Author: Australian Associated Press

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Richmond court controversy with Noah Balta slated for polarising AFL return

  • Premiership star to play against Gold Coast on Saturday
  • Tigers backman faces court after pleading guilty to assault

Richmond premiership star Noah Balta returns to an AFL field against Gold Coast on Saturday, three days before fronting court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to assault outside a NSW Riverina club on 30 December last year.

Prison time – his charge in NSW carries a maximum five-year stretch – appears unlikely, but Balta’s return to football has become a political football.

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Rohan Dennis shows ‘no remorse’ over death of Melissa Hoskins, says her family

The Olympian’s mother tells champion cyclist that his temper is his ‘downfall’ during victim statements in Adelaide court

Former world champion and Olympic cyclist, Rohan Dennis, has shown no remorse and “perceives himself as a victim” despite him accidentally killing his wife, her family has told a court in South Australia.

Melissa Hoskins, 32, also an acclaimed world and Olympic cyclist, died when she was struck by a car driven by her husband in December 2023.

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‘In a league of his own’: Oscar Piastri star continues to rise with Bahrain GP win

  • Australian leads from pole to flag to pick up second win of season
  • ‘It was relatively straightforward,’ says McLaren driver

Australian Oscar Piastri hailed an “incredible weekend” after earning another pole-to-flag Formula One triumph at the Bahrain Grand Prix. The McLaren driver made his 50th grand prix start on Sunday and moved into second place in the drivers’ standings with the victory, which left him breathing down the neck of his low-on-confidence teammate Lando Norris.

After he held off a challenge on the first corner from Mercedes’ George Russell at the floodlit Sakhir circuit, Piastri then utterly dominated, even after a mid-race restart under the safety car. The man from Melbourne, the first driver to win two grand prix this season after his Chinese GP victory, ended up outpacing Russell by 15-and-a-half seconds – the biggest margin of victory by any winner this year – with championship leader Norris third.

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Alex de Minaur records first ‘double bagel’ with whitewash of Grigor Dimitrov

  • The Australian reaches last four of Monte Carlo Masters
  • He will play either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Lorenzo Musetti

Alex de Minaur has humbled Bulgarian star Grigor Dimitrov 6-0 6-0 to feast on the first “double bagel” of his professional career while powering into the Monte Carlo Masters semi-final.

The Australian was in merciless mood against the out-of-sorts veteran, taking only 44 minutes to hand the world No 18 one of his most embarrassing defeats on the Monte Carlo Country Club’s main arena, Court Rainier III, on Friday.

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Australia on brink of Billie Jean King Cup exit after defeat to Kazakhstan

  • Kim Birrell and Maya Joint lose singles in straight sets in Brisbane
  • Storm Hunter and Ellen Perez win doubles in BJK Cup qualifying tie

Kazakhstan have placed Australia on the brink of Billie Jean King Cup elimination with a 2-1 victory in their qualifying tie in Brisbane.

Big-hitting former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina out-gunned Kim Birrell to secure victory for Kazakhstan before the hosts picked up a precious point with success in the not-so-dead-rubber doubles.

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McLaren’s decision to deny Oscar Piastri shot at Japanese GP win was ‘fair’, says driver

  • Australian finishes third behind teammate Lando Norris at Suzuka
  • Piastri’s request to swap places with Norris was turned down

Oscar Piastri has said he has no complaints about McLaren rejecting his request to shoot for glory at the Japanese Grand Prix.

The Australian finished third behind teammate Lando Norris and victor Max Verstappen on Sunday, but he believed he had possessed the pace to get past the Red Bull champion and possibly make it back-to-back F1 wins following his victory in China.

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Tim Tszyu gets career off the canvas with stunning fourth round TKO of Joey Spencer

  • Tszyu wins IBO superwelterweight title following two shock losses
  • Sydney fighter calls out American Keith Thurman for next bout

Tim Tszyu has restored his reputation and reignited his international career with a brutal beatdown of American Joey Spencer in Newcastle.

The referee stopped the fight two minutes and 18 seconds into the fourth round after Australia’s former WBO world champion battered Spencer with a stunning blitz to the head and body.

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‘Stressful’ debut as Daria Kasatkina appears as Australian player for first time

  • World No 12 switched allegiance from Russia last week
  • She overcomes nerves to beat Lauren Davis 6-1, 6-1 in Charleston

“And please welcome from Australia, Daria Kasatkina!” With those words from the MC introducing her on court at the Charleston Open on Wednesday, Australia’s latest tennis import admitted she was left feeling a bag of nerves about the advent of her new adventure.

She need not have worried. For just over an hour later, following her consummate first triumph as an Australian player, Kasatkina was soaking up the cheers of the US crowd amid the strains of “I come from a land Down Under”, while beaming a smile of relief mixed with joy.

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Sam Konstas rewarded for breakout summer with first Cricket Australia contract

  • Opener no guarantee to win back spot for WTC final
  • Matt Kuhnemann and Beau Webster also added to 2025-26 list

Teenage sensation Sam Konstas has been rewarded with his first Cricket Australia contract but is no guarantee to win back his opening spot for the World Test Championship final. The NSW opener joins spinner Matt Kuhnemann and Tasmania allrounder Beau Webster as additions to the contract list for the 2025-26 season.

Kuhnemann starred across two Tests in Sri Lanka, before having to deal with clearing his name after being reported for a suspect action. Webster had already been upgraded last season, but has been retained following a stunning ascension to Test level for the Border-Gavaskar series decider in January.

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From Russia with love: Daria Kasatkina switches tennis allegiance to Australia

  • 27-year-old has not been to Russia since coming out as gay in 2022
  • World No 12 will be Australia’s new No 1 women’s tennis singles player

Russian-born tennis player Daria Kasatkina is switching allegiances to Australia after her application for permanent residency was accepted by the government.

The world No 12 has been playing on the tour as a neutral athlete after Russian and Belarusian players were banned from competing under their own flags following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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Rabbitohs’ 80-year-old bunny mascot issues apology over child pushing incident

  • ‘Nothing like this will ever happen again,’ says Charlie Gallico
  • Much-loved retired panelbeater filmed shoving nine-year-old

South Sydney’s mascot has apologised for pushing a child during an NRL match against the Cronulla Sharks. Charlie Gallico, while dressed as mascot Reggie Rabbit, was filmed shoving a nine-year-old boy while moving through the players’ tunnel at Sharks Stadium during their round three fixture.

Gallico, 81, issued an apology on Tuesday following an investigation by the club into a complaint made by the child’s mother Caroline Agius.

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Oscar Piastri hails McLaren’s ‘mega job’ after Australian’s third win of F1 career

  • Piastri wins Chinese GP from pole for first win of season
  • ‘I feel like I deserved from last week,’ he says

Oscar Piastri was full of praise for his team after a triumphant weekend during which he redeemed himself from a nightmare end in Melbourne a week ago by emphatically winning the Chinese Grand Prix from pole.

The McLaren flyer never gave up the lead he earned in qualifying in Shanghai to win the third GP of his burgeoning career on Sunday. It adds to his triumphs in Hungary and Azerbaijan last year in what was a breakout season for the 23-year-old.

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Nick Kyrgios storms back at Miami Open for first tour-level win since 2022

  • World No 892 beats Mackenzie McDonald 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
  • ‘I never thought I would play tennis again,’ admits Australian

Australia’s Nick Kyrgios has recovered from a slow start to beat American Mackenzie McDonald in the first round of the Miami Open. Kyrgios dropped the opening set before storming home to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday.

The win was his first in a tour-level match since 2022 and sets up a second-round encounter with Russian Karen Khachanov. The Australian said he is glad to be back but will not be getting carried away.

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Oscar Piastri locks in Formula One future with multi-year McLaren deal

  • Australian signs contract extension with driver’s title hopefuls
  • F1 season begins with 23-year-old’s home grand prix in Melbourne

Australian star Oscar Piastri has secured a multi-year contract extension with Formula One champions McLaren ahead of the season start in Melbourne on Sunday. The 23-year-old, who was already under contract until 2026, has now locked in a long-term future with the British team.

Piastri finished fourth in the championship last year, claiming his first F1 victory in Hungary in his second season before winning again at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. With McLaren expected to carry over their constructors’-winning form into the new season, Piastri looks set to battle with team-mate Lando Norris – who was second last year behind Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen – for the 2025 world title.

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Australia and England set for day-night Test at MCG for 150th Ashes anniversary

  • First men’s pink-ball Test to be played at famous Melbourne venue
  • Rivals to meet for historic match starting 11 March 2027

The historic 150th anniversary Ashes Test at the MCG in 2027 will be staged as a day-night match.

Long locked in for 11 to 15 March, Cricket Australia confirmed – exactly two years out – Australia’s one-off match against England would be the first men’s pink-ball Test at the venue.

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