Essendon hold off fast-finishing Swans challenge
Down by 39 points in the third quarter, Sydney suddenly found form late in that term to set up a thrilling finish at Marvel Stadium.
Essendon didn't score a goal after midway through the third quarter, but somehow prevailed 11.5 (71) to 8.15 (63).
But the Bombers will face a nervous wait for their superstar captain Zach Merrett, who struck Swans defender Nick Blakey in the final quarter.
One of the favourites for the Brownlow Medal, Merrett is almost certain to face scrutiny from the match review officer after Blakey underwent a concussion test.
"I thought I tapped all ball, I was about to kick the goal," Merrett told Fox Footy.
"I haven't seen itn but I don't think there's anything to worry about."
Sydney were their own worst enemies as inaccuracy at goal and poor ball use when going forward ultimately cost them the game.
The Swans won the inside-50 count 61-45, but Essendon's defence stood tall as they moved to 5-3 and inside the top eight.
Fit-again Zach Reid continued his meteoric rise this season, starring as Essendon's most important key defender.
Vice-captain Andrew McGrath, the dashing Mason Redman and Nic Martin also provided valuable run.
The result was soured after Bomber debutant Lewis Hayes went down with a suspected serious knee injury late in the third quarter.
Hayes grabbed his knee in agony after landing awkwardly in a marking contest with Sydney star Isaac Heeney.
Young Essendon forward Nate Caddy was the leading goal-kicker on the ground with three, while Merrett managed to kick two despite having a quieter game than normal in the midfield.
Will Hayward was Sydney's most threatening forward, even after suffering a heavy knock to his shoulder.
But the Swans are badly missing injured key forwards Joel Amartey and Logan McDonald inside 50.
Minor premiers and beaten grand finalists last season, Sydney have slumped to 3-6 after Dean Cox took over as coach from John Longmire in November.
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Travel + Leisure
16 minutes ago
- Travel + Leisure
Exclusive: Pro Golfer Justin Thomas on His Favorite Places—From the Best Golf Courses to His Dreamy Babymoon Destination
As one of golf's top-ranked pros, Justin Thomas has long been taking swings around the world, whether traveling to his favorite courses, Northern Ireland's Royal County Down or Australia's Royal Melbourne, or those he finds more challenging, like Pennsylvania's Oakmont or New Jersey's Pine Valley. Though he calls Florida home, he spent extra time on Garden State greens recently while filming his big-screen debut in this summer's blockbuster comedy, "Happy Gilmore 2," in which he played a photo-snapping version of himself. Spending such a big chunk of the year traveling on the PGA Tour, where he's notched an impressive 16 career wins, the father to a 9-month-old with wife Jillian now cherishes the simpler moments. 'They hit it spot-on in the movie—your happy place changes,' the 34-year-old tells Travel + Leisure. 'Right now, mine is a full night's sleep for Molly, no whining or crying throughout the night—all the old people stuff.' The couple's little one has already become a seasoned traveler, accompanying her famous dad to most of his tournaments, though she hasn't made the jump across the Atlantic Ocean to the U.K. yet. 'With our lifestyle, you have to make do and figure things out,' he says. 'My wife and I don't have anything to compare her to, but by our very novice knowledge, she's been a great baby. We've been very lucky.' Justin Thomas with wife, Jillian Wisniewski, daughter, Molly Grace, and the championship trophy after winning the final round of the RBC Heritage 2025 at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, South admits Jillian is the 'mastermind' behind traveling with the infant, and his role is to 'try not to get in the way or mess anything up and be there when I'm needed,' as well as packing a travel crib and blackout curtains. 'Both of our moms kind of roll their eyes at the amount of technology and gadgets there are these days,' he admits with a laugh. But it's all worth it for the Thomases to enjoy life on the road together. 'I think it'll be just so great for her to learn about different places. Seeing so many spots is something that she'll be very lucky to do as a young'un.' With Justin Thomas Best golf destination? That's a tough one. Baker's Bay. It's a very beautiful and fun golf course. And also the experience in general—very laid-back. It's very enjoyable. Do you ever play golf when you're on vacation? I probably play more on vacation than I would maybe like, but I won't by myself, just with other people. It's more fun golf—not a grind type of thing. Fellow golfer who's the best travel buddy? You might get me in trouble! But I've traveled quite a bit with Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth, and Gary Woodland. We used to more before Jordan, Rickie, and myself started families—it definitely has become a lot more difficult. Athlete you'd like to travel with? I'll go with Michael Jordan because I know he's got a sweet plane, so that makes it a lot easier to travel. Best trip you've been on? We took a trip to London with the Spieths and the Fowlers a couple years ago. We stayed at a great hotel in London and went to Wimbledon together. The food was so good, and we all had such a fun time! Celeb Check-in Before they became parents, the Thomases were already frequent travelers, even taking a babymoon to Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee. 'It was a very relaxing and nice getaway for us, but I felt for Jillian because they had some great cocktails on the menu that only I was able to indulge in,' he says. 'But the food is also incredible.' The Volunteer State has a special meaning for the couple since they got married in College Grove, Tennessee, in 2022, with many of their guests staying at the Harpeth Hotel in nearby Franklin, which he says is "awesome." 'We try to get there every once in a while since there's so many great little restaurants and areas you can walk to—it's a sweet town,' he says. Thomas knows that part of the country well, having grown up in Louisville, where he recommends going to Fourth Street Live! and the waterfront, visiting nearby St. Matthews, and checking out a race at Churchill Downs. He then went to college to the south at the University of Alabama, where he played golf for the Crimson Tide; 'All you need to do in Tuscaloosa is go to a football game," says Thomas. Justin Thomas plays a shot on the 16th hole during the final round of the Valspar Championship 2025 at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club in Palm Harbor, he calls the Jupiter, Florida, area home, where "everything is very laid-back and relaxed,' whether it's enjoying meals on the water at Square Grouper Tiki Bar or U-Tiki Beach or heading up to 1000 North for nights out. And when he leaves home for tournaments, he prioritizes easy, streamlined travel. These days he usually shares NetJets private flights with other players. 'Time is very precious, and the more time you can save, the better it is for our game essentially,' the No. 5 player says. In his earlier days, it was a little more taxing to travel with his golf clubs, checking them in on flights with the rest of the baggage. 'You get a sore right arm pretty quick from lugging that thing through the airport,' he says. 'Everybody's got horror stories—I've had times where bags don't show up and you're just trying to make it work.' His best advice for fellow golf travelers is to be ready to pivot. 'I don't want to say you need a backup plan, but just know things change and stuff happens, so have an understanding and be okay with it and go with the flow.' Thomas has learned to focus on what he can control, like always bringing a full-sized pillow with him in his carry-on. 'That's a must—I travel with a pillow every week,' he says of prioritizing comfort on the go. Also in his bag are Chapstick, a couple Sharpies, Advil, a phone charger, snacks, and electrolytes. But above all, there's nothing he prioritizes more than sunscreen. Spending so much of his life outside, his parents were always pretty diligent about having him get regular skin checks. When he was in high school, he had a mole taken off his back that turned out to be cancerous. 'It wasn't anything major, but it had to be dug out a little bit, and turned out to be okay,' he says. That made him realize how important these exams are, especially aware of how much the back of his neck and calves are exposed to the sun. At a skin check when he was 26, the athlete pointed out a mole on his left calf that was 'very small, but looked different.' His instincts were right—the spot was in the early stages of melanoma. The surgery was fairly simple—a half-hour procedure that he was awake for. But the impact was huge. 'It was a pretty eye-opening experience,' he says. 'I was very lucky to catch it as early as I did.' Thomas decided to turn his scare into an opportunity to educate others, starting a sunscreen line called WearSPF: 'For a lot of people, it's like being hungry: You wait till you're hungry to eat. They wait until they feel burnt or are sunburned to put on sunscreen, ' he says. 'But it's about applying before you go out, reapplying as the day goes on, and learning about the UV index. Just because it's not hot or sunny doesn't mean you can't get burnt, and I wasn't as cognizant of that in the past.' Justin with his sunscreen brand Wear SPF. Ty Nicholson/Get Engaged He's also used his influence for creative partnerships, including a recent one with Jason and Travis Kelce's Garage Beer. 'I was able to spend a little time with Jason at the tour event in Philly, and he said his wife is constantly getting on him for how sunburned he gets,' Thomas said. 'He was very excited about this collaboration because he needs all the sunscreen!" Even though he and Travis were both in Happy Gilmore 2, they didn't cross paths there—but they have hung out a bit. If he were to plan a trip with them, the agenda would be simple. 'I think going somewhere with some golf, because I know Travis loves golf, and I think Jason does as well,' Thomas says. 'But just somewhere fun and sitting back, being a fly on the wall to those two, watching them do their thing would be funny and entertaining!'
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Oscar Piastri honoured with stand at 2026 Australian GP with ticket prices announced
F1 world championship leader Oscar Piastri has been honoured with a grandstand at his home race in Australia next year. Melbourne-native Piastri currently holds a nine-point lead over McLaren teammate Lando Norris in this year's closely-fought title race, with 10 races left. Albert Park hosts the season-opening race of the 2026 season on 6-8 March and, alongside news of next month's ticket sale, organisers confirmed that the 24-year-old will have a dedicated stand named after him. The 'Piastri Grandstand' will be located on the main straight, opposite the pit-lane, with tickets going on sale on 10 September. The move, intriguingly, follows the sell-out success of Silverstone's 'Landostand' for Norris at the British Grand Prix last month. Prices for the Piastri Grandstand range from £292 (AU$610) for a ticket for qualifying on Saturday and £400 (AU$835) for the race on Sunday to £500 (AU$1,045) for a ticket covering all four days of the event. "It feels very surreal and I never thought this would happen, but the support is incredible and I can't wait to see it all come together next March,' Piastri said on social media. "Seeing all the fans in my own grandstand directly opposite the McLaren garage is going to be an amazing experience and I'm really looking forward to feeling the energy and the atmosphere.' Piastri follows in an esteemed list of Australians to be given the honour of a grandstand at their home race, including Jack Brabham, Alan Jones, Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo. Piastri has won eight F1 races, including six this year, with the sport returning from its summer break next week with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. Lewis Hamilton, on the start-finish straight at Silverstone, and Max Verstappen at Zandvoort also have stands named after them.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Doesn't seem right': Payne Haas move highlights dilemma for NSW Blues teammate
Payne Haas' defection from the Kangaroos to Samoa has sparked fresh calls to change State of Origin eligibility rules. And it's thrown up a curious dilemma around his NSW teammate Max King, who is eligible to represent both Australia and England in this year's end-of-season Ashes series. Whichever country he chooses could have a massive bearing on his Origin future. Haas and King were starting props for the Blues in this year's series defeat to the Maroons, with the latter earning his first rep call-up off the back of strong NRL form with the Bulldogs. But while Haas is free to continue representing NSW at Origin level after deciding to switch his national allegiance to Samoa, King would not be free to do so if he chooses to play for England. King is yet to play Test footy for either country but with Haas defecting from the Kangaroos and Tino Fa'asuamaleaui potentially following suit, it's opened the door for the Bulldogs prop to be picked in Kevin Walters' Australian squad for the Ashes. That would see King follow in the footsteps of his famous grandfather Johnny King, who won 15 caps for the Kangaroos and played in three Ashes series. But if King is overlooked for Walters' Australian squad, then choosing to play for England would effectively end his Origin career as the rules currently stand. King admitted before his Origin call-up this year that he remained open to accepting a call-up from England, which is the country he was born in and where his mother is from. "My mum's side of the family would love that," King told AAP in April. "I always say I'm half English and half Aussie... I'd love to be able to get a call off anyone. The phone is always on and I'm always available to any caller." Max King Test dilemma looms ahead of Ashes series However, the Canterbury star's maiden Origin call-up this year reportedly took him 'off guard' and forced King to shift his stance on playing for England. Seven league reporter Jelisa Apps said she spoke to King about the situation recently and the 28-year-old 'made it clear the Kangaroos are his first choice' but a huge dilemma looms if King is not picked in Walters' Ashes squad and chooses to play for England. Haas is free to keep playing Origin because Samoa is classified as a Tier-2 nation but because England is Tier-1, it means King can't continue playing for NSW if he accepts an England call-up. It's a similar situation to Roosters star Victor Radley, who was born in Sydney and has lived there his whole life, but is barred from representing NSW because he chose to honour his family heritage and play for England. SEN's Jimmy Smith summed up the Haas and King situations perfectly, after pointing out the unfair nature of the current Origin eligibility rules. "So think about it from this point of view: the two starting front-rowers from NSW have the opportunity to play elsewhere," Smith began by saying. "One of them says 'yes I want to go and play for Samoa' and he can still play in State of Origin. The other says 'oh yes I'll go and play for England but he cannot play State of Origin. That doesn't seem right." Calls to change Origin rules after recent defections League 'Immortal' Mal Meninga and Matty Johns are among those who've embraced the push by Origin stars to represent the nations of their heritage, and agree it strengthens the international game. But many feel the eligibility rules should be changed so Australian-born players who also have English or Kiwi backgrounds can also represent those countries and still represent the state they grew up in. RELATED: Manly's plea to fans as DCE braces for mixed reception in final games Legend's message to Jake Trbojevic amid worrying fallout at Manly Family first as Cameron Smith makes major career decision ARLC chairman Peter V'landys confirmed recently that the game's powerbrokers were preparing to review the current situation and indicated change could be on the horizon. 'It is a strong argument that if you've played your footy in Australia before the age of 13 and you are eligible to play Origin, why shouldn't you be able to?' V'landys said. 'If we were to change the rules, it would only be for New Zealand and English players. They're the tier-one countries impacted. (Players from) tier-two nations like Samoa and Tonga can still play State of Origin and represent those nations.'
