Good evening!

When worlds collide…music and sport edition.

I mean, these worlds collide all the time but I particularly enjoyed reading that Noel Gallagher, guitarist and songwriter for Oasis, had a hand in designing one of Manchester City’s jerseys for the 2024/25 season.

The jersey was designed incorporating the colour palette of the album cover for the band’s debut album ‘Definitely Maybe’.

Gallagher, who grew up in Manchester, said, "I loved City before anything. I was into City before I was into music - I was into City before I knew what music was.”

Supersonic stuff.

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Stat of the day

108 days, 12 hours and 12 minutes
How long it took American Lael Wilcox to cycle around the world. Wilcox covered 29,169 kilometres across 21 countries to become the fastest woman to cycle around the world. Her journey finished in Chicago on Wednesday (local time).

Quote of the day

“Selfishly as a driver, I have my own interests and team orders are not that fun, but in saying that I realise there is a big, bigger picture here than just myself”.
Formula One driver Oscar Piastri after McLaren ordered the Australian to play a supporting role for his teammate Lando Norris, at this weekend’s Azerbaijan GP. McLaren sits eight points shy of Red Bull’s lead in the Constructors Championship (team trophy). Norris is in second on the individual Driver Standings, 62 points behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

Random fact of the day

Manly Sea Eagles halfback Luke Brooks holds the record for most NRL games without ever playing a final (229). But, he’ll shake the title this weekend when he takes to the field for his 230th appearance, in an elimination final against the Bulldogs. Cameron Blair, who played in the 80s and 90s, will now inherit the crown from Brooks, having played 184 games and no finals.

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In case you missed it…

🎾 Australia won their second round-robin match of the Davis Cup, beating Cezchia in all three matches. The Australian team features Alexei Popyrin and Thanasi Kokkinakis playing singles and Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell as the doubles pairing. Their next and final group stage match is on Sunday against Spain, who are undefeated and feature world no.3 Carlos Alcaraz.

🏉 The Wests Tigers snapped a 14-match losing streak in the NRLW, beating the Dragons 16-14 at Leichhardt Oval in Sydney. Tigers winger Rebecca Pollard starred for the home side, scoring twice. Tigers coach Brett Kimmorley said, “Tonight they get to celebrate what winning a game of footy feels like,”

🏀 WNBA star Caitlin Clark’s signature basketball sold out in under an hour. The basketball, developed in collaboration with sports brand Wilson, went on sale yesterday. It’s estimated tens of thousands of balls were snapped up in minutes. The Indiana Fever guard said, “It feels surreal to have my own basketball collection, and I hope it inspires the next generation of boys and girls to pick up a basketball and play.”

🏉 The Wallaroos are in Belfast this weekend, where the Australian women’s rugby team will face Ireland on Saturday night (AEST). Wallaroos Coach Jo Yapp has named flanker Siokapesi Palu as captain and three debutants (Alapeta Ngauamo, Tiarah Minns, and Lucy Dinnen) are poised to make their first appearance for the side off the bench. It is the first of five internationals the Wallaroos will play as they tour Ireland, England, and South Africa.

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AFL Finals Week 2: Semi-Finals Preview

The AFL is into its second finals weekend. There will be two matches with the winner of each advancing to the preliminary final stage, joining the Sydney Swans and Geelong Cats (who won their respective Qualifying Finals last week.)

Port Adelaide v Hawthorn - Friday at 7:40pm

The winner of this Semi-Final at Adelaide Oval will play the Sydney Swans at the SCG in the Preliminary Final. Port will be looking to bounce back after they were trounced 138-54 by Geelong last week and avoid a straight sets finals exit for the second consecutive year. Hawthorn will look to continue their run of form after ending the Western Bulldogs season last week. The two sides have met once this season when Port won by a single point.

GWS Giants v Brisbane Lions - Saturday at 7:30pm

The winner of this Semi-Final at ENGIE Stadium in Western Sydney will meet the Geelong Cats at the MCG in the Preliminary Final next week. The Giants and Lions have met twice this season with the Giants prevailing on both occasions. GWS will be looking for redemption at home, after a narrow loss to the Swans last weekend. The Lions will seek to build on the momentum of last week's Elimination Final win over Carlton.

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NRL Finals: Week 1 preview

The first round of the NRL Finals begins tonight, as action continues for the top eight teams from the regular season. The top four teams will play in the two Qualifying Finals and it will be do-or-die for the bottom four playing in the two Elimination Finals.

Penrith Panthers (2) v Sydney Roosters (3)

The Panthers have won the premiership for the last three years and have demonstrated this season they are capable of winning four. They have won their last nine encounters with the Roosters and will also be strengthened by the return of Nathan Cleary. That’s not to say the Roosters won’t be up for it though. Despite losing three key players (Sam Walker, Brandon Smith, and Victor Radley) to injury two weeks ago, they looked strong in their win against the Rabbitohs last week. The Roosters will be looking for their first victory at the Panthers’ Bluebet Stadium since 2017. The winner of this Qualifying Final will advance to the Preliminary Final in two weeks while the loser will play a Semi-final next week against the winner of the Bulldogs and Sea Eagles. Kick-off is tonight at 7:50pm.

Melbourne Storm (1) v Cronulla Sharks (4)

Melbourne finished the season strongly and wrapped up the minor premiership with relative ease. These two sides have met once this season at AAMI Park (Melbourne’s home ground) with the Sharks emerging victorious. However, Cronulla’s form has been hit-and-miss. They’ll need to be at their best to take down seasoned finalists the Storm. The loser will play the winner of the Cowboys and Knights while the winner will be rewarded with a place in the Preliminary Final in two weeks. Kick-off is Saturday at 4:05pm.

North Queensland Cowboys (5th) v Newcastle Knights (8th)

This is the first of two Elimination finals where both teams face the prospect of a disappointing early exit from the competition. When these teams met in March, the Cowboys won 21-20. The Knights scraped into the top eight last week with a win over the Dolphins. Newcastle will be looking to back up their final-round heroics in front of a hostile Cowboys crowd in Townsville. The winner of this match will play the loser of the Storm v Sharks game earlier in the day. Kick-off is Saturday at 7:50pm.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (6th) v Manly Sea Eagles (7th)

The Bulldogs are playing in their first final since 2016 and have been touted as the surprise finalists of this year’s competition. They will be looking to bounce back from last week’s 44-6 loss to the Cowboys and put aside the off-field issues from this week — after star winger Josh Addo-Carr stood himself down from the final. Manly will take confidence from their 34-22 win over the Bulldogs two weeks ago and the return of fullback Tom Trbojevic. The winner plays the loser of the Panthers v Roosters while the loser’s 2024 season will be over. Kick-off is Sunday at 4:05pm.

A message from our sponsor

In a recent article, Dr. Dominique Condo, Senior Lecturer in Sport Nutrition at Deakin, discusses the AFL's decision to stop body composition and skinfold testing for players under 18. It comes soon after the AFL put an end to publishing player’s weights.

The move to ban skinfold testing on junior players has sparked debate among prominent figures in the AFL who argue that these measures are important for performance and fitness. Ex-player and coach, Paul Roos said, “This is just farcical … they [skinfold tests] are such a minor thing, to take them away seems ludicrous.”

But by keeping weights private, the league aims to reduce the pressure on players to meet certain body standards, which can lead to body image issues and unhealthy behaviours.

Skinfold testing, which measures body fat, has long been used to help track an athlete’s fitness but also risks causing anxiety about body image, especially in young players. The AFL’s new policy reflects a growing understanding that athlete health is more holistic than just physical metrics. The change is part of a broader, global trend in sport to support athletes' mental well-being and promote a healthier approach to body image.

Think Beyond The Field. Study sport at Deakin.

Looking back…

Looking forward…(All times are AEST)

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