Good evening!

Let’s all take a moment to stand in solidarity with this member of the cheer squad for the Iowa Hawkeyes, who lived out this nightmare situation.

To his credit, he stuck the landing. A true professional.

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Stat of the day

23
The number of Thursday night AFL games scheduled for the 2025 season, out of 25 weeks. The AFL was pressured to include regular Thursday night matches after the success of this year’s 14 games.

Quote of the day

“This is why you keep extras in the pockets”.
WNBA star Caitlin Clark on Instagram after footage emerged of her hitting a golf ball straight into the crowd at an LPGA Tour event in Florida. Clark apologised to the fans, autographed the ball in question, and produced another ball for her second (more successful) attempt. 

Random fact of the day

Lizelle Lee now holds the record for the highest score in WBBL history, after scoring 150 not out for the Hobart Hurricanes against the Perth Scorchers this week. Lee is rapidly ascending the all-time run-scoring charts. She currently sits in 12th. 

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In case you missed it…

Brisbane Broncos player Ezra Mam has been charged with drug driving and driving without a licence. The 21-year-old was involved in a crash in Brisbane last month that saw an Uber driver and his two passengers - a woman and her four-year-old daughter - hospitalised. Mam allegedly returned a positive result to a drug test at the scene, but police waited for a secondary blood test before officially charging him. In a statement, the Broncos said: “Ezra is currently seeking external support and we will give him the time and space to do so”. Mam signed a five-year, $4 million deal in February.

The Socceroos will face Saudi Arabia tonight in the first of two crucial World Cup qualification matches this week. Successes will almost ensure qualification to the 2026 tournament. Australia, ranked 24th in the world, has not beaten Saudi Arabia (59th) since 2017. It’s the third game with Tony Popovic at the helm, and follows a draw against Japan and a win against China in early October. Tonight’s match, played in Melbourne, kicks off at 8pm AEDT. Next week, Australia will face Bahrain on their home soil in the last qualifier of the year. 

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Three host cities named for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup

Perth, the Gold Coast, and Sydney have been chosen as the host cities for the 2026 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Asian Cup. It’s the second major international women’s football tournament to be hosted in Australia in three years, after the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup (also held in New Zealand). 

The tournament

The Women’s Asian Cup is a competition between Asia’s top 12 national football teams. It’s been held 20 times. China has won nine of the 20 tournaments, including the last instalment in 2022, hosted by India. In 2026, the tournament will double as the Asian qualification stage for the 2028 LA Summer Olympics, with the top eight teams of the 12 progressing to the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. 

What they said

Football Australia selected the cities based on state-based bids. Three of Australia’s largest cities - Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide - missed hosting opportunities.

FA chief James Johnson told the media: “The three best bids were Queensland, NSW and also Western Australia”.

It’s also been speculated it was due to the competing interests of the NRL and A-League seasons for stadiums in those cities. 

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The NBA has a new Australian star. Who is Dyson Daniels?

21-year-old basketballer Dyson Daniels has emerged as one of Australia’s brightest NBA prospects, establishing himself as a key player for the Atlanta Hawks in just his third season in the league. This week, he continued his rapid ascension with a career-high 28-point performance against the reigning champions, the Boston Celtics. Here’s what to know about him. 

Early career

Daniels, born in Bendigo, Victoria, emerged as a star in his teenage years, signing with the Bendigo Braves at 15. He attended the NBA Global Academy in Canberra before playing in the NBA’s G League (the second-tier league) in 2021, choosing the minor league route over a more typical path through the U.S. college basketball system. In the same year, aged 17, he was selected for the Australian Boomers team.

NBA debut

After only nine months in the G League, Daniels declared himself as a contender to be drafted into the NBA. Sure enough, he was drafted in early 2022 as the 8th overall pick, selected by the New Orleans Pelicans. He played 59 games in 2022/23 and 61 games in 2023/24, before being traded to Atlanta in July this year. He’s earned a reputation as a strong defensive player. 

2024/25 season

Daniels leads the NBA in steals after his first ten games of the season. That’s when you swipe the ball away from your opponent when they’re dribbling or attempting to pass to another player. Daniels has recorded the most steals in ten games - 36 - since icon Allen Iverson in 2003. The Hawks’ best player, Trae Young, has been missing from the team after an achilles injury, allowing Daniels more space in the lineup to capitalise on scoring opportunities. The Hawks have won 5 of their first 12 games. 

ICYMI: TDA Sport has a new game on Instagram called Blurdle. IYKYK.
Today’s answer: Kylian Mbappé
Useless clue: Escargots (Get it? Email me if you do.)

A deep dive powered by Deakin University

AFLW - 8 years and counting

The AFLW has grown significantly since 2017, expanding from eight teams to 18, with seasons increasing from seven to 11 rounds. Player minimum salaries have jumped from $8,500 to $56,077. However, despite the encouraging growth, North Melbourne captain Emma Kearney highlights ongoing challenges, noting that players face higher injury risks due to a condensed schedule of 11 rounds in ten weeks, and that some coaches and athletes only work part-time which limits the development of the game.

Pamm Phillips, a sports management professor at Deakin University who helped develop the AFLW rulebook, stresses the importance of recognizing differences between men's and women's football. For example, one difference Kearney points out is that the AFLW uses a lighter ball, which she suggests affects kicking accuracy and leads to lower scoring games.

A recent study also revealed that 90% of elite female athletes experience online harassment, showing there's still room for improvement in women's sport. In a recent interview on ABC Listen, Phillips emphasised the importance of listening to the athletes in making changes to improve the game.

Think beyond the field. Study sport at Deakin.

Looking forward… (All times are AEDT)

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