Latest news with #StevenHall
ABC News
12-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Grazier donates sheep to property that lost thousands in outback Qld flooding
There is an unwritten rule in the outback — when a mate falls, you help them back up. So, when Will Roberts heard about the livestock losses that Queensland graziers were dealing with after devastating flooding, he knew he had to help. He and his family, whose property at Morven in the state's south-west was unaffected by flooding, donated 400 merino ewes and 14 rams to a primary producer who had lost thousands of sheep. "We didn't have a helicopter so we couldn't go out and help them," Mr Roberts said. "We thought this was one way we could actually do something for somebody. He said it only took a few phone calls to coordinate trucking the flock to a south-west Queensland sheep station. A rural agent put him in touch with the grazier, a local livestock carrier offered to truck the sheep for free, and shearers volunteered their labour to help process the sheep. "It's just been quite amazing because everybody's really keen to help in whatever way they can," Mr Roberts said. "Lots and lots of people have become a part of the process … it's really special." The sheep were destined for an abattoir but instead became a lifeline for grazier Steven Hall. Merino sheep are a popular breed in south-west Queensland as they can be shorn for wool or sold for meat, and breed high-quality lambs. Mr Hall said the flooding came right before shearing season and as a result he lost significant income when he lost 2,500 sheep out of his 6,000. "They were all full wool sheep, so it was a bigger loss than just the sheep," Mr Hall said. Between the livestock and fencing loss, he estimated the damage could be up to $1 million. Mr Hall said the Roberts's donation had softened the loss significantly. "Four hundred ewes gave us another 10 bales of wool … and with the rams, that's probably another 400 lambs this year," he said. "It's one of the kindest things that's ever happened to me. "The generosity is just unbelievable." For Mr Hall, it is a gift that has meant more than "any government hand-out". "It's the Aussie spirit, isn't it?" he said. "It's just meant the world to us." On top of the usual charities that organise flood relief, several outback residents have recently taken it upon themselves to help those affected. Morven resident Kylee Tindall-Smith started the Pay 4 A Panel initiative to send donations directly to graziers to rebuild their fences. Grazier Anthony Glasson is coordinating the Fridge for a Friend project, which aims to provide a fridge and washing machine for every affected home in Thargomindah. Mary O'Brien, founder of suicide prevention service Are You Bogged Mate?, has organised the Grease Army, a team of volunteer mechanics heading to outback properties to help fix water-damaged equipment. "We thought this was important, particularly for clearing roads and fences and burying stock." Ms O'Brien stressed that often stoic primary producers should not be reluctant to accept help, including mental health support. "It's not a hand-out, it's a hand up," she said.
The Guardian
25-03-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Alien hopes crash to earth as glowing spiral over UK traced to SpaceX rocket
The truth is out there … it's just not quite as exciting as was hoped. A large, glowing spiral that lit up the skies over the UK on Monday night and prompted speculation of an alien encounter is believed to have been caused by a SpaceX rocket. The growing swirl visible for several minutes across Britain was initially thought by some to be an aircraft, or even extraterrestrial activity, but has now been attributed to a launch at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Elon Musk's company SpaceX held a launch for the US government shortly before 1.50pm local time (5.50pm GMT) and it is understood that the Falcon 9 rocket's frozen exhaust plume caused the display. The Met Office said on social media site X: 'The rocket's frozen exhaust plume appears to be spinning in the atmosphere and reflecting the sunlight, causing it to appear as a spiral in the sky.' The twisting celestial display was visible across much of Europe, with hundreds taking to social media to share footage and imagery. Steven Hall told the BBC that as he was taking out his bins in Suffolk he saw a 'huge catherine wheel which appeared to have its own atmosphere around it'. He added: 'It did pass my mind, is this an unexplained, unidentified flying object.' Dave, from Bristol, said he initially thought the blue spiral was 'a plane with its headlight on'. He said: 'It suddenly went blurry and I thought 'Oh, it's gone into cloud,' but then realised there weren't any clouds. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion 'I watched this fuzzy light for what felt like about a minute when all of a sudden it started shooting out these spiral arms and spinning. 'I realised straight away it was SpaceX because I've seen it so much on YouTube, but I can totally see how others would have been weirded out by it – it really did look alien.'
The Guardian
03-03-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Young Socceroos drive optimism in Australia after Asian Cup triumph
Perhaps one of the key ingredients of the so-called 'Aussie DNA' is being good at penalty shootouts. After his teammates had netted all five of their spot kicks, Steven Hall became the latest Australian goalkeeper to etch their name into the history books in the U20 Asian Cup final over the weekend, joining the likes of Mark Schwarzer, Andrew Redmayne and Mackenzie Arnold in securing continental glory. Trevor Morgan's Young Socceroos had already ensured Australia's 13-year absence from the U20 World Cup would end before they took the field at Shenzhen's Bao'an Stadium but what this achievement meant was obvious in the rapturous scenes of celebrations that followed Hall's save to deny Bassam Hazazi. They were now the princes of Asia – the first junior side to win a continental crown since Australia joined the confederation in 2006. This alone should be enough to drive a level of optimism. For years, the prevailing narrative has been that Australia's youth are being left behind at the continental level – not just by traditional powers such as Saudi Arabia and Japan (who were also beaten by Australia in China) but a rising middle class. But here was a new generation, without much in the way of name recognition but bountiful in potential, taking it to Asia's best. Elevating this isn't just that the Young Socceroos won the tournament, but just how they won it. Perhaps the best way to describe the way they played across the past fortnight is to note the one thing that was decidedly absent: fear. Throughout the tournament, Morgan's side demonstrated how bravery has traditionally been framed in Australian football. They ran hard, put their bodies on the line for their teammates and refused to stop in the face of adversity – they came from behind twice in the quarter-final against Iraq to secure U20 World Cup qualification. When he was substituted off in the final, Daniel Bennie looked like every sinew of his wiry frame had been spent running up and down his flank. But also present in this Young Socceroos side was a level of intrepidness in possession. Not only was there effort and will, but also courage to play vertically between the lines, to move into position to receive the ball under pressure, and to show impetus to take opponents on. Fear, undoubtedly, would have been there – trepidation of making an error that could cost the side at a vital moment – but bravery isn't so much the absence of fear as it is the willingness to act in its presence. And throughout the tournament, when there were moments of risk and uncertainty on the pitch – moments of fear – this group acted anyway. The hope is that this will portend a growing trend. This current cohort are among the first to have spent their entire development in the much-maligned, much-misunderstood national curriculum. The technical and tactical base that this has instilled within them is already apparent. They are also among the first to have spent almost their entire teenage years inside professional academies established by A-League clubs, which were controversially entrusted with filling the void left by the closure of the AIS. To the detriment of those working in it, youth development reform, in an age of instant gratification, still measures in decades. Additionally, the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting financial downturn forced A-League Men clubs to play youth like never before, both out of necessity and the urgent need to tap into the international transfer market. Lemonade from lemons. That meant that this group has received hitherto unprecedented opportunities to play senior football; they have already logged nearly 13,000 minutes of first-team football, the vast majority of that in the A-League Men. Maintaining these opportunities for young players in the years ahead, be they in the top-flight or a newly introduced second-tier, will be of critical importance. Sign up to Australia Sport Get a daily roundup of the latest sports news, features and comment from our Australian sports desk after newsletter promotion Next for the Young Socceroos will be a World Cup in Chile, where the hope will be that they can replicate the heroics of the 1991 and 1993 sides who reached the semi-finals. Fittingly, an Okon will link both – Paul Okon-Engstler, the son of Paul Okon, the press-resistance metronome at the heart of this current group – and players such as Nestory Irankunda, Thomas Waddingham, and Dylan Leonard will also be eligible to play. It will be important heading into that tournament to temper expectations, both to be realistic and not place too much load on young shoulders. This is still youth football; even the 2005 Argentina squad that won the U20 World Cup with Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, and Pablo Zabaleta only produced five players that made double-digit appearances for La Albiceleste. But it's OK to get a bit excited, too, because it looks like the kids are alright.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Asian Cup hero Hall felt like he'd been a movie star
Steven Hall, courageous hero of the Young Socceroos' landmark Under-20 Asian Cup triumph, has been left feeling as if his emotional story had been lifted straight out of a movie. The 20-year-old joined a distinguished list of goalkeeping shoot-out heroes like Mark Schwarzer, Andrew Redmayne and Mackenzie Arnold when he made the instinctive one-handed save that won Australia its first major soccer trophy in a decade since Ange Postecoglou's 2015 senior Asian Cup winners. The dizzying moment in Shenzhen against Saudi Arabia prompted Hall to rush to a pitchside camera and brandish the message on his glove which read "for you grandad" in honour of his grandfather who'd died just a week earlier back home. Steven ̶H̶a̶l̶l̶ Wall🧤🧱😏A moment forever etched into Australian football folklore 📂#YoungSocceroos #AFCU20 — Football Australia (@FootballAUS) March 1, 2025 Reflecting on Sunday after a night of celebration in China, Hall still sounded incredulous as he said: "It was just a dream come true. "That's what you dream as when you're a goalkeeper, like being in a tournament, in a final, and you save the winning penalty. It was literally like a movie, like you just couldn't script it. Just really, really happy." Looking back on his emotionally difficult week, Hall, who was the youngest-ever A-League goalie at 16 for Adelaide United before he made a move to English Premier League Brighton, felt the experience had only strengthened him. "Because what I went through throughout the tournament, it was really hard on me, but I look back at it and I say to myself 'if I can get through this, I can get through anything'," he explained. "It was a tough week, but everyone in the group got around me, they're great lads, and they supported me throughout every game. "And I knew my grandad was watching me every game. He was with me in the goal. I'm just really, really happy to get the win for him." Shootout heroics from a 20-year-old Aussie with iconic hair? We've seen this before. 🤩 #YoungSocceroos #AFCU20 #Socceroos — Football Australia (@FootballAUS) March 2, 2025 His great moment came with the Young Socceroos leading 5-4 in the shootout, with no penalties missed, when Saudi Arabia's Bassam Hazazi stepped up as their fifth taker. "He was the only player out of the five that I didn't have my notes written down. So I just kind of went off instinct," explained Hall. "As he was running up, I had that gut feeling that he was going to go to my right, so I held as long as I can before diving, and when I did, I saw the ball coming sort of behind me, so I thought I'd over-dived. "But I gave it a good left hand, and when I saw it hadn't gone in, I was just like so happy, man. Just a great feeling!" Hall was hailed by the team coach Trevor Morgan. "Stevie's done it before, so we were expecting it to be honest. I knew he would make a save. "He had a tough week, and that's one of the things you have to do as a young professional footballer, manage yourself to perform when you've got other things to deal with. I had full confidence in him." Next stop for Hall, a popular moustachioed and mulleted figure at Brighton, is trying to battle his way into the Premier League outfit's senior team, but he's already got an eye on the Young Socceroos' bid for further glory in the Under-20 World Cup in Chile in September and October. "The win here gives great confidence to everyone," he said. "Coming into this tournament, we weren't favourites, people doubting us, hadn't qualified for the World Cup in years, but I think it shows the rest of the teams in the World Cup that Australia is a good team. "We know that what we can do now we've won this, so it gives great confidence for the lads going into the World Cup."
Arab Times
02-03-2025
- Sport
- Arab Times
Australia edges Saudi Arabia to win U20 Asian Cup
SHENZHEN, China, March 2, (Xinhua): Steven Hall saved the decisive spot-kick as Australia defeated Saudi Arabia 5-4 in a penalty shootout to win the AFC U20 Asian Cup at the Baoan Sports Center Stadium. The match ended 1-1 in regular time, with neither team able to break the deadlock in extra time. Both teams converted their first four attempts in the shootout, but Australia scored in the decisive fifth round. At the same time, Saudi Arabia's Bassam Hazazi saw his shot saved by goalkeeper Hall, securing a 5-4 victory for Australia. Saudi Arabia equalized as Hall was just unable to keep Talal Haji's header from crossing the goal line, with the goal confirmed after a VAR review. Both sides missed a handful of chances in the second half before a fruitless additional 30 minutes of extra time led to the decisive shootout. Australia broke the deadlock in the 24th minute when Alexander Badolato's cross into the box was deflected into the path of Louis Agosti, whose shot from just outside the box sailed past Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Hamed Yousef and into the bottom-left corner.
