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Year in review: From Perth’s NBL crown to West Coast’s sad finals exit, here’s the biggest sport stories

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Catherine HealeyThe West Australian
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2020: We farewelled Kobe Bryant, celebrated the Perth Demons and hailed the ageing Josh Kennedy.
Camera Icon2020: We farewelled Kobe Bryant, celebrated the Perth Demons and hailed the ageing Josh Kennedy.

It’s been a remarkable year given the worldwide pandemic, but Aussie sport fans still got to see plenty of remarkable feats in 2020.

Here’s the top three from every month this year.

January

Jan 7: The Perth Wildcats sack import Dario Hunt and sign former NBA big man Miles Plumlee. Plumlee made an immediate impact for the Cats as the club raced into finals contention.

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Jan 16: Exiled Eagle Willie Rioli rejoins his teammates at training for the first time since allegations of tampering with his urine sample emerged. The premiership forward said it was “good to be back” after leaving his teammates in Melbourne the night before their semi-final loss to Geelong in 2019.

Jan 26: US basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna are killed in a helicopter crash in LA, sparking an outpouring of grief in sport around the world. All nine people on board died when the helicopter crashed in the city of Calabasas.

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Willie Rioli resumes training with the West Coast Eagles while under provisional drug suspension.
Camera IconWillie Rioli resumes training with the West Coast Eagles while under provisional drug suspension. Credit: Trevor Collens/The West Australian

February

Feb 1: Young American Sofia Kenin stunned Garbine Muguruza in the women’s Australian Open final 4-6 6-2 6-2 to claim her first grand slam title. The 21-year-old became the youngest Australian Open winner since Maria Sharapova in 2008.

Feb 2: Novak Djokovic defeats Dominic Thiem in the Australian Open final in a remarkable five sets 6-4 4-6 2-6 6-3 6-4. It was Djokovic’s 17th Grand Slam title.

Feb 7: WA sporting greats and media personalities join together and raise more than $40,000 for the bushfire appeal in Greg Hire’s Boundaries 4 Bushfires charity cricket match.

Sofia Kenin holds the Daphne Ackhurst Memorial Cup after claiming the women's singles final of the Australian Open.
Camera IconSofia Kenin holds the Daphne Ackhurst Memorial Cup after claiming the women's singles final of the Australian Open. Credit: Dita Alangkara/AP

March

Mar 8: Australia claim the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in a final against India at the MCG. Alyssa Healy is named player of the match as she and her teammates party with pregnant pop star Katy Perry in front of more than 86,000 fans.

Mar 18: The Perth Wildcats are named 2019/20 NBL champions after the best-of-five finals series against Sydney is called off after three games. The Cats were leading 2-1 when the Kings refused to travel to Perth for game four due to the rising COVID threat.

Mar 22: AFL announces midway through round one matches at empty stadiums that the season will be postponed until at least May 31 due to the worldwide COVID pandemic. CEO Gil McLachlan described the shutdown as the “biggest financial crisis in our history” with fears not all 18 clubs would survive the year.

Katy Perry, performs on stage while pregnant with the Australian women's cricket team after the Women's T20 World Cup final.
Camera IconKaty Perry, performs on stage while pregnant with the Australian women's cricket team after the Women's T20 World Cup final. Credit: SCOTT BARBOUR/AAPIMAGE

April

Apr 8: Fremantle skipper Nat Fyfe is investigated by police after he was spotted surfing near Margaret River as the State remained in a COVID lockdown. WA Police later cleared the dual Brownlow Medallist of a COVID breach as the star was working as a truck driver in the South West and had a valid exemption to be outside the tough region lockdown.

Apr 28: Fremantle are again in hot water after three players, Luke Ryan, Michael Frederick and Jason Carter are pictured partying, appearing to flaunt strict social distancing rules. While WA Police confirmed there would be no punishment, the Dockers fined both Ryan and Carter $3000 – with $2000 of that suspended and apologised to the WA public.

Apr 29: The Perth Wildcats confirm the shock departure of star Bryce Cotton as the NBL slashes pay packets by 50 per cent due to the COVID crisis. The two-time MVP announced he would opt out of the final year of his contract to take up a lucrative overseas offer.

Perth Wildcats star Bryce Cotton.
Camera IconPerth Wildcats star Bryce Cotton. Credit: Justin Benson-Cooper/The West Australian

May

May 3: Former Eagle Dean Laidley is arrested on drugs, stalking charges. Victorian police officers are later stood down over the leak of Laidley’s arrest photo while wearing a wig and woman’s dress. The ex-Kangaroos coach would later be sentenced as Dani Laidley.

May 15: West Coast, Fremantle begin preparations to re-start the AFL season in a Queensland hub. The AFL announces the 2020 will go ahead from June as plans are made to move both WA and SA teams onto the Gold Coast.

May 26: Wildcats fan-favourite Bryce Cotton signs new mega-contract with Perth just a month after walking out on his deal. As international opportunities dried up due to the escalating COVID crisis, Cotton and the Cats were “thrilled” to be back together again.

Fremantle players and support staff prepare to board their flight to Queensland.
Camera IconFremantle players and support staff prepare to board their flight to Queensland. Credit: Nic Ellis/The West Australian

June

Jun 11: The AFL returns with a bang as Collingwood and Richmond finish in a 36-all draw in front of a locked out MCG. Fremantle go down to Brisbane by 12 points while the Eagles suffer a shock loss to Gold Coast by 44.

Jun 19: The AFL is rocked by its first COVID scare with Essendon’s Irish recruit Conor McKenna testing positive. The Bombers upcoming clash with Melbourne is postponed and McKenna and his close contacts at the club are put into isolation. Debate would later rage over whether McKenna’s test was a false positive.

Jun 24: The AFL announces WA will host a hub with Collingwood and Geelong announced as two teams joining West Coast and Fremantle in Perth in July.

Conor McKenna tests positive for COVID-19.
Camera IconConor McKenna tests positive for COVID-19. Credit: 7NEWS/supplied

July

Jul 16:AFL returns to Perth with Collingwood defeating Geelong by 22 points at Optus Stadium. More than 22,000 footy fans packed into the stands for their first taste of live AFL action in 2020, after the Eagles’ round one match against Melbourne went ahead behind closed doors.

Jul 19: West Coast win the year’s only western derby, defeating Fremantle by 30 points. Star forward Josh Kennedy is named the Glendinning-Allan medallist in his 250th match, kicking four goals in the victory. The Eagles win set a new record of 10 straight Derby victories.

Jul 20: The AFL community is rocked by the death of former Richmond player Shane Tuck, son of Hawthorn legend Michael, at age 38. Due to Victoria’s ongoing COVID restrictions, the Tuck family hold a private funeral.

Richmond players stand for a minute’s silence in memory of former team mate Shane Tuck.
Camera IconRichmond players stand for a minute’s silence in memory of former team mate Shane Tuck. Credit: Ryan Pierse/AFL Photos

August

Aug 1: Collingwood president Eddie McGuire is left red-faced after his coach Nathan Buckley and assistant Brenton Sanderson are busted breaching the AFL’s COVID protocols, playing tennis with Alicia Molik in Perth. The breach happened just days after McGuire called for hefty penalties to those who breached the AFL rules. The Pies were hit with a $50,000 fine — $25,000 suspended, for the breach.

Aug 15: WA’s Elijah Taylor is banned from the remainder of the AFL season after he was caught up in a COVID protocol breach at Sydney’s Perth hotel base. Taylor’s then-girlfriend snuck into the Swan’s room – a clear breach of the strict protocols. The Swans were hit with a $50,000 fine for Taylor’s actions.

Aug 19: Fremantle’s Cam McCarthy quits the club after being told he won’t be offered a new contract. The forward, who struggled to cement his place in the Dockers line up, was left behind as the team departed for a second QLD AFL hub. He was joined by Jason Carter, Dillon O’Reilly and Isaiah Butters, assistant coach Michael Prior and fitness boss Jason Weber as those let go by Freo.

Cam McCarthy (left) officially quits Fremantle.
Camera IconCam McCarthy (left) officially quits Fremantle. Credit: Paul Kane/AFL Photos

September

Sep 6: Top-seeded Novak Djokovic is defaulted from his fourth-round match at the US Open after hitting a line judge in the neck with a ball. Djokovic was the overwhelming favourite to claim his 18th career grand slam before he was disqualified.

Sep 12: The Perth Demons are through to the club’s first WAFL finals series in 23 years. There were remarkable scenes at Mineral Resources Park as the Demons came from nine points down to defeat South Fremantle.

Sep 24: The cricket world is left shocked by the death of legend Dean Jones. Jones was in Dubai commentating the IPL when he collapsed and suffered a heart attack. Despite the best efforts of ex-Test star Brett Lee to revive him, Jones died at age 59.

The late Dean Jones and Brett Lee in Dubai.
Camera IconThe late Dean Jones and Brett Lee in Dubai. Credit: Instagram

October

Oct 3: West Coast lose a heartbreaking home elimination final to Collingwood to bow out in 2020. The Pies shock one-point win came on the back of some Mason Cox heroics. It was a tough way to end the season after two hub stays in Queensland and a host of injuries late in the year.

Oct 4: After a shortened 10-round season, South Fremantle claim the 2020 WAFL Grand Final, defeating Claremont by three points. Tiger Jye Bolton is named Simpson Medallist, despite being in a losing side.

Oct 24: The Richmond dynasty is complete as the Tigers defeat Geelong in the AFL Grand Final. Dustin Martin makes history as a three-time Norm Smith Medallist while the 31-point loss spells the end of Cats Gary Ablett and Harry Taylor’s careers.

Richmond players celebrate winning the 2020 AFL Grand Final.
Camera IconRichmond players celebrate winning the 2020 AFL Grand Final. Credit: Matt Roberts/Getty Images

November

Nov 1: Fremantle officially part ways with controversial recruit Jesse Hogan. After a tough two seasons littered with off-field incidents, Hogan joins Greater Western Sydney in exchange for pick 54.

Nov 3: The 2020 Melbourne Cup is won by Joseph O’Brien-trained Twilight Payment. But the win is overshadowed by yet another Cup death – this time the Hugh Bowman-ridden Anthony Van Dyck.

Nov 12: Collingwood’s horror trade period is completed when star Adam Treloar is officially traded to the Western Bulldogs. The Pies will still pay Treloar $1.5m for his deal with the Dogs in a remarkable trade period that saw fans up in arms.

Jesse Hogan’s time at the Dockers comes to an end.
Camera IconJesse Hogan’s time at the Dockers comes to an end. Credit: Daniel Carson/AFL Media

December

Dec 9: Jamarra Ugle-Hagan becomes the AFL’s number one draft pick, taken as an academy pick by the Western Bulldogs. WA’s Logan McDonald (pick 4 to Sydney) and Denver Grainger-Barras (pick six to Hawthorn) go inside the top 10. Freo pick up four local talents – Heath Chapman, Nathan O’Driscoll, Brandon Walker and Joel Western. The Eagles take the son of dual Adelaide premiership winner Tyson Edwards, Luke Edwards, and WA’s Isiah Winder.

Dec 14: West Coast Fever are handed the biggest penalty in Super Netball history after breaching the salary cap over two seasons. On top of massive fines, the club will head into the 2021 season three wins behind the rest of the competition as a result of their actions.

Dec 17: Test cricket returns to Australia with Australia hosting India in a four-match Border-Gavaskar series. Perth is overlooked for the Test summer, despite community COVID cases in both Sydney and Melbourne.

The West Coast Fever are hit with the biggest penalty handed out in Super Netball history.
Camera IconThe West Coast Fever are hit with the biggest penalty handed out in Super Netball history. Credit: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

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