AFL's push in the back problem!
AFL: These examples from the 2025 AFL season show why many experts believe the push in the back rule is being ignored to the game's detriment.
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News.com.au
6 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Wyong preview, best bets, inside mail for Sunday, June 8, 2025
If only Hall Of Famer Clarry Conners could count on the equine Iceman as much as he did his two-legged namesake, he would be sure of tallying up his 150th career win at Wyong. Conners, a four-time Golden Slipper-winning trainer among other things — bought, part-owns and of course trains Iceman. It was only natural that we asked him if his name is a tribute to the Champion trans-Tasman jockey Grant Cooksley — aka 'The Iceman'. 'I wish he was,' Conners joked. 'But no, he was a pretty easy horse to name after his mother (Ice Girl). Mention Conners, and the first jockey that comes to mind is Shane Dye, but it was in fact Cooksley who holds the singular honour and distinction as judged by Conners himself. Photo! ðŸ'¸ Iceman gets there in a photo for Clarry Conners and Andrew Adkins! @aus_turf_club â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 16, 2024 The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. 'Grant Cooksley rode the best horse I ever had,' Conners said. 'And Cooksley reckons he was the best horse he ever rode. 'I'll never forget him.' That horse is Mouawad. A year younger brother to Octagonal, Mouawad won seven of his eight career starts and was widely acknowledged as a certainty-beaten at the other in mid-January, 1997 at Royal Randwick. 'He was on the fence and he never got out,' Conners recalled. After that, Mouawad and Cooksley were never beaten, sweeping the Debonair, Australian Guineas, Futurity Stakes and George Ryder in succession. Then a sensation. 'He was the favourite for the Doncaster but the day before, he bumped himself in the pool, it was nothing but the owners decided to send him to stud which was stupid,' Conners said. Mouawad served 32 mares in the spring 1997 but 29 of the mares failed to go in foal. The three that did, all delivered dead foals. With his stud seemingly over before it started, a racetrack return was on the radar. 'I tried to buy him back and I ran out of money,' Conners explained. 'I formed a syndicate for half a million dollars and that was as far as we were going to go and then Y. P Cheng from Domeland bought him for $550,000 and took him to China to go to stud. 'If you can work that out, I can't.' Conners, meanwhile, has had his work cut out working the somewhat enigmatic Iceman out but is getting there. 'He is still a work in progress,' Conners said. 'He is a bit of a dumb horse. I put the nose-roll on him because he gets his head up and he's looking around but the penny will drop one day I hope.' The nose-roll has, it seems, to be propelling Iceman closer to adding to his single Warwick Farm victory with back-to-back thirds, one of them unlucky, during May ahead on his quest in The Enterance Leagues Club Class 1 Handicap (1600m). 'His last two runs have been pretty good and he has drawn a barrier so that will help a little bit,' he said. 'It is a nice race for him on Sunday.' SHAYNE O'CASS' TOP SELECTIONS BEST BET Race 2 No. 10: RAINBOW GODDESS Daughter of Zanbagh placed at four of eight starts in superior company, most times. NEXT BEST Race 1 No. 1: GOLDEN STRAAND Blue blooded Snitzel colt in the Gerry Harvey colours. Trialled well enough to win. VALUE BET Race 6 No. 3: MIZELLA Kim Waugh-trained local who looks ready and able to see out the 2000m now. QUADDIE Race 5: 3, 9, 11, 12 Race 6: 3 Race 7: 2, 4, 9 Race 8: 5, 8 JOCKEY TO FOLLOW ALYSHA COLLETT has a decent book and will be popular with punters across the day. INSIDE MAIL - WYONG RACE 1: EZY PROJECTS - BUILDING MADE EASY MAIDEN HANDICAP 1100m GOLDEN STRAAND (1) is a Gerry Harvey-owned and bred colt by Snitzel out of Kryptelon who was a nine-time winner including the Gai Waterhouse Classic at Ipswich. A half to VRC Sires' placegetter, Fling, this colt has trialled well enough to suggest a winning debut is well within reason. SWEXAN (2) is bred to get two miles (his dam is by Melbourne Cup placegetter Jakkalberry) but could easily run well here on debut. RAINBOW GODDESS (10) is a valuable daughter of Exceed And Excel out of Zanbagh who was well known to this mare's owners, the Taits, and trainer John Thompson. Rainbow Goddess has placed at half of her four starts, three of them seconds. Been in much better races than this one. INNCOURT (1) makes his Australian debut off two recent trials, winning the last one over 1200m. Miler but could run well fresh. PRATT (2) had three starts for Chris Waller prior to him changing hands for $45,000 online in Feb, 2025. The now Mark Minervini-trained three-year-old had trialled well prior to his booming three-and-a-quarter length win at Newcastle on May 26. Can't vouch for the beaten brigade but he thrashed them just the same. HARLEX (1), who shares the same third dam as Yes Yes Yes and In Her Time, has come up with a favourable draw here. Ran well in a deep Class 1 on Scone Cup Day. BRAVE CALL (1) was $17 into $14 when he made his Australian debut at Scone on Cup Day. The Kris Lees-trained gelding had the race snatched away right on the line by one of the locals. Mile again here, drawn 3 compared to 14 at Scone. Beautiful race for him. DIAMOND SHOW (4), a mare in-bred to Eight Carat no less, was miles too good when she won at Hawkesbury over the mile at Hawkesbury third-up. Only one word to describe her, progressive. ICEMAN (3) has claims. MATETE (3) is a son of Dundeel out of Kimillsy who, like Matete, was trained by Kim Waugh for husband Mark and others. Matete's resume says he is unplaced in his four career starts but two are fourths, two are fifths and pretty respectable they were too. REVERBERATES (12) is a very well-bred Brad Widdup-trained filly who chased home an even better bred Brad Widdup mare, Diamond Show (see above) in that mile maiden. Peaking for this and hard to beat. Bet: Matete to win, quinella 3,12 box trifecta 3, 9, 11, 12 MIZELLA (3) is a Kim Waugh-trained local by Winx's soon to be 2025 spring partner, Too Darn Hot. Mizella has won three of her 12 starts. Those wins were at 1000m, 1500m and 1600m which is a nod to her versatility but 2000m here looks both suitable and doable. Dundeel gelding WHETU (2) has raced at Wyong twice and won both times. One of them was over 2000m and he won by three-and-a-half lengths. Rock hard fit. Bet: Mizella to win, box trifecta 2, 3, 6, 8, DD 1st Leg 3, 2nd Leg 5 RACE 7: SCAPE PROPERTIES CG&E BENCHMARK 64 HANDICAP 1200m FRENCH MARINE (2) is a rising eight-year-old and just two starts shy of 50. That said, the Kris Lees-trained son of Epaulette posted his seventh career win at Newcastle this time on May 26 and it would have to rank right up there with one of his easiest. Just need some luck late from the rails draw maybe. Not so DIVINE BENE (4). He can be counted on to be right up there on the speed throughout. Purpose-built for these Central Coast tracks. Bet: French Marine to win, quinella 2, 4, box trifecta 1, 2, 4, 9 COCO DREAMING (5) has one win and three seconds from her eight starts but to be fair to the mare, she could have at least one or two more wins added to the present tally had it not been for circumstances beyond her control. We know that when she does have even luck, how good she can be. Keep in mind that the Angela Davies-trained chestnut has raced at Wyong twice for a win and a second. The last preparation of CANDY WOMAN (8) was short and a wee-bit sour but she is handy and the trial the other day was a sweet one. Bet: Coco Dreaming to win, quinella/exacta 5, 8 BEST BETS WYONG BEST BET R2 No.10: Rainbow Goddess Daughter of Zanbagh placed at four of eight starts in superior company, most times. NEXT BEST R1 No.1: Golden Straand Blue-blooded Snitzel colt in the Gerry Harvey colours. Trialled well enough to win. BEST VALUE R6 No.3: Mizella Kim Waugh-trained local who looks ready and able to see out the 2000m now. QUADDIE Race 5: 3,9,11,12 Race 6: 3 Race 7: 2,4,9 Race 8: 5,8
ABC News
17 minutes ago
- ABC News
Jai Opetaia fights Claudio Squeo as he eyes Las Vegas bout on Crawford-Alvarez undercard
The two-way respect earned in an evening with Terence Crawford could pay off in the form of a Las Vegas stadium unification blockbuster for Jai Opetaia. Australian cruiserweight Opetaia (27-0) defends his IBF and The Ring belts on the Gold Coast on Sunday against Italian knockout artist Claudio Squeo (17-0). ABC Sport will have a live blog of Jai Opetaia defending his IBF and The Ring cruiserweight belts against Italian knockout artist Claudio Squeo on Sunday, June 8. If successful, the 29-year-old will then accelerate his push for more belts, a quest dating back almost three years since his upset win against Mairis Briedis despite breaking his jaw in two places. Gilberto 'Zurdo' Ramirez will defend his WBA and WBO belts later this month and is Opetaia's target, potentially on the undercard to Crawford's super-fight against Canelo Alvarez at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on September 25. Crawford, who took Jeff Horn's welterweight title in 2018, will aim to become a five-weight world champion and the first undisputed three-weight champion. Opetaia has never fought in the United States but has earned a reputation in the UK and has Saudi billionaire and boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh in his corner after a series of pulverising knockout wins in both countries. Manager Mick Francis plans to head to the U.S. after Sunday's fight to pursue a deal, buoyed after a meeting with future Hall of Famer Crawford on the Gold Coast last week. "After dealing with him, he's a real one of the sport and he realised I was too," Opetaia told AAP of his time with Crawford on the American's promotional tour. Crawford, among the world's top pound-for-pound talents, defied the poverty, crime and violence associated with his Omaha upbringing and now operates a not-for-profit gym there. NSW-born Opetaia has enjoyed recent visits to conduct junior clinics in Samoa, a heritage he celebrates heavily on fight nights. "There's a lot of similarities in how he thinks, it was refreshing to hear his take," Opetaia said. "I've looked up to him, now we're both up there, rubbing shoulders on the same stage. "I'm telling you. Canelo-Crawford, with me and Zurdo on the undercard … 100 per cent. "We can't get comfortable, though." That's because a shock loss to the unfancied but dangerous Squeo would up-end all those plans. But Opetaia, who qualified for the Olympics as a 16-year-old and fought at the London 2012 Games at 17, has never got ahead of himself. A fourth-generation boxer on his dad's side and third-generation on his mum's, Opetaia cannot remember a time he was not near a ring. "It wasn't a specific moment; I grew up in it, it was life," he said. "Training, boxing, sparring and punching on. "When I was a little boy, I'd go for runs before school, then the gym straight after. "There was no homework for me. My homework was training. "That's what's pushing me for the unification fights so much. The Convention Centre card also features Brisbane-based Irish light heavyweight world title prospect Conor Wallace, rejuvenated super welterweight Ben Mahoney, and entertaining Paris Olympic heavyweight Teremoana Teremoana. AAP
News.com.au
22 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Sydney Swans overcome ‘haunted house' to keep finals hopes alive
Sydney have claimed their first win at the MCG since their harrowing 10-goal loss at the venue in last year's grand final, defeating a young Richmond outfit by 44 points. The Tigers got off to a fast start and led at quarter time, but failed to kick another major for almost all of the remaining three quarters — with the Swans winning 4.12 (36) to the hosts' 11.14 (80). FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Only a Seth Campbell goal with a few minutes remaining prevented the Tigers from recording their lowest-ever score against Sydney with just 28 points to their name, and were barely avoiding their club's lowest total against their former establishment South Melbourne (26), which was registered all the way back in August of 1909 — a near-116-year first! Star ruck Brodie Grundy continued his strong stretch of form to be one of the visitors' best, finishing with 19 disposals, 51 hitouts, five clearances, five inside 50s and a clever goal. Up forward, tough nut James Jordan kicked a career-high three goals, while Chad Warner kicked his sixth two-goal haul for 2025. 3. SWANS EXORCISE DEMONS AT 'HAUNTED HOUSE' TO KEEP FAINT FINALS HOPES ALIVE Hearing that Swans song would've sounded as good as ever … certainly for Dean Cox! Sydney got back on the winner's list with a much-needed victory over Richmond at the MCG in a game the Swans 'started to show some signs of getting their game back together,' as put by Brownlow medallist Gerard Healy. With it, the Swans have kept a faint of hope in their 2025 season after a brutal fortnight in big losses to Adelaide (by 90 points) and Melbourne (53 points). Don't underestimate the influence of 6am beach sessions after losses! Dean Cox's side improved to 5-8 ahead of its mid-season bye, with the likes of Joel Amartey, Errol Gulden and Tom Papley nearing returns from injury. They'd effectively need to go 8-2 after their bye to be a chance of playing finals, but there's at least a small pulse. Just as importantly, Sydney exorcised some MCG demons. The Swans had won just three of their previous 10 games at the MCG, which includes two heavy grand final losses. While Saturday's result came against a bottom-three team, experiencing that winning feeling at the G' counts for something. 'Bit of a slow start, but since then they've certainly hit their straps,' former Hawthorn sharpshooter Ben Dixon said on Fox Footy. 'We know the form they've been in, so this has come at a good time to play at the MCG – this place has been like a haunted house for the Swans. 'The scars hurt.' 2. SKIPPER'S RETURN HELPS LIZARD GET BACK TO HIS BEST Nick Blakey got back to his best on Saturday afternoon in a welcome sight for Swans fans. The star halfback looked like the All-Australian Blakey of last season, racking up career-high disposals (34) and kicks (31) to go with 886 metres gained as his trademark run and carry was on show. It was helped by the returns of Harry Cunningham and skipper Callum Mills providing 'better structure behind the ball' and allowing Blakey to play his usual running game. Blakey started hot out of the gates with nine disposals in the first quarter alone when his side wasn't playing that well. Mills (25 touches, nine marks) was also prolific for Dean Cox's side, with he and Blakey two of Sydney's best at the MCG. 'We haven't seen 'The Lizard' (Nick Blakey) play like this since last year,' Brownlow Medalist Gerard Healy said on Fox Footy in the opening term. Western Bulldogs legend Brad Johnson was also full of praise of Blakey's impact. 'Let him run,' Johnson said on Fox Footy at half-time. 'It's been a huge half. The inclusions have created better structure behind the ball and allowed the Lizard to play his well. He's dominated the first half.' 1. TIGERS VETERAN SHOWS NEW TRICKS Outside of the opening quarter, it was a tough day for the Tigers faithful as their side kicked just one goal after quarter time. One man who was seriously hot in that first quarter was Dion Prestia. Playing in just his second game in 2025, Prestia was everywhere in the opening term with 12 of his 21 touches. The Tigers veteran also showed off a few new tricks. Prestia in the first quarter provided the highlight of the game, kicking a crafty goal where he sold candy twice before slotting a banana through the big sticks. Western Bulldogs legend Brad Johnson said Prestia was among the Tigers to 'set the tone' in the opening term and let his side get out to an early six-point lead. As Prestia, 32, plays for a new contract in 2026, Saturday's showing will do his chances of that no harm as a wise old trusty head to help nurture the otherwise young Tigers. As much as anything, it was just good to see the injury-prone midfielder back out there playing well.
