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7NEWS
9 minutes ago
- 7NEWS
Massive drone carries national flag in breathtaking Ekka moment in Brisbane
It's the Royal Queensland Show moment turning every head skyward: a car-sized drone soaring above the arena, towing a massive six-metre Aussie flag over the main arena timed perfectly with the national anthem. 'It's definitely the first time this has been done in Australia,' said Nick Kozij from Skylighter, the company behind the spectacle. Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today 'The drone has a huge payload and a whole lot of wow factor.' This was developed in partnership with MAD Drones who, prior to this collaboration, had only ever used drones on large farms. 'We're normally in agriculture, spraying, seeding,' said MAD's chief pilot Marcelo Pullen. 'But this was something special. It literally took flight.' The drone and flag combo soared through rigorous safety protocols, Civil Aviation approvals and secret test runs. 'We did a few more tests actually here in the RNA [Showgrounds]. We had to come in under the cover of 'we were going to do some spraying' and we quickly tested each time and got it down before anybody could get a photo because we wanted to keep it a surprise,' Pullen said. 'Wind, drag, visibility — we had to account for everything,' Kozij explained. 'We even built a custom rig to hold the flag upright mid-air.' With Brisbane hospital helipads nearby and strict no-fly zones in place, the team mapped a precise flight path. 'Rule number one is if you're not willing to land on it, you don't fly over it,' Pullen explained. 'The two-by-two metre drone is locked to a certain altitude and flight path as well. So we can't encroach outside the arena.' The Australian first draws a big 'wow' every night. 'And even while we're sitting here waiting to go in, I think there's probably been about 10,000 photos taken of the drone today, which has been pretty cool,' Kozij said. 'Every night, it's thousands of photos. People are stunned. It's a moment. A real moment.'
The Age
37 minutes ago
- The Age
‘He worked our backsides off': Greats pay tribute to the man who revived Australian cricket
Steve Waugh, one of the young stars whom Simpson invested so heavily in, said 'no one gave more to Australian cricket'. 'He was quite simply the best cricket coach with an unparalleled knowledge of the game together with an insatiable appetite for learning and imparting his wisdom,' Waugh posted to Instagram. 'He made me a better player and he made Australian cricket great.' A bowler of leg spin himself, Simpson played an important role in the development of a young Shane Warne. As a coach, Simpson was ahead of his time with what would now be deemed as old school methods. He was a disciplinarian who placed a premium on fitness and fielding. 'I wouldn't say we were a rabble but we could've been doing things a bit better,' Border told this masthead on Saturday. 'I suppose in the wake of retirements, World Series Cricket, the aftermath of that, guys going to South Africa, it affected our national team - and you're not allowed to be a bad national cricket team. 'It was perfect timing for me personally as the captain. I was all things to the team for a year or two – maybe not in my character to be like that. He was the sergeant major – a disciplinarian. He worked our backsides off and it paid dividends.' Loading His former charges vividly remember the sense of dread when Simpson pointed to them and saying 'you're with me'. These words would come at training, often after Simpson caught wind of a player being out too late the night before. 'He had this simple mantra, up to midnight is your time, after midnight is cricket time,' Border said. 'He was Inspector Clouseau, the scariest three words in cricket at the time after the team meeting, Simmo would pipe up with, 'you're with me'. 'You got a hammering in the fielding drills because he knew you'd been out. It wasn't like a strictly enforced curfew but he took it upon himself to let you know that he knew you were out later than you should have been.' Larger-than-life fast bowler Merv Hughes was a regular target. Simpson loved Hughes, Border said, as he recognised what his personality delivered to the dressing room dynamic. 'Simmo used to hammer him - he'd clown around, he loved it but he'd pick Merv out,' Border said. 'Merv was Simmo's type of guy, brings something to the team more than just skills. The effect he had on the team playing the village idiot but he wasn't. The guys who play the village idiot are often the smartest guy in the room.' Hughes paid tribute to Simpson on X, describing Simpson as 'truly a great coach but an even greater man'. Simpson was a serious man, but could leave his players in stitches. Taylor recalled an episode during the 1993 Ashes when Simpson unloaded at Warne, who had stormed into the Old Trafford dressing room angry with his dismissal. Warne threw his bat at his coffin, only for it to 'bounce off like an exit missile' and crash into Simpson's knee. 'The look on Warnie's face. If he could've crawled into a hole and covered himself forever and ever, he would have,' Taylor said. 'Simmo went at him. The rest of us didn't say anything. At the time, he was serious but 30 seconds later we were laughing.' Simpson revolutionised one-day cricket. In the 1980s, the 50-over game held huge box office appeal but tactics were not sophisticated. Simpson's strategy was devised around getting to 50 through the first 15 overs without loss then accelerating to a target of about 220 - a highly competitive score during that era - and backing their skill in the field to defend. 'In those days, 220 wasn't a bad score, now you'd be laughed off the paddock,' Border said. David Boon, who opened with Geoff Marsh, was integral to the game plan. 'He thought if we scored the most ones in a 50-over game we'd win it, because everything would follow,' said Boon, who later became a match referee and is now a Cricket Australia director. Simpson set high standards. Boon recalls a conversation in the rooms at the WACA after making a double century. Loading 'I had my head down, I felt his presence, he was standing in front of me, he ticked me off for getting out,' he said. 'I thought I'd just made 200, it was him challenging me to be better. Move forward when you're in that position, it was one of his challenges. We worked so hard. Without him, I don't think I could've produced as a bat pad.' As a player, Simpson was the complete package. A fine opener who averaged 47, Simpson was also exceptional slips fielder. He and Lawry were a formidable opening combination. Their record for most runs scored by an Australian opening pair stood for nearly 30 years until Taylor and Michael Slater passed them. The pair spent more time together with the pads on than off. 'Bobby was out there on the golf course, I was looking for pigeons,' Lawry said. 'We didn't spend time off the field. It's a good thing. If you want to bat all day with someone, you won't want to see them at night. 'We lived in different worlds. Once you walked to the field and Bob Simpson was involved you knew it would be good.'
The Advertiser
42 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Perry feels the pain as Phoenix taste defeat again
Ellyse Perry's Birmingham Phoenix were bowled out for just 76 as they slumped to their fourth defeat from five games in The Hundred with an 88-run thrashing at the hands of London Spirit. The defending champions struggled in the opening stages when Australian Georgia Redmayne was dismissed early without scoring and Emily Arlott bowled both Cordelia Griffith and Charli Knott. Kira Chathli underpinned the innings with a fantastic 69 runs from 35 balls, but her effort was ended after edging Perry, the Phoenix's Australian captain, behind. Another Australian, Grace Harris, picked up where Chathli left off with a quickfire 34 before being trapped lbw by Arlott for her third wicket as the Spirit closed on 6-164. Aussie opener Georgia Voll fell early for eight in the Phoenix's chase and Emma Lamb enjoyed a bright start before being run out for 23, the highest score of their innings. Perry departed after adding five. Amy Jones and Arlott both finished with 10 runs and were the only other players to make double figures. Meanwhile Manchester Originals edged to a five-run win against the Northern Superchargers. England bowler Kate Cross removed Kathryn Bryce and Australian Beth Mooney early on but Deandra Dottin hit a brilliant unbeaten 51 from 26 deliveries to help the Originals post 5-117. Bryce found an early breakthrough when Davina Perrin hit her delivery to Sophie Ecclestone, but the Superchargers gained control with Alice Davidson-Richards and Australian Phoebe Litchfield's partnership. The pair blasted 64 runs from 47 balls before Litchfield was dismissed for 31 by Bryce for her second wicket and Kerr soon took the scalp of Davidson-Richards, who fell for 29. Wickets suddenly fell in quick succession as another Superchargers Aussie, Annabel Sutherland, was caught by Fi Morris off Ecclestone and skipper Hollie Armitage was bowled by Kerr. And some solid bowling at the death saw Ecclestone take Bess Heath's wicket and Bryce caught Cross off Lauren Filer for the Originals to narrowly claim their third win of the competition. Ellyse Perry's Birmingham Phoenix were bowled out for just 76 as they slumped to their fourth defeat from five games in The Hundred with an 88-run thrashing at the hands of London Spirit. The defending champions struggled in the opening stages when Australian Georgia Redmayne was dismissed early without scoring and Emily Arlott bowled both Cordelia Griffith and Charli Knott. Kira Chathli underpinned the innings with a fantastic 69 runs from 35 balls, but her effort was ended after edging Perry, the Phoenix's Australian captain, behind. Another Australian, Grace Harris, picked up where Chathli left off with a quickfire 34 before being trapped lbw by Arlott for her third wicket as the Spirit closed on 6-164. Aussie opener Georgia Voll fell early for eight in the Phoenix's chase and Emma Lamb enjoyed a bright start before being run out for 23, the highest score of their innings. Perry departed after adding five. Amy Jones and Arlott both finished with 10 runs and were the only other players to make double figures. Meanwhile Manchester Originals edged to a five-run win against the Northern Superchargers. England bowler Kate Cross removed Kathryn Bryce and Australian Beth Mooney early on but Deandra Dottin hit a brilliant unbeaten 51 from 26 deliveries to help the Originals post 5-117. Bryce found an early breakthrough when Davina Perrin hit her delivery to Sophie Ecclestone, but the Superchargers gained control with Alice Davidson-Richards and Australian Phoebe Litchfield's partnership. The pair blasted 64 runs from 47 balls before Litchfield was dismissed for 31 by Bryce for her second wicket and Kerr soon took the scalp of Davidson-Richards, who fell for 29. Wickets suddenly fell in quick succession as another Superchargers Aussie, Annabel Sutherland, was caught by Fi Morris off Ecclestone and skipper Hollie Armitage was bowled by Kerr. And some solid bowling at the death saw Ecclestone take Bess Heath's wicket and Bryce caught Cross off Lauren Filer for the Originals to narrowly claim their third win of the competition. Ellyse Perry's Birmingham Phoenix were bowled out for just 76 as they slumped to their fourth defeat from five games in The Hundred with an 88-run thrashing at the hands of London Spirit. The defending champions struggled in the opening stages when Australian Georgia Redmayne was dismissed early without scoring and Emily Arlott bowled both Cordelia Griffith and Charli Knott. Kira Chathli underpinned the innings with a fantastic 69 runs from 35 balls, but her effort was ended after edging Perry, the Phoenix's Australian captain, behind. Another Australian, Grace Harris, picked up where Chathli left off with a quickfire 34 before being trapped lbw by Arlott for her third wicket as the Spirit closed on 6-164. Aussie opener Georgia Voll fell early for eight in the Phoenix's chase and Emma Lamb enjoyed a bright start before being run out for 23, the highest score of their innings. Perry departed after adding five. Amy Jones and Arlott both finished with 10 runs and were the only other players to make double figures. Meanwhile Manchester Originals edged to a five-run win against the Northern Superchargers. England bowler Kate Cross removed Kathryn Bryce and Australian Beth Mooney early on but Deandra Dottin hit a brilliant unbeaten 51 from 26 deliveries to help the Originals post 5-117. Bryce found an early breakthrough when Davina Perrin hit her delivery to Sophie Ecclestone, but the Superchargers gained control with Alice Davidson-Richards and Australian Phoebe Litchfield's partnership. The pair blasted 64 runs from 47 balls before Litchfield was dismissed for 31 by Bryce for her second wicket and Kerr soon took the scalp of Davidson-Richards, who fell for 29. Wickets suddenly fell in quick succession as another Superchargers Aussie, Annabel Sutherland, was caught by Fi Morris off Ecclestone and skipper Hollie Armitage was bowled by Kerr. And some solid bowling at the death saw Ecclestone take Bess Heath's wicket and Bryce caught Cross off Lauren Filer for the Originals to narrowly claim their third win of the competition.
