Today is my birthday, so happy birthday to me.

One of my favourite things about a 12 May birthday is that I'm in the company of New Zealand All Blacks legend Jonah Lomu.

Interestingly, it is also Homer Simpson's birthday (as per his driver's licence in Season 4, Episode 16).

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The age of Victorian cricketer Ollie Peake, who has been named in Australia’s ODI squad for its tour of Pakistan later this month. If the Geelong product is selected for one of the three matches starting on 31 May, he would become one of just six teenagers to play a men’s ODI for Australia. The five before him – Ray Bright, Craig McDermott, Josh Hazlewood, Mitch Marsh, and Pat Cummins – were all bowlers or all-rounders, meaning Peake would become the first specialist batter to debut as a teenager in Australian men’s ODI cricket.

"My passion for the game is stronger than ever, so why should I have to choose between becoming a mum and playing netball?... No-one says that to my partner, so why should they say that to me?"
NSW Swifts and Australian Diamonds midcourter Paige Hadley speaking to ABC Sport after returning to Super Netball on Saturday, just 74 days after giving birth to her son, Tully. Hadley played 11 minutes in the Swifts’ Round 9 win over Sunshine Coast Lightning after training with the club until she was 38 weeks pregnant. She said criticism online about her quick return had been “hurtful”, with some questioning why she came back so soon.

Former South Sydney Rabbitohs captain John Sutton holds the record for the most NRL appearances without playing a State of Origin or international Test match, retiring in 2019 with 336 games. He captained the Rabbitohs to their 2014 premiership and sits equal 14th on the all-time NRL appearances list.

🎾 Australia’s Alexei Popyrin was swept aside by world number one Jannik Sinner in the third round of the Italian Open, losing 6-2, 6-0 in just 65 minutes. The 26-year-old was the last Australian remaining in either the men’s or women’s singles draw after impressive wins over Matteo Berrettini and Czechia’s Jakub Menšík. The result extends Sinner’s Masters 1000 winning streak to 25 matches. The Italian has not lost at any level since the Qatar Open in February and is chasing a first Rome title, which would make him the tournament’s first Italian men’s singles champion since 1976.

⛵️ Australia’s Flying Roos claimed back-to-back SailGP event victories in Bermuda over the weekend, with Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds joining the crew on the water ahead of racing. Reynolds, who bought into the team as a co-owner alongside Hugh Jackman last year, called it “the most insane thing I’ve ever experienced”. Driver Tom Slingsby then steered Australia to victory in the final against Germany and Spain – their third title from five rounds this season – extending the Flying Roos’ lead atop the standings to 10 points. The next round takes place in New York on 30-31 May.

🏀 In the NBA Playoffs, reigning champions the Oklahoma City Thunder have swept the Los Angeles Lakers to reach the Western Conference Finals, winning Game 4 115-110. Lakers star LeBron James finished with 24 points in what may have been the final game of his 23-year career. The 41-year-old is off contract and has not confirmed whether he will continue playing. He would turn 42 during the next NBA season. The Thunder will face the winner of the Spurs-Timberwolves series, tied at 2-2. In the East, the New York Knicks have advanced to a second straight Conference Finals after sweeping the 76ers and will play the winner of the Cavaliers-Pistons series, also tied at 2-2.

Following your team interstate – or dreaming about catching a game overseas – adds up fast

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The AFL says it has “work to do” to reverse a decline in Indigenous representation across the league, with new data showing the number of Indigenous players has fallen from a record 87 in 2020 to 62 this year. 

The figures come as the AFL prepares to launch Sir Doug Nicholls Round on Thursday, the league’s annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players and culture.

Here’s what to know.

On Monday, AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said the league had “plenty of work to do” after Indigenous representation in the AFL fell by 28% from its 2020 peak.

Dillon said: “We're making sure the First Nations players are staying in the game as long as others… There's plenty of work to do but we've got targets in mind and big focus points.”

The AFL told TDA its First Nations representation target by 2030 is “81 AFL players and 29 AFLW players on lists”.

This weekend marks the beginning of Sir Doug Nicholls Round, the AFL’s annual celebration of Indigenous players and culture. The league also recognises the Indigenous ball game Marn Grook – meaning “game ball” – which is widely seen as influencing the early style of Australian football.

The AFL has also launched a $300,000 annual First Nations Impact Fund aimed at helping clubs create stronger and culturally safer pathways for Indigenous players. 

It has also established Indigenous and Multicultural Academies which support up to 25 talented young players for both the AFL and AFLW.

The league is also considering introducing an additional First Nations list spot as part of broader efforts to improve recruitment and retention across the competition.

As part of the Sir Doug Nicholls Round, clubs will again adopt Indigenous language names chosen in consultation with local Elders and language groups to reflect the Country they represent. This weekend, for example, the West Coast Eagles will play as “Waalitj Marawar”.

Reporting by Pavitra Ravi.

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Michael Voss has resigned as Carlton coach with the club winning just one of its first nine matches this season and sitting 16th on the AFL ladder. Assistant coach Josh Fraser is set to take over as interim coach as the team prepares to play the Western Bulldogs this Saturday. 

Here’s what to know. 

Voss is one of the most decorated figures in AFL history. 

He captained the Brisbane Lions to three consecutive premierships between 2001 and 2003, won a joint Brownlow Medal in 1996, and earned five All-Australian selections.

The 50-year-old began his senior coaching career at Brisbane, leading the Lions for five seasons before being sacked in 2013. He later spent seven years as an assistant coach at Port Adelaide before taking over Carlton ahead of the 2022 season.

In 2023, Voss led the Blues to a Preliminary Final – the club’s deepest finals run since finishing runner-up in 1999.

Carlton's decline has been steep. 

The Blues were second on the ladder as late as Round 19 in 2024, but won just one of their final six games that season. They scraped into finals in eighth spot before a first-week elimination loss to Brisbane.

A 9-14 record followed in 2025, while an off-season exodus saw several high-profile players leave the club.

The past 18 months have also been marked by repeated second-half collapses. In Round 3 this year, Carlton blew a 43-point lead against Melbourne before losing by 23 points. A four-goal collapse against North Melbourne followed a week later.

Off-field scrutiny also intensified. In Round 6, a narrow loss to Collingwood was overshadowed by the club’s handling of Elijah Hollands, who experienced a mental health episode during the match. The AFL fined Carlton $75,000 over the incident last week.

Fraser will lead the team for the rest of the year while the club searches for a permanent replacement. According to AFL.com.au, Carlton is expected to target a first-time senior coach, with CEO Graham Wright having previously hired then-untried Craig McRae at Collingwood. 

Captain Patrick Cripps, on his way to a club meeting this morning, described Voss as "a great mentor and a great coach to me."