The Hawks are being kicked out of Tassie.

After 25 years playing 'home' games in Launceston, the AFL has confirmed Hawthorn will exit the state after the 2027 season to make way for the Tasmania Devils, who enter the competition in 2028.

The decision pulls Hawthorn from a venue where the club has won 66 of its 87 matches and is currently riding an 11-game winning streak. The Hawks also have roughly 8,000 Tasmanian members.

In a statement on Tuesday, Hawthorn said it was "extremely disappointed" in the AFL's decision. 

The issue begs an interesting question.

12
The number of years Cath Cox held the record for most national netball league appearances before West Coast Fever shooter Romelda Aiken‑George broke it on Sunday. Aiken‑George played her 255th game to become the all‑time appearances leader across the Commonwealth Bank Trophy, ANZ Championship and Super Netball. Cox, who retired in 2014 with 254 games, was at RAC Arena to commentate and hand the baton over to Aiken-George.

"You always get it. I feel like any Indigenous player or multicultural person cops a message after every game."
Gold Coast Suns forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, speaking to The Age ahead of Sir Doug Nicholls Round, says he and other Indigenous AFL players continue to receive racist abuse online after every match. The 23-year-old said he chooses to ignore the abuse rather than publicise it. Ugle-Hagan famously lifted his jumper and pointed to his skin in 2023, echoing Nicky Winmar's iconic stand against racism three decades earlier. Sir Doug Nicholls Round, the AFL's annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contributions to the game, continues this weekend.

Polo is a team sport played on horseback. There are two opposing teams of four players who must try to hit a ball using a mallet into the opponent’s goal. The game is divided into seven-and-a-half-minute periods called ‘chukkers’, with between four and six chukkers played in a match. Ponies can play a maximum of two chukkers per match. Top riders often ride a fresh horse every chukker.

🏏 The 2026-27 Big Bash League season is set to open in Chennai, with several reports suggesting Cricket Australia is planning to stage the season opener in India for the first time in the competition's history. The proposed match at MA Chidambaram Stadium is part of a broader push into the Indian market, with Cricket Australia also exploring private investment in Big Bash franchises. Teams including the Melbourne Renegades, Perth Scorchers and Hobart Hurricanes have been linked to potential sell-offs, though several state cricket associations remain opposed.

🏀 Australian forward Joe Ingles has signed a two-year deal with NBL side Melbourne United, returning to the league where he started his professional career nearly two decades ago. The 38-year-old's NBA career ended last week after the Minnesota Timberwolves were eliminated in the conference semi-finals, capping 12 seasons across Utah, Milwaukee, Orlando and Minnesota. A five-time Olympian with the Boomers, Ingles broke into professional basketball with the now-defunct South Dragons in 2006, winning Rookie of the Year.

🎾 Australian Bernard Tomic has advanced to the second round of French Open qualifying after beating Tunisia's Moez Echargui in three sets (3-6, 7-5, 6-3) at Roland Garros. The 33-year-old, currently ranked world No. 195, became a father last month and had not played a tour-level match since February. He was the only Australian to progress on Day 1 of qualifying, with Dane Sweeny, Alex Bolt, Chris O'Connell, and Taylah Preston all eliminated.  If he qualifies for the main draw, Tomic will join 13 other Australians already confirmed for the tournament, which begins Sunday.

⚽ Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is expected to leave the club at the end of the season, with reports suggesting an announcement could come before Sunday's final Premier League match against Aston Villa. The 55-year-old has won 20 trophies during a decade at City, including six Premier League titles and the club’s first  Champions League crown. Former assistant Enzo Maresca is widely tipped to replace him. Meanwhile, Arsenal moved a step closer to a first Premier League title in 22 years after a 1-0 win over Burnley overnight. The Gunners will be crowned champions if they beat Crystal Palace on Sunday.

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On Sunday, U.S-based, Canberra-raised sprinter Eddie Nketia became the fastest Australian in the 100m distance when he crossed the line in 9.74 seconds at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships. 

However, the result didn’t count due to World Athletics rules on tailwinds. 

Last year, Gout Gout ran into the same issue… twice.

So, what is a tailwind, and why does it stop athletes like Nketia and Gout from breaking records?

Here’s what to know.

A tailwind is wind blowing in the same direction an athlete is running. In practice, it means the wind hits the runner’s back and reduces air resistance, which can help them move faster. 

Performances can still count for places, World Athletics season points, and qualification to other comps, but records set when tailwinds are blowing faster than 2.0 metres per second don’t count. World Athletics has a system of assigning points to races depending on how fast winds were blowing and whether that assisted or hindered athletes. 

On Sunday, Nketia ran the 100m with a 5.6 metres-per-second tailwind, meaning the run will not count as an official record. 

The 200m was also wind-assisted, with a tailwind of 7.5 metres per second.

In a post to Instagram, the 25-year-old runner said: “Unfortunately, I can’t control the wind, but… I’ll take it.”

Australia's official 100m record remains Patrick Johnson's 9.93, set in 2003. The world record is Usain Bolt’s 9.58, set in 2009. 

Reporting by Pavitra Ravi.

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Collingwood midfielder Scott Pendlebury will run out for his 433rd VFL/AFL game against the West Coast Eagles at the MCG on Saturday, surpassing former North Melbourne champion Brent Harvey to become the player with the most games in league history.

The milestone is expected to deliver Pendlebury a payday that could reach up to $500,000, according to 7News, with the revenue sitting outside Collingwood's salary cap. 

The arrangement has divided the football world.

Pendlebury equalled Harvey's record of 432 games earlier this month. 

The 38-year-old was rested last week, meaning he will set the record at home. 

Drafted by Collingwood with pick five in 2005, Pendlebury has spent his entire career at the club and captained the side for nine seasons between 2014 and 2022. 

He is a two-time premiership player (2010 and 2023), a 2010 Norm Smith Medallist, a six-time All-Australian, and a five-time winner of the Copeland Trophy, Collingwood's best and fairest award.

According to a 7News report, Pendlebury is expected to earn around $500,000 from the milestone, with the bulk of that figure tied to match-worn guernseys. He is expected to swap into as many as 12 different jumpers over the course of the game, with the club also producing custom boots, commemorative wine and a limited-edition watch for fans, all of which will be sold.

The standard split for revenue from 'Player Milestone' merchandise under the league’s current pay and conditions agreement with players is 65% to the player and 35% to the club. 

According to the Herald Sun, the Magpies have agreed to hand Pendlebury close to the full share, with the AFL confirming the arrangement is “compliant with AFL Total Player Payment rules”. 7News reporter Tom Morris said last week Pendlebury will get the full share of revenue, and donate a portion of the proceeds to children's cancer charity My Room.

None of the income will count toward the club's salary cap, meaning Collingwood can effectively reward Pendlebury without reducing the amount available to spend on the rest of the playing list.

Speaking on Channel 7's The Agenda Setters, veteran AFL journalist Caroline Wilson said five rival clubs were "absolutely filthy" about the arrangement. Host Kane Cornes called it the "biggest loophole in recent salary cap memory" and said the AFL "cannot allow this to happen".

Pendlebury's former teammate, Mason Cox, defended the deal on his ESPN podcast. He accused critics of "tall poppy syndrome" and argued AFL players were heavily underpaid relative to athletes in other major codes.

Collingwood CEO Craig Kelly told Code Sports that the commercial programs and licensed products linked to the milestone had been "developed and approved by the relevant parties, including the AFL and AFLPA".

Pendlebury’s milestone match will start at 4:35pm on Saturday (AEST). During the first quarter, the MCG crowd is expected to break into a fan-led applause to commemorate the milestone. More than 90,000 spectators are expected to attend.