Good evening!

A big night of Australian sport is ahead, with two AFL and two NRL games, a Super Netball clash, some Super Rugby, and an A-League semi-final.

We’ll be back on Monday with a wrap-up of the weekend of sport - until then, may your footy scarves be warm, your TV graphics be crisp and your hot chips be crisper.

I’ve got 10 seconds

Quote of the day

“Cam was a kind and easy-going person at the Club, and he was someone who had a habit of making people smile and laugh. His talent was undeniable, and he loved his footy.”
The Fremantle Football Club’s statement on the death of former player Cam McCarthy. McCarthy played 49 games for Fremantle and 21 games for the Greater Western Sydney Giants (GWS). Fremantle will wear black armbands when they play the Sydney Swans tonight, to pay tribute to McCarthy.

If you or anyone you know needs help, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. 

Stat of the day

103
The number of matches the longest serving Matildas player, Lydia Williams, has played for Australia. The goalkeeper announced her international retirement yesterday, and will play her final campaign with the Matildas at the Paris Olympics. 

Random fact of the day

Wheelchair basketball was first played at U.S. hospitals in the 1940s, developed for World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries. The game later formed an integral part of the first-ever Paralympics in 1960, with women’s wheelchair basketball following in 1968.

I’ve got 1 minute

Spencer Leniu will return to the NRL field this week for the Sydney Roosters after serving an eight-week suspension for using a racial slur in March.

Context

Leniu pleaded guilty to contrary conduct (when someone behaves in a way “contrary to the spirit of the game”) after he directed a racial slur at Brisbane Broncos player Ezra Mam, a First Nations man, during the season opener in Las Vegas.

Leniu initially dismissed accusations of racism, including in a post-match on-field interview, but later apologised for “causing distress” to Ezra and his family.

The suspension

The NRL’s judiciary panel investigated the incident and handed down a unanimous decision to rule him out of play until round 10. 

The eight-week ban meant that Leniu missed almost a third of the NRL season.

Team response

First Nations player Connor Watson said that while he was disappointed with his teammate’s actions, Leniu had “served his time”. 

The Roosters will face off against the New Zealand Warriors on Sunday. 

I’ve got 2 minutes

Geelong United has taken over the ownership of the Melbourne Boomers, a club in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) that was struggling financially. It means the Boomers, the league’s oldest club, will cease to exist in the competition and Geelong United will be introduced.

In a media statement released on Instagram today, the Melbourne Boomers announced the takeover, marking the end of the club’s 40-year history in the league.

What does it mean to be ‘awarded a team licence’?

To play in the WNBL, a team needs to be awarded a licence by Basketball Australia, which is advised by the WNBL commission. 

Why did the Boomers have to transfer ownership?

Despite a strong fanbase and a squad that recently won the 2022 WNBL championship, the team was forced to transfer the licence to a more suitable holder because of the “very real financial issues” faced in professional women’s sport.

The Boomers were privately owned for eight seasons, which, according to the club’s chairman, Tony Hallam, cost the board around $1.5 million annually.

Women’s basketball has grown in Australia over the past decade, meaning clubs must pay more for the players, coaches and administrators associated with the expanding and more professionalised competition.

Hallam said that despite attempts to secure new investors over the past 18 months, the Boomers were not able to continue “underwriting the significant investment required”. 

The WNBL’s current funding structure requires clubs to fully support their own operations without the support of Basketball Australia.

What does this mean for their future?

It’s the end of an era for the Melbourne Boomers, the league’s oldest running club - for now, they will cease to exist.

Boomers coach Chris Lucas is expected to lead the new Geelong side. As for its players, Geelong can only begin assembling its roster during the ‘free agency period’, when out-of-contract players can seek to join new teams in June.

A warm welcome for Geelong United

Whilst the Boomers acknowledged this was a ‘sad’ outcome for its community, the team said it will work closely with the new Geelong ownership group to establish the club, ahead of the 2024-25 season. 

Geelong’s introduction into the WNBL means three Victorian clubs will still be competing in the league. 

Geelong United Basketball CEO, Mark Neeld, welcomed the opportunity to provide Geelong - a “vibrant basketball community” - with direct pathways for up and coming local athletes in the region. 

A message from our sponsor

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Looking back…

Here are some scores we think you should know about from the last 24 hours. There’s always a lot of sport, so this is just a selection.

Looking forward…

Here are some things to watch in the next 24 hours. Again, there’s always a lot of sport - this is just a selection.

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