Sport

Swans newsSwans ready to unleash ‘blond Buddy’

He’s 20kg lighter and 13cm shorter, but Sydney has backed blond bombshell Isaac Heeney to stand in for injured superstar Lance Franklin and help the Swans kick a winning score. Here’s why.

Ben Horne

Suns newsDew: Home deck won’t kick Suns’ goals

Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew has warned his baby Suns that, while they have a favourable early draw with three home games, there’s no advantage without crowds. Will the Suns pull off a surprise start?

AAP

Giants newsGiants’ corporate eyes could be first to watch live AFL

GWS has launched an audacious bid to be the first AFL club to host games in front of spectators — and they think they can do it as soon as their first game back against North Melbourne. Ben Horne on the Giants’ proposal.

Ben Horne

important adviceWhy you should be wary about claiming membership on tax

Some AFL clubs are alerting footy fans they can claim tax deductions on their club membership payments in a sneaky workaround, but tax experts have issued strong advice to anyone considering this “rort”.

MICHAEL WARNER

Huge honourWhy HoF Lion knocked back Pies mega-deal

After Jonathan Brown’s Coleman Medal winning season in 2007, Collingwood went after him, offering a massive multi-million dollar offer to lure him from Brisbane. The Hall of Fame inductee reveals why he opted to remain a one club player.

Scott Gullan

EXCLUSIVEFyfe’s plan for continued dominance well into decade

Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe believes he has three to five years ‘at least’ in the midfield at AFL level before he makes the transition to playing as a forward.

Mark Duffield

HALL OF FAMENo Survivor this year! Black completes Fab Four’s fame

The acclaimed 'Fab Four' has been reunited – in the Australian football Hall of Fame. Simon Black has joined the the rest of his illustrious midfield group after achieving the prestigious honour. After he should have joined them last year.

Glenn McFarlane

Painful exitSharks anger: Holmes’ walkout done ‘the wrong way’

Valentine Holmes still has plenty of friends at Cronulla, who he’ll face for the first time this Saturday. But there remains a lingering hurt over how the superstar fullback walked out to join the NFL.

Michael Carayannis

Sore spearheadBack on track: Sore Taberner close to training return

Justin Longmuir says his spearhead had a “little bit of an incident” with his back last week, leading to his absence from the track yesterday.

Mitchell Woodcock

No wayPay ignored senior Bulldogs’ pleas for team changes

Embattled Bulldogs coach Dean Pay has resisted making mass changes to his backline despite calls from his own senior players to shake things up.

Fatima Kdouh

Injury newsHawks star reveals who gave him facial fracture

Hawthorn star Jaeger O’Meara has revealed the culprit who left him with what turned out to be a small fracture. But he says the incident wasn't his teammate's fault. Check out the latest injury news.

Glenn McFarlane,Lauren Wood and staff writers

Back to normalOwners: Axe Cup shuffle, focus on prizemoney, crowds

Racehorse owners have pushed back on a proposed Spring Carnival reshuffle and urged the Melbourne Racing Club to instead focus on bringing back full prizemoney – and crowds.

Gilbert Gardiner

Crowd detailNew crowd numbers all in the detail

Great Southern Football League games could be limited to about 50 spectators as restrictions stand, if plans to start the season later this month go ahead

Cameron Newbold and Taj Stubber

Recovered veteranMundy says COVID-19 break was ‘godsend’ for Dockers

Veteran Docker David Mundy admits 2020’s interrupted AFL season has been a ‘godsend’ for the 316-gamer.

Strikes twiceNetball WA announce return date for their top comp

Denmark netballer Summer Stirling and her new Peel Lightning teammates will launch their WA Netball League campaign early next month

Cameron Newbold

WA Footy 101The man who deserves title of ‘Mr Swan Districts’

Bill Walker’s decision to play his career exclusively in the west means he is unlikely to ever join Farmer, Cable and Bunton on the list of the most-honoured footballers in the game’s history.

John Townsend

The SparkCut-price star called on to save Mary’s job

He’s the little-known playmaker on a base-level NRL contract worth $75,000 who will be tasked with the hardest job in the competition – sparking a lacklustre Dragons attack.

David Riccio

Turf warsWill cricket schedule impact AFL finals?

Cricket Australia has booked every major venue during this year’s AFL finals. Will your club have access to its home ground in October? Find out which clubs are affected.

Sam Landsberger

On The PuntOn the Punt: Best bets for Sandown

The best bets and value selections for Sandown Lakeside on Wednesday, including the top tips from the Group 1-winning Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable. BEST BETS INSIDE.

Gilbert Gardiner

Have your sayOne major problem with Bombers’ NRL bid - the name

The NRL’s 17th team must be based in the Brisbane metro region, but it cannot be named the Bombers - here’s why. What should Brisbane’s new NRL team be named? HAVE YOUR SAY

Travis Meyn

Damning‘It’s not a place you feel welcomed’: McLeod on Crows

Adelaide Crows legend Andrew McLeod has delivered a critical assessment of his former club, saying he doesn’t feel comfortable walking back into West Lakes. But a former premiership teammate disagrees with his comments.

Jack Hudson, Simeon Thomas-Wilson

CruelKent: The ticking time bomb cursing Dragons, Dogs

Dean Pay, we’re told, has one game to save his job at the Bulldogs. The Dragons’ Paul McGregor has the luxury of two. But, writes PAUL KENT, the madness of the coaching merry-go-round doesn’t stop there.

Paul Kent

BinnedAFL ignores call for extreme rule change

There has been no shortage of suggestions of ways to change the game when footy resumes, and for future seasons. But one that has been pushed by AFL great Leigh Matthew definitely won’t see the light of day.

Michael Warner

WA ballers5 WA basketball up-and-comers to look out for

Western Australia has enjoyed a surge in basketball talent recently with many players at the start or on the cusp of professional careers on home soil and across the globe.

Josh Garlepp