Author: Australian Associated Press

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Marc Márquez defies mosquito mishap to clinch comeback win at Australian MotoGP

  • Six-time champion Márquez fought back from 13th to win fifth title
  • Jorge Martín finishes second as Ducati secure top five places

Spain’s Marc Márquez has recovered from a nightmare start in which a mosquito infiltrated his visor to claim a sensational fifth Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix victory. Having fallen back to 13th after wheel-spinning off the start line, the six-time world MotoGP champion produced a flawless ride and finally overtook his countryman Jorge Martín with four laps to go at Phillip Island on Sunday.

Martín fought back in a tense sprint to the finish line but the experienced Márquez held him off to close the gap on Martín and the Italian Francesco Bagnaia at the top of the world championship standings.

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AFL trade period: Bailey Smith heads to Geelong as deadline day ends with flurry of deals

  • Moves for Jake Stringer, Luke Parker, Tom Barrass sealed in last hour
  • Tigers armed with suite of picks after Bolton joins Dockers, Rioli to Suns

Western Bulldogs star Bailey Smith will go to Geelong after a last-gasp AFL trade was struck. With about five minutes left before the 7.30pm AEDT deadline on Wednesday night, news came through that the deal had been struck after months of expectation. Also in the last hour of the trade period, Essendon forward Jake Stringer was offloaded to GWS after it had appeared that deal had fallen through.

Tom Barrass goes from West Coast to Hawthorn, Luke Parker and Jacob Konstanty have departed Sydney to join North Melbourne, and Caleb Daniel also joins the Kangaroos from the Bulldogs. In other late trades, James Peatling heads from GWS to Adelaide and Jack Macrae finally has his wish, of leaving the Bulldogs for St Kilda.

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‘Only thing that’s missing’: Penrith co-captain disappointed to abandon World Club Challenge

  • Panthers tell NRL they will not be able to face Super League winner
  • Four-time premiers to meet Sharks in 2025 season-opener in Las Vegas

Isaah Yeo has admitted his disappointment that Penrith will skip the World Club Challenge, after the Panthers officially told the NRL they could not contest the only major trophy they are missing.

By defeating Melbourne in last Sunday’s grand final, the Panthers clinched both a historic fourth consecutive premiership and a date with the winner of the Super League decider between Wigan and Hull KR on Sunday (AEDT). But Penrith’s trip to Las Vegas for round one of the 2025 season has complicated matters, given the clash of premiers usually takes place in either England or Australia just before the NRL regular season begins.

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Impromptu haka leaves Jahrome Hughes with a tear after Dally M win

  • ‘That meant a lot,’ says Melbourne Storm’s Kiwi No 7 after tribute
  • Sydney Roosters forward Olivia Kernick wins women’s medal

An emotional Jahrome Hughes has admitted he had a tear in his eye after Melbourne teammates launched into a haka to honour his Dally M medal, while Roosters second-rower Olivia Kernick won the women’s award.

In scenes reminiscent of fellow New Zealander Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s win in 2018, Melbourne winger Will Warbrick took over the Dally Ms to celebrate Hughes’ award. After holding off James Tedesco by one vote and landing the first big individual honour of his career, Hughes watched as Warbrick launched into a haka alongside Storm second-rower Eliesa Katoa and Canberra prop Joseph Tapine.

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Man charged after Olympic medals allegedly stolen from ‘Oarsome Foursome’ rower’s car in Melbourne

Victoria police arrest 47-year-old after alleged theft of Drew Ginn’s medals in Docklands last week

A man has been charged after four Olympic medals – including three gold – belonging to one of the members of Australia’s popular “Oarsome Foursome” rowing team were allegedly stolen from a car in Melbourne.

Victoria police said Drew Ginn’s medals from four consecutive Olympics were in the back of a Land Rover that was parked on Cumberland Street in Docklands when they were allegedly stolen last week.

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Harry Wilson to captain Wallabies amid five changes for Test against Argentina

  • Backrower becomes fourth skipper of coach Joe Schmidt’s reign
  • Australia meet the Pumas in Rugby Championship in Buenos Aires

Backrower Harry Wilson will become the 90th Wallabies captain with coach Joe Schmidt making five changes to his starting line-up for the Argentina Test, as Australia chase their first win of the Rugby Championship. The Wallabies play the first of two Tests against the Pumas in Buenos Aires on Sunday 8am AEST.

Among the changes after two losses to South Africa to open the tournament, Hamish Stewart will make his Test debut and replace injured Queensland teammate Hunter Paisami in the centres. Jake Gordon has regained the No 9 jersey after recovering from a head knock, with Tate McDermott again coming off the bench, linking with Noah Lolesio in the halves.

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Douglas Costa: Sydney FC sign former Juventus and Bayern star in coup for A-League

  • Highly-decorated Brazilian arrives at Sky Blues from Fluminense
  • 33-year-old who has won 24 trophies hailed as ‘world class’

Sydney FC have signed former Juventus and Bayern Munich star Douglas Costa in a massive recruitment coup for the A-League Men. Costa joins the ALM heavyweights as a marquee player for two seasons after being released early from his contract by Brazilian club Fluminense in July.

The 33-year-old winger will land in Sydney as their biggest signing since Italian Alessandro Del Piero in 2012. It comes after the Australian Professional Leagues slashed club distribution to just $530,000, down on close to $2m handed out last season.

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Blues beat Chiefs to break 21-year Super Rugby title drought

  • The Blues sweep aside the Chiefs in a 41-10 drubbing at Eden Park
  • It was the first final between the NZ sides in their 28-year history

The Blues have broken a 21-year Super Rugby title drought, sweeping aside the Chiefs in a 41-10 drubbing at a sold-out Eden Park.

In the first ever final between the two New Zealand sides in their 28-year history, the Blues were dominant.

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Wallabies star Carter Gordon turns back on rugby union and joins NRL’s Titans

  • Member of 2023 World Cup squad signs two-year deal on Gold Coast
  • Five-eighth was looking for new club after demise of Rebels

Gold Coast have pulled off a stunning signing coup with Wallabies five-eighth Carter Gordon to join the club in another huge blow to Australian rugby. The 23-year-old, who will join the Titans next year until the end of 2026, was a key member of the Wallabies World Cup squad in 2023 and played No 10 for the now defunct Melbourne Rebels.

Gordon will join fellow World Cup star Mark Nawaqanitawase in the NRL next year with Test winger signing with the Sydney Roosters from the NSW Waratahs. Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i is heading the other way, switching to rugby union from the Sydney Roosters next season.

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‘It’s a sad time’: Rebels bid emotional farewell in last ever Super Rugby Pacific match

  • Hurricanes end Melbourne’s hopes of fairytale finish with 47-20 victory
  • Financially-stricken club to now be closed down after 14 seasons

Tears among the Rebels players have signalled the end for Melbourne, whose place in Super Rugby Pacific was brought to a close by a quarter-final loss to the Hurricanes. The Rebels were given almost no chance of upsetting the table-topping Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday, but held them to an eight-point margin at half-time on the back of some desperate defence.

That took its toll, with the home side piling on five second-half tries to post a 47-20 victory. Rebels winger Lachie Anderson scored a late double but the Hurricanes remained on track for the semi-finals.

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Court condemns soccer fans’ Nazi salutes at 2022 Australia Cup final

Three men were convicted and fined $500 for ‘deliberately and intentionally’ performing the salute

Three Croatian men have been convicted and fined after separately making Nazi salutes during the 2022 Australia Cup soccer final.

Nikola Marko Gasparovic, 46, Dominik Sieben, 25, and Marijan Lisica, 45, performed the salute at Parramatta’s CommBank Stadium on October 1 2022, during the match between Sydney United 58 and Macarthur FC.

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Two more Macarthur FC players named in alleged A-League bet-fixing scheme

Matthew Millar and Jed Drew named in court documents as three other teammates face charges over alleged plot to receive yellow cards for payment

Two more A-League players have been named as alleged participants in an alleged bet-fixing scheme involving their Macarthur FC teammates.

Matthew Millar and Jed Drew are accused of participating in a criminal group that also allegedly involved three charged players – club captain Ulises Davila and teammates Clayton Lewis and Kearyn Baccus.

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Financially-stricken Melbourne Rebels axed from Super Rugby Pacific

  • Private consortium’s rescue plan deemed ‘overly optimistic’
  • Australian club’s last match will be played next month

A legal battle looms between Rugby Australia and the consortium who planned to save the Melbourne Rebels, with the Super Rugby Pacific club to be shut down after 14 seasons.

Five months after the Rebels entered voluntary administration, Rugby Australia broke the news before players boarded a plane to Fiji for the final round of the competition.

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Darts sensation Luke Littler to make Australian debut at Wollongong event

  • Star-studded line-up confirmed for Australian Darts Masters
  • World No 1 Luke Humphries also named in 16-player field

Teenage darts sensation Luke Littler is to make his debut in Australia when he headlines the country’s biggest event in Wollongong in August.

The 17-year-old English phenomenon, who has flourished as the sport’s biggest attraction since becoming the youngest ever world championship finalist at 16 in January, will feature in a star-studded line-up at the Australian Darts Masters in August.

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Alex Carey leads mighty run chase as Australia beat New Zealand in second Test

  • New Zealand 162 and 372; Australia 256 and 281-7
  • Carey unbeaten on 98 in three-wicket victory in Christchurch

Australia’s middle order squeaked out a mighty Test win in Christchurch, where Alex Carey’s fighting 98 not out defied New Zealand to wrap up a 2-0 series victory. Carey and Mitch Marsh, who made 80, did the business for Australia, which stumbled to 4-34 before reaching 281-7 to win.

Combining after the early loss of Travis Head (18) at 80-5, Marsh and Carey put on 140 runs together – the biggest partnership of the series, when the pressure was at its heaviest. New Zealand debutant Ben Sears gave Australia a mighty shake, removing Marsh and then Mitchell Starc in two balls to reduce the tourists to 220-7.

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