missing from the four-time premiership winner’s trophy cabinet.

Meanwhile, the Broncos’ Upton is the frontrunner for the women’s award. If she does win, Upton would become the first women’s player to win back-to-back Dally M medals and the first to win the award three times.

The ceremony will be broadcast on Foxtel and Kayo.

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Newcastle Knights hooker Phoenix Crossland has been suspended for four games over the tackle that broke Panthers playmaker Nathan Cleary’s leg.

The suspension rules him out of Sunday’s NRL Grand Final, where the Knights will play in their first decider since 2001.

So, why did this tackle cross the line?

In Sunday’s preliminary final, the Newcastle Knights upset the Penrith Panthers 22-14.

Late in the first half, Knights hooker Phoenix Crossland was sent off for a dangerous ‘hip-drop’ tackle on Cleary, who was stretchered off the field with a compound ankle fracture. Cleary had started on the bench because of a fracture in his other foot but took to the field regardless.

After the game, Cleary urged fans to stop directing hate towards Crossland, adding the backlash against the player was “unfair”, reminding fans that split-second moments can have unfortunate consequences.

Crossland pleaded guilty to the dangerous contact charge on Tuesday and appeared before the NRL judiciary, which handed down the suspension.

After an 80-minute hearing and 17-minute deliberation, the panel suspended him for the final and New Zealand’s first three Rugby League World Cup pool games next month.

Crossland said it had been the “worst couple of days of my life”, adding: “I’m a fan of the game before I’m a player”.

He also revealed he had apologised to Cleary’s father and Penrith coach Ivan Cleary.

A hip-drop tackle is when a defender wraps a ball-carrier and drops their body weight onto or across the back of the player’s leg, forcing it into an awkward position.

At the hearing, the NRL called Crossland’s tackle a “textbook example” of a hip-drop tackle.

The NRL said the tackle involved three key factors: grip, swivel and drop.

It also argued Crossland failed to exercise a proper duty of care – meaning he did not take reasonable steps to protect Cleary even though the tackle was accidental. The NRL also argued Cleary’s broken leg should be taken into account when deciding the punishment.

The NRL uses a three-grade system for dangerous tackles, with penalties ranging from fines of up to $3000 to match suspensions. An early guilty plea can reduce a suspension by one game.

Crossland’s tackle was compared with a Round 3 hip-drop by Dragons forward Ryan Couchman on Eels player J’maine Hopgood, who was also sent straight to the judiciary and received a four-match suspension.

The Roosters and Knights face each other this Sunday at 7:30pm (AEDT).

Reporting by Pavitra Ravi.