Hinkley denies he'll resign mid-season
AFL: Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley has told the media there is no chance he will resign mid-season if the top eight if out of reach.
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West Australian
37 minutes ago
- West Australian
Socceroos coach Tony Popovic has immediately delivered results - but nature of Japan performance may concern
As Aziz Behich's curled effort swung into the net and the Optus Stadium crowd erupted into a frenzy of noise and mess of limbs, Tony Popovic sunk to his knees and let his emotions take over. Normally the cool, calm and composed type, all Popovic could do was release a primal scream of joy into the atmosphere before he was mobbed by his assistants. History is written by the victors and certainly, the Socceroos will be telling the tale of their resolute defensive effort in the face of Japan's dominance and Behich's dramatic winner for years to come. In itself, both the performance and the result will give credence to both Popovic's critics and his supporters. The fact of the matter is, in seven games under Popovic since Graham Arnold's shock departure following a solitary point gleaned from their two opening World Cup qualifying games, the Socceroos are yet to taste defeat. Across those seven games, Australia have scored 14 and conceded just four goals. For the most part, they have looked stable and in control of games. The Socceroos needed fortitude in the wake of Arnold's leave and Popovic has provided that, tinkering with the formation while raising standards. Players have spoken of the newfound intensity which has greeted national team camps and have publicly embraced his team-first defensive ethos. He has taken Australia to the brink of a sixth World Cup in a row, and potentially their first direct qualification since the 2014 tournament — a feat which seemed a long way off after the Socceroos' depressing start to the campaign. 'Popaball', as it is known, relies on soaking up pressure, controlling your opponents movement through your own defensive shape and limiting your opponents' sights on goal. To quote Ron Weasley: 'you're going to suffer, but you're going to be happy about it'. And it must be said, the Socceroos achieved most of the above against Japan on Thursday night. Pre-game, Popovic spoke of a desire for the Socceroos to improve upon their 1-1 draw with Japan in just his second game in charge. In Perth, Australia enjoyed four per cent less possession and had 14 less passes in their own half than they did in Saitima. Worryingly, the home game came against a second-string Japanese side and off the back of a 10-day training camp in Abu Dhabi. They only surrendered one clear-cut chance inside their own penalty area, a bullet by Takefusa Kubo which went agonisingly close to breaking Australian hearts — but had it gone in, the narrative and result would have flipped. The Socceroos did not control the game in possession, their midfield ran ragged and any attempts to build-up from defence were destroyed by Japan's press and ended in long balls to no one. Popovic deserves credit for being the steadying hand Australia needs and instilling a team-wide defensive mindset. The challenge now will be to evolve the Socceroos' functionality and effectiveness in attack.
News.com.au
41 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Supercars, Perth: Matt Payne fastest through practice sessions
Just like the Socceroos did the night before, rising New Zealand star Matt Payne timed his run to perfection to jump to the top of the timesheets during Friday's two wild practice sessions for the Perth Super 440. Following on from his blistering finish to win the last Supercars race in Tasmania four weeks ago, the 22-year-old Kiwi uncorked another sizzling lap in his Penrite Ford Mustang to leapfrog his rivals and send them a clear message that he means business. 'Credit to the guys. They did an awesome job,' Payne said. 'I know we've got the best crew here. 'We're working our (backsides) off to get this thing fast and thankfully we did. It's pretty cool. Press on for tomorrow.' After finishing 16th in the first practice session then getting caught in traffic behind David Reynolds approaching the end of the second hitout, Payne calmly resettled himself for one more shot just before the chequered flag was waved. Driving flat to the boards, Payne nailed it and lapped the Wanneroo Raceway in 54.3903 seconds, setting the stage for an epic finish to a mammoth week in Perth after the Socceroos' thrilling win over Japan that all but secured Australia's place at next year's FIFA World Cup. 'It's just part of our session, I knew we were going to get a little bit baulked by Reynolds there, so I just backed out of it and went again,' Payne said. 'Everyone stayed cool, and it's a really, really awesome turnaround from practice 1, which wasn't ideal for us rolling out of the truck the way we did. 'It's a real credit to the guys to get it tuned up and get it to the front for practice 2.' Anton De Pasquale was second quickest, just 0.0856s behind Payne, with Thomas Randle third, just ahead of current championship leader Broc Feeney, who released a video of himself behind the wheel of his Chevrolet Camaro competing in a tug-o-war with NRL and NRLW stars from the Bulldogs. With qualifying set to take place on Saturday then three races split over the weekend, no-one is taking anything for granted with the top seven cars all from different teams. Sitting third on the championship standings after winning three of the last six races, Payne was feeling upbeat about his rapid turnaround but was also wary about reading too much into the results. 'It's tough. It's only two 30 minute practice sessions so you got to squeeze everything you can in,' he said. 'We did a really good job of just going through what we did in practice 1. We tried a lot so yeah credit to the guys, they did an awesome job.' The second session was red flagged when Lochie Dalton spun into the sand and almost rolled his car, while a lot of drivers complained about blistering on their super soft tyres on a track known for wearing out the rubber. Another Kiwi, Jaxon Evans set the pace in the opening practice session after benefiting from a rule giving new drivers an extra set of tyres. 'It's really nice to finish the session on top, the first time I've done it in Supercars,' he said. 'Being my second year in the championship, I get an extra set of tyres, so we obviously put them to good use. 'It's just nice to know that the car is fast and I hope we can continue that way for the rest of the weekend.'
7NEWS
an hour ago
- 7NEWS
Wayne Carey caught in explosive late-night physical altercation
North Melbourne legend Wayne Carey has been filmed in a heated altercation with a man he described as an 'antagonist' outside a Melbourne pub. The 54-year-old was captured tussling with one man while another, who appears to be Carey's friend, tries to diffuse the situation, in a physical exchange that spilled out onto the streets surrounding Albert Park Hotel on Thursday night. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Wayne Carey caught in altercation. In the video, the champion AFL goalkicker and ex-commentator can be seen grabbing at the man's shirt before another man yells out, 'Wayne, Wayne, relax'. The struggle continues as the man attempting to keep peace then speaks to the third man directly, telling him to 'f*** off' and to 'shut the f*** up and go'. A female voice is then heard yelling from somewhere across the road, saying, 'Guys, walk away, people live here. Keep walking. Move it on'. It's the latest in a string of controversies littered throughout Carey's life since his playing days. In 2022, Carey was cleared of any wrongdoing after having a bag of white powder spill out of his pocket at Crown Casino in Perth. He insisted the bag contained crushed-up anti-inflammatory medication. His most infamous controversy was the extramarital affair he had with Kelli Stevens, the wife of former teammate Anthony Stevens, in 2002. Carey and Anthony Stevens have had a long-running feud in the 23 years since, but are set to be reunited at the Kangaroos' 100-year celebration later this year. Carey, Stevens and North great Glenn Archer will all be present for the Round 20 clash against the Western Bulldogs, which takes place in prime time on Thursday night. The trio will show a united front, nearly 25 years since Carey's messy exit from the club. It comes just six months after the club unveiled a video celebration of the centenary year that interestingly excluded Carey. Former teammate Corey McKernan was vocal at the time, but Carey and other North Melbourne greats, including Stevens and Archer will all be present for the special night. Channel 7's Caroline Wilson revealed the exclusive details of Carey's return on 7NEWS Melbourne and The Agenda Setters last month. 'All three men (Carey, Stevens, Archer) are well aware that they will be there together and united for the first time,' Wilson said 'There was speculation last year when North unveiled their centenary jumper. And if you remember, there were North champions from through the eras and there was no Wayne Carey, and Corey McKernan was very upset about this. 'In 2022, a year later, they had a 25-year premiership reunion for the '96 flag, and there was an altercation at a pub between Anthony Stevens and Wayne Carey. We know the history there. 'They had to be separated. I don't think it was physical, but it was not nice. 'And when there was a motorcade the next day at Marvel Stadium, Anthony Stevens wasn't there and Wayne Carey was. 'So the club has worked really hard to get all these guys within the fold. And clearly you can't celebrate your 100th anniversary without Wayne Carey being there.'
