It is one of those weekends when you might need multiple screens. 

We have the second Ashes Test heating up in Brisbane, a historic three-way F1 title decider in Abu Dhabi, and the Socceroos learning their World Cup fate tomorrow morning. 

Let's get into it.

🏏 It was a chaotic start to the second Ashes Test at the Gabba yesterday. Australia made a massive call before a ball was bowled, dropping veteran spin bowler Nathan Lyon for a home Test for the first time in almost 14 years. Selectors instead opted for an all-pace bowling attack led by Mitchell Starc, who took six wickets and broke the record for the most Test wickets by a left-arm bowler (415). However, England’s Joe Root, the number one-ranked Test batter in the world, stole the show. Root scored his first-ever century (100 runs) in Australia to finish on 135 runs not out. He will start at the crease today alongside Jofra Archer with England’s first innings score at 9-325. The first ball will be bowled at 3:00pm (AEDT). You can watch the cricket on Channel 7, Kayo, or Foxtel.

🏟️ The Tasmanian upper house has officially approved the $1.13 billion stadium at Macquarie Point in Hobart, clearing the final hurdle for the state to be granted an AFL team. After a marathon debate ended late last night, the 9-5 vote satisfied the conditions outlined in the deal between the government and the AFL. While the Tasmania Devils will enter the competition in 2028 playing at existing venues, the new 23,000-seat roofed stadium is scheduled to be ready for the 2029 season.

🏉 South African rugby union star Eben Etzebeth has been handed a 12-week ban after being found guilty of an eye gouge against a Wales player. The double World Cup winner received a straight red card during the Springboks' 73-0 victory last Saturday for making intentional contact with the eye of Welsh flanker Alex Mann. The independent disciplinary panel deemed the act intentional, imposing an 18-week suspension that was reduced due to mitigating factors. Etzebeth will now miss a significant chunk of the season for his club side, the Sharks, and remain sidelined until the end of March next year.

Talking points: While not quite a sporting fixture per se, tomorrow morning is an incredibly important one as the Socceroos learn their fate for the 2026 World Cup. The draw in Washington DC will split the newly expanded 48-team field into 12 groups. Each group will feature one team from each of the four pots (Pots 1, 2, 3, and 4). The pots are based on each team’s world ranking - with the top 12 teams in the first pot, the next 12 in the second pot, and so on. The groups are then made up of an even balance between the pots. Crucially, world No.26 Australia has landed in Pot 2. This secures a slightly easier path by avoiding other strong Pot 2 nations such as Croatia and Japan, though a clash with one of the 12 heavyweight sides in Pot 1, like Argentina, England, or Brazil, is guaranteed. The World Cup Draw event is being held at Washington's John F Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts, and President Donald Trump is expected to be in attendance. The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. 

How to watch:  The draw will begin at 4am (AEDT). You can watch the drama live on SBS and SBS On Demand.

Talking points: After falling just short with double silver in Dubai last week, the Aussie men’s and women’s Sevens teams are back in action in Cape Town, South Africa, this weekend. The men’s side has been forced into a reshuffle, with veteran playmaker Maurice Longbottom ruled out with a hamstring injury, opening the door for 20-year-old Beau Morrison to potentially make his debut. The women’s team is also rotating their roster despite their success, bringing in three fresh faces from the Australia A program as both squads look to go one better and claim gold.

How to watch: The action kicks off on Saturday evening. The Women face France at 7:22 pm (AEDT), followed by the Men taking on Argentina at 9:00 pm (AEDT). You can stream every match live and ad-free on Stan Sport.

Talking points: This is it. The F1 season comes down to the wire in Abu Dhabi with a historic three-way title fight. For Aussie Oscar Piastri, the equation is simple but difficult. Sitting 16 points behind McLaren teammate Lando Norris and four behind Max Verstappen, Piastri realistically needs to win the race and hope Norris finishes sixth or lower. It’s a massive long shot, but in a season defined by chaos, the 24-year-old is still in the hunt to become Australia's first world champion since Alan Jones in 1980. 

How to watch: Qualifying begins at 1am (AEDT) on Sunday. The race itself begins at 12am (AEDT) on Monday morning. You can watch the race on Foxtel and Kayo.

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