Good evening!

Today I watched the conclusion of the College Football Playoffs semi-final between Penn State and Notre Dame.

With scores tied at 24 each and twenty seconds to go, Notre Dame kicked a field goal to put themselves three points ahead and ultimately secure a spot in the championship game next week.

As soon as the final seconds of the game ticked over, the Notre Dame marching band broke out into song.

Suddenly, I could almost smell the hallowed turf of the SCG, and I felt the desire to wrap a red and white scarf around my neck.

That’s because the ‘Notre Dame Victory March’, composed in 1905 by the Shea Brothers, was adopted by the Sydney Swans in 1961 as the tune to the official team song. That’s interesting, right?

Different sport. Same feeling.

I’ve got 10 seconds

Stat of the day

919,000
The average number of viewers for the first match of Tomorrow’s Golf League (TGL), according to ratings company Nielsen. TGL is a new golf competition devised by Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods that combines features of virtual and real golf. The first match was played between The Bay (San Francisco) and New York. The Bay won the best of 15 holes match 9-2. 

Quote of the day

"I realised that in that hotel in Melbourne, I was fed with some food that poisoned me... I had some discoveries when I came back to Serbia. I never told this to anybody publicly, but discoveries that I had a really high level of heavy metal.” 
24-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic recalling his experience of hotel quarantine during the 2022 Australian Open in an interview with GQ.  The Serbian tennis star was detained in a Melbourne hotel and had his Australian visa cancelled after entering the country while unvaccinated for COVID-19. He was subsequently deported and did not play in the tournament. 

Random fact of the day

The records for the youngest and oldest grand slam winners were both set at the Australian Open. The youngest grand slam winner was Switzerland’s Martina Hingis in 1997 at the age of 16 years and three months. The oldest to win a grand slam was Australian Ken Rosewall in 1972 at the age of 37 years and two months.

I’ve got 30 seconds

In case you missed it…

🏟️ Former Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein has suggested the state’s government revisit its deal with the AFL to build a new stadium in Hobart. Gutwein said the proposed stadium will probably not be finished until 2029 or 2030, despite the agreement stipulating it must be ready to host games for the 2029 season. The Tasmanian Government will face financial penalties if the project is not done in time.

🚴 The Australian Road Cycling National Championships began on Thursday in Perth, with the men’s and women’s time trials headlining the first day. In the men’s time trial, Luke Plapp finished eight seconds ahead of Jay Vine to win his third national time trial championship. In the women’s time trial, Brodie Chapman took out the title in the absence of recently retired Olympic champion Grace Brown. The 33-year-old finished second behind Brown in 2024. The men’s and women’s elite road race events will take place on Sunday.

🏉 Richmond Tigers AFL star Noah Balta has been handed a four-match ban by the club after being charged with assault. The 25-year-old was involved in an off-field incident on 30 December which resulted in a 27-year-old man being taken to hospital for a laceration on his head. Balta, who signed a seven-year contract with the Tigers in October last year, is required to appear at Corowa Local Court on 30 January.

I’ve got 1 minute

How are the Los Angeles wildfires impacting sporting events?

The U.S. city of Los Angeles and its surrounds are currently experiencing what President Joe Biden has called the worst fires in its history. 180,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes, seven are dead, and over 116 square kilometres have burned. Amid the destruction, most major LA events are on pause, including multiple sports.

Wildfires affecting multiple sports schedules

On Wednesday (local time) an ice hockey match between the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames scheduled to be played at Crypto.com Arena in central LA was cancelled. A basketball match between the Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets set for Thursday night at the same venue was postponed.

With the NFL playoffs beginning this weekend, the league announced it would move the upcoming fixture between the Los Angeles Chargers and Minnesota Vikings from LA to Glendale, Arizona.

The fires are also threatening a number of sporting venues including the Rose Bowl Stadium and the Riviera Country Club, where the 2028 Olympic golf tournament will be contested.

What they said

In a statement, the NBA said: “The entire NBA family sends its thoughts and support to the community of Los Angeles during this challenging time. We are grateful for the thousands of local firefighters and first responders who have demonstrated enormous bravery.”

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The Australian Open starts on Sunday - here’s what you need to know

It’s that time of year again. The 2025 Australian Open begins on Sunday, and the world’s best men’s and women’s tennis players will battle it out for one of the sport’s most coveted prizes. Here’s what you need to know ahead of this year’s edition of the ‘Happy Slam’.

Format

The tournament begins on Sunday and will run for two weeks. The women’s singles final will be played on Saturday 25 January followed by the men’s singles final on Sunday 26 January. It’s the second year in a row that the tournament will run for 15 instead of 14 days, to prevent matches from running into the early hours of the morning.

Men’s singles

The number one seed for the men’s singles is defending champion Jannik Sinner. The 23-year-old Italian looks hard to beat following a stellar 2024 which saw him win eight titles and lose just six of his 79 matches. The second and third seeds are Germany’s Alexander Zverev and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz.

Novak Djokovic may be the seventh seed but it would be naive to think the 37-year-old can’t rise to the occasion. The Serbian already holds the record for most Australian Open titles in the open era (10) and is one slam away from a record-breaking 25th title.

Aussie men

14 Australians are playing in the men’s singles draw. Aussie fans will likely be pinning their hopes on eighth-seeded Alex de Minaur. ‘The Demon’ will face the Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp in the opening round and will be wary given the Dutchman upset Alcaraz at the 2024 U.S. Open. If de Minaur can get through the first four rounds, he will likely play Sinner in the quarter-final.

Alexei Popyrin (25) and Jordan Thompson (27) are also seeded. In their opening matches, Popyrin is playing France’s Corentin Moutet and Thompson will take on German qualifier Dominik Koepfer.

If Nick Kyrgios is healthy (he withdrew from an exhibition match against Djokovic earlier this weekend due to an abdominal strain) he will play 86th-ranked Brit Jacob Fearnley.

Women’s singles

Aryna Sabalenka is the number one seed in the women’s draw and is looking to win a third consecutive Australian Open title. The 26-year-old is fresh off a title at the Brisbane International where she only lost one set all tournament.

Poland’s Iga Świątek is the second seed and American Coco Gauff is the third seed. Five-time slam winner Świątek has never made the final at the Aus Open and Gauff is looking to add a second grand slam title to her resume after her first at the U.S. Open in 2023.

Aussie women

Eight Australians are set to contest the women’s singles. Olivia Gadecki gained automatic entry, five players (Daria Saville, Ajla Tomljanovic, Maya Joint, Talia Gibson, and Emerson Jones) received wildcard entries and two players (Kimberly Birrell and Destanee Aiava) won three matches to qualify through last week’s qualification tournament. None of the Aussies in the women’s draw are seeded.

Teenage stars Maya Joint and Emerson Jones face daunting tasks in the opening round. 16-year-old Jones, who finished last year as the world’s top-ranked junior, will play sixth-seed Elena Rybakina. 18-year-old Joint will play 2024 U.S. Open finalist and seventh seed Jessica Pegula.

How to watch

You can catch the tennis action on Channel 9. Coverage from all courts will be streamed on 9Now and Stan Sport.

A message from Deakin University

What mothers really need at sport events

This study examines the distinction between "family-friendly" and "mother-friendly" sport stadium experiences. While mothers appreciate facilities like breastfeeding rooms, they find stadium layouts and policies often hinder their ability to balance caregiving and fandom.

Key findings include a preference for flexible spaces that allow mothers to care for children without missing the game.

The commentary suggests more accessible, open spaces and fewer restrictions on caregiving items. It urges sport organisations to create environments that better integrate mothering with fandom.

This journal article was co-written by Deakin professor, Kim Toffoletti.

Looking forward… (All times are AEDT)

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