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Owen Farrell finally punished for dangerous tackling

Owen Farrell finally crossed the line for dangerous tackles. Or rather, crossing the line finally led to punishment.

Last Saturday, Farrell’s shoulder made contact with the head of Wasps’ Charlie Atkinson. This led to the referee giving Farrell a straight red card.

In fact, this is far from the first time Farrell’s discipline is under scrutiny. For a long time, leading with his shoulders in the tackle has led to criticism.

Two such tackles came from Farrell during the 2018 Autumn Internationals. Firstly, he shoulder charged Andre Esterhuizen of South Africa. This tackle went unpunished. Nevertheless, referees were shown a directive of what to protect players from prior to the 2019 World Cup. This tackle was actually used as an example of a red card offence.

Secondly, three weeks later Farrell was back in the spotlight. Farrell blocked Australia’s Izack Rodda with a shoulder. The illegal hit went unpunished when the Wallabies at least deserved a penalty try.

The England captain admittedly worker on changing his tackling technique after this.

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However, last weekend’s incident left the referee no choice but to show a red. Officials considered the breach high-end. Therefore, the punishment was initially a 10-week ban.

Owen Farrell allowed special treatment?

Subsequently, Farrell received special treatment again. Testimonials from Mark McCall, Eddie Jones, and a charity associated with Farrell, convinced the independent disciplinary panel to halve his ban.

Panel chair Mike Hamlin said: “It was accepted by the RFU, the player, and the panel that the offending was reckless and not intentional”.

This has led to controversy over the testimonials’ relevance. Many have questioned why the player’s charity work affects his character on the pitch.

In contrast, when Farrell has been on the receiving end of such tackles, no such sympathy has been shown. On two occasions in 2019’s World Cup, illegal tackles were made on Farrell.

To begin, a shoulder charge on Farrell was a straight red card for USA Rugby’s John Quill. As a result, he missed the rest of the tournament. Next, Argentina’s Tomas Lavanini failed to hit Farrell at a low height. Immediately, Nigel Owens sent him off. Yet, Farrell stayed on the pitch. Such a tackle would usually require a Head Injury Assessment but no such check took place.

The 5-week ban means Farrell will miss Saracen’s Champions Cup quarter-final against Leinster. With guaranteed relegation, this competition is Saracen’s only chance for a trophy this year. Besides this, Leinster will be the toughest team Saracens are likely to meet in the competition. Without their talisman, victory is even harder.

However, Farrell will be back for England’s busy winter fixture list. This is partly thanks to international head coach Eddie Jones.

With the threshold finally crossed for disciplining Owen Farrell, perhaps the spotlight on his physicality will only get brighter.

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Capt Geoff Curran crowned 2020 Irish National Show Jumping Champion

Waterford-born Army rider Capt Geoff Curran and The Minister For Defence-owned Irish Sport Horse Glengarra Wood have been crowned 2020 Irish National Show Jumping Champions following Sunday’s Horse Sport Ireland Premier Series Final at Portmore Equestrian Centre.

Capt Curran had been sitting in second place on the league table before Portmore and a fifth place finish in the final saw him overtake leader Ger O’Neill and MHS High Hopes.

A nail-biting finish saw Kevin Gallagher and The Irish Sport Horse Ballypatrick Flamenco win the HSI Premier Series Grand Prix at Portmore with one of just two double clear rounds.

Nine combinations went through to the jump-off and Gallagher took the lead when second last to go with Ballypatrick Flamenco, owned by Greg Broderick. Kenneth Graham put in a great effort when last to go with George and their clear round would see them finish as runners-up while Anthony O’Regan and Feedback finished third with two time faults in the first round followed by a clear against the clock.

Kevin Gallagher and Ballypatrick Flamenco’s win in Portmore saw them finish as league runners-up while Ger O’Neill and MHS High Hopes took third place overall.

Shane Lowry confirmed for Dubai Duty Free Irish Open

Shane Lowry will play in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open for the first time since his career-defining Open Championship triumph, at Galgorm Castle Golf Club in Antrim from September 24-27.

The 33-year-old Offaly man lifted the Claret Jug in front of his home fans last year following a six-stroke win over England’s Tommy Fleetwood at Royal Portrush Golf Club.

It will be Lowry’s first appearance on the European Tour – outside of the WGC-Mexico Championship, WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational and US PGA Championship – since February, when he claimed a top 15 finish at the Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisors.

The Clara player’s Open victory last year was his fifth European Tour title and came six months after the he had broken a five-year winning duck at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA, sealing his first Rolex Series title.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back home to play the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open,” said Lowry.

“As a proud Irishman, this event means a lot to me and is always one of the most important tournaments on my schedule each year. While it’s been extremely challenging for all players to plan their global tournament schedules this season, I wanted to do everything possible to get home to play the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and I’m delighted that I’ve been able to commit to this year’s tournament given the circumstances.”

“Obviously I was really looking forward to playing in front of our home fans as the Open Champion this year, which would have been really special, but sadly it’s not to be” he added.

“I’m sure everyone will be supporting from home and watching the event on TV, so hopefully I can put in a good performance at Galgorm Castle and give the Irish fans something to shout about. I’ve been fortunate enough to win the Irish Open already and I would dearly love to win it again.”

2020 SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Dublin cancelled

European Athletics today confirmed the cancellation of the 2020 edition of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships that was due to take place in Dublin, on 13 December.

As a part of yesterday’s Executive Board meeting held in Lausanne, Switzerland, European Athletics spoke with the Fingal-Dublin 2020 Local Organising Committee concerning the current Covid-19 situation in Ireland and the impact that this may have on the 2020 European Cross Country Championships.

It soon became clear that due to the overall uncertainty on hosting mass sporting events, the existing sanitary restrictions in Ireland, and the travel restrictions imposed across Europe due to the coronavirus pandemic, it would not be possible to host the event as scheduled.

“The decision to cancel the Fingal-Dublin 2020 SPAR European Cross Country Athletics Championships was a very tough choice for European Athletics. Following the cancellation of the Paris 2020 European Athletics Championship a few months ago, this was the last opportunity for a major European Athletics event this year and cancelling it was not an option we chose lightly,” said  European Athletics Interim President Dobromir Karamarinov.

“I know that all the athletes and entire athletics community were looking forward to this event but I ask them to keep heart. I would like to pay tribute to both the local organising committee for their commitment and hard work to date, and to Athletics Ireland for their fantastic support while we deal with these difficult times for our sport,” concluded Karamarinov.

Chairman of the Fingal-Dublin 2020 Local Organising Committee Liam Hennessy said:

“We are disappointed that Fingal-Dublin will not have the opportunity to host the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in 2020 but we feel this was the only decision to make based on the current situation regarding Covid-19.”

Caleb Ewan wins stage 11 as Sam Bennett increases green jersey lead

Sam Bennett crossed the line in third place at the end of stage 11 in Poitiers this afternoon before being promoted to the runner-up position by officials.

The Carrick-On-Suir man, who won his first Tour de France stage yesterday, was bidding to become the first Irish cyclist to win consecutive stages in the world’s most famous cycle race, and was hoping to emulate his fellow ‘Carrick’ man, Seán Kelly, who the first of his five Tour de France stages in Poitiers in 1978.

Wednesday’s 167.5 kilometres stage from Châtelaillon-Plage went to Australian Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal), who was taking his second stage in this year’s event, with Peter Sagan second across the line and Bennett third.

When officials reviewed the race finish, Sagan was deemed to have shoved Jumbo-Visma sprinter Wout van Aert in the closing metres and was relegated to 85th place, last in the finishing bunch sprint.

This meant Bennett was promoted to second, earning him more green jersey points, to add to the points he claimed earlier in the day when taking second behind breakaway leader Matthieu Ladagnous at the intermediate sprint.

“I don’t really know what happened it was so hectic,” admitted Bennett. “It (the final sprint) was hard to make the switch from following my teammate to going alone. I found myself too far forward too early and then I was trying to drift back and it was a bit late to drift back. Then they came at speed – it was just a complete mess. I just tried to limit my losses and get the best result I could.”

The Irish rider is now on 234 points, 68 points ahead of seven-time points’ classification winner Sagan on 175, with Frenchman Bryan Coquard third on 157.

Race leader Primoz Roglic from Slovenia maintains his lead over the defending Tour champion Egan Bernal.

Dan Martin and Nicolas Roche finished in 133rd and 138th respectively on today’s stage, with Martin maintaining his position as the leading Irish rider in this year’s race. The Israel Start-Up Nation rider is 64th on the general classification, with Roche 75th and Tuesday’s stage winner Bennett 139th, almost two-and-a-half hours behind the yellow jersey wearer.

Stage 11 result

  1. Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) 4hrs 00mins 01secs
  2. Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) same time.
  3. Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) same time.

General classification after stage 11

  1. Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) 46hrs 15mins 24secs.
  2. Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) + 21secs.
  3. Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) + 28secs.

Wagering In The NBA Games_ 5 Basketball Bets You Can Play

With the 2020 NBA season currently in motion today, many fans and bettors are heading towards the betting games it brings. The First-Rounds are finally over, and the Conference Semifinals are starting to shape up. Initially, sixteen teams battled in the play-ins but are now cut into half for the semis. 

 

Because of that, the bettors can anticipate tighter match-ups as the teams are now looking to be in their best shape. Today’s basketball odds and lines are more impressive, so there are many jobs to do. As a bettor, you have to get updated with every player statistics to identify which team to wager in the nearing NBA finals. 

 

While the NBA Conference Semifinals highlight the best of seven-game series, the betting games will come overwhelmingly. Hence, if you are one NBA’s top fans and would like to wager for the first time, here are some of the top basketball betting games you can play. 

Money Lines 

NBA moneyline is a famous basketball betting game where gamblers wanted to chalk an amount of money instead of relying on the points. Although there is still a need for you to know every current team’s standing, the things you should mind in this betting category are the value you will win. 

 

The oddsmaker will still rely on comparing the odds between the two opposing teams. The favorite and the dog are still identified. The amount is then set, showing that if the underdog wins over the favorite, the moneyline comes bigger. For example, you bet $150 for the favorite to win $100 while you bet $100 for the underdog to win $130. 

Points Spread 

The Points Spread is the most played betting game in many basketball tournaments, especially in the NBA. It is where the oddsmaker has to set a value that both the favorites and the underdogs have to meet. Regardless of the value, you can win, the team must rely on the Points Spread given for you to win the betting. 

 

For example, the bookies have placed the favorite to a -7.5 Points Spread while the underdog is at +7.5. When you bet for the favorite, the team has to win at least 8 points. But, if you are gambling for the underdogs, they should score outright or lesser than 7.5. It may sound biased, but Points Spread may give a lot of advantage to bettors who picked the dogs since they need to stay on the line while the favorite has to go over the points given. 

Totals (Over/Under) 

Perhaps, the over/under bets you can play in NBA betting are the easiest compared to others. You don’t have to spend much on analyzing the value and the points given. In the Totals, you only have to gamble whether the combined score of both teams can go over or under the bookie’s value. 

 

For example, the oddsmaker set total points of 190. In this case, you have to wager whether the overall combined score will stay below 190 or go beyond that. Although it may sound effortless, the playing style, the quality of matches, and the talents plating inside the court can still contribute to how the total score will look by the end of the match. 

Parlays 

Parlays are called Exotic bets in basketball betting games. It is for basketball punters who wanted to risk more money. Because it requires you to gamble more, the prize you can expect to win is also huge. Thus, if you trust your instincts enough to win outright in Parlays, don’t hesitate to take the chance.

 

It is a betting game where you bet on a series of games. For example, in a 4-team parlay, the teams you pick to gamble must also win their games to take home the prize. But, the bigger risk is that even if the team wins in the three games and loses in one match, you lost everything in the Parlay. 

Propositions 

Propositions or commonly known as “prop bets,” are another exciting betting game you can play in the NBA. If you are tired of analyzing the points spread, lines, and odds, then propositions are something you can gamble. It doesn’t require you to become a betting wizard, but you need to trust our predictions to win the prize.

 

Before the game begins, the oddsmaker sets some propositions along with the value you can win. Some examples of prop bets are “Which player can score first?”, “Which team can make a foul first?” etc. You only have to provide an answer, and if it turns out that your predictions are right based on the match, you can bring home the bacon.

Takeaway 

The NBA season does not only give you thrilling matches to see but excellent and high-paying betting games you can gamble. Hence, if you are an avid NBA fan and betting in the upcoming matches sounds right for you, the top betting categories above can guide you all the way. 

 

Sam Bennett wins stage 10 and regains the green jersey

Sam Bennett of Deceuninck-Quick Step realised a life’s ambition when winning Tuesday’s 10th stage of the Tour de France.

The Carrick-On-Suir rider, who became the sixth Irishman to win a stage in the Grande Boucle, held off Australian Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) and Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) to take victory in Ile de Re Saint-Martin-de-Re.

Twenty-nine-year-old Bennett’s win gave his Belgian Deceuninck – Quick-Step team a second stage win at this year’s Tour following the victory of Julian Alaphilippe on stage 2.

Bennett’s victory means he has won a stage at all three of cycling’s Grand Tours, having taken three at the Giro d’Italia in 2018 and two at the Vuelta a Espana in 2019, both for his former team, Bora-Hansgrohe.

Ireland’s Sam Bennett on the podium after his stage 10 win today. Credit: A.S.O./Pauline Ballet.

Bennett who has shown great consistency since the beginning of this year’s Tour, with second, third and fourth place finishes during the opening week of the race, said of his first Tour de France stage win:

“You dream of it and never think it will happen. It hasn’t hit me at all yet. Oh man, I was waiting to go and I thought I might have left it too late. I thought he might have got me.”

While reflecting on the day’s sprint, the Irish cyclist admitted:

“I forgot to throw the bike at the line in the moment and I thought he might have got me. I thought I’d be in floods of tears but I’m in shock.”

Bennett, who became very emotional and broke down in tears, continued:

“I just want to thank everyone that has been involved, the whole team, Patrick for giving me this opportunity and just everybody it took to get to here. I want to thank my wife, everyone around me.

“You dream of it, you never think it’ll happen. It did and, I don’t know, it took for a while to hit me.”

To add to today’s success, Bennett now regains the lead in the points classification, by 21 points, from seven-time green jersey winner Peter Sagan.

Tour de France leader Primoz Roglic retained the yellow jersey as he safely negotiated the flat 168.5km route from Ile d’Oleron Le Chateau. The Slovenian maintains his 21 seconds advantage over defending champion Egan Bernal.

In the day’s intermediate sprint Matteo Trentin (CCC) outsprinted Peter Sagan and Sam Bennett at Châtelaillon-Plage with 39 kilometres to go. Jumbo-Visma and Ineos-Grenadier put the pressure on with 18 kilometres to race before the bunch split into three pieces.

With the field back together 10 kilometres from the finish, Jumbo-Visma kept the situation under control before Nicolas Roche’s Team Sunweb went to the front. In the end, it was the races big sprinters who fought it out, with the Carrick-On-Suir man coming out on top.

Bennett becomes the sixth Irishman to win a stage at the Tour de France after Shay Elliott (1963), Seán Kelly (1978, 1980, 1981 and 1982), Stephen Roche (1985, 1987 and 1992), Martin Earley (1989) and Dan Martin (2013 and 2018).

Stage 10 result

  1. Sam Bennett (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) 3hrs 35mins 22secs.
  2. Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) same time.
  3. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) same time.

Dan Martin finished 130th on the stage, 5 minutes and 25 second behind his fellow Irish rider. Martin’s cousin Nicolas Roche was 10 minutes 52 seconds back after a crash.

Martin is now the highest ranked of the three Irish riders at this year’s Tour, standing in 64th place on general classification, 1 hour 11 minutes and 13 seconds behind the race leader Primoz Roglic.

Irish horses given top weight for both Caulfield and Melbourne Cups

High-class entries from Aidan O’Brien’s Ballydoyle establishment feature among the topweights for the AUD $5.15 million Stella Artois Caulfield Cup (2400m) and AUD $8 million Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) with the release of weights today.

The three highest weighted horses in the 143rd Caulfield Cup, to be run at Caulfield on Saturday, 17 October, are O’Brien’s star-studded Group 1-winning trio of Anthony Van Dyck (58.5kg), Japan (58.5kg) and Magical (58kg).

With the latter two only nominated for the Caulfield Cup, 2019 Epsom Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck is the sole topweight for the 160th Melbourne Cup, to be run at Flemington on Tuesday, 3 November, with 58.5kg.

O’Brien’s 2019 Irish Derby winner Sovereign is among a trio of horses allotted 57kg in both races, making them the equal second highest weighted horses in the Melbourne Cup. The other two are defending Melbourne Cup champion Vow And Declare (Danny O’Brien) and Godolphin’s three-time Group 1 winner Avilius (James Cummings).

Russian Camelot (Danny O’Brien), the pre-weights Caulfield Cup favourite, has been allotted 53.5kg making him the highest weighted Northern Hemisphere three-year-old in both races alongside Aidan O’Brien’s 2020 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby winner Santiago.

Surprise Baby (Paul Preusker), the pre-weights Melbourne Cup favourite, has been handed 54.5kg in both races – 1kg more than the 2019 Adelaide Cup and The Bart Cummings winner carried into fifth place in last year’s Melbourne Cup.

Of the other horses highly fancied in pre-post betting for both Cups, Chris Waller’s four-time Group 1 winning mare Verry Elleegant has been allocated 55kg in each, while Team Hawkes’ revelation of the 2019-20 season, Master of Wine, has been weighted on 53.5kg.

Like her stablemates Japan and Magical, Aidan O’Brien’s globetrotting mare Magic Wand is nominated for the Caulfield Cup only. The 2019 Mackinnon Stakes winner has been handicapped on 55kg – 1.5kg more than she carried when 10th in the 2019 Melbourne Cup.

Speaking at the release of weights this morning Racing Victoria’s (RV) Executive General Manager – Racing, Greg Carpenter said:

“Aidan’s O’Brien’s entries are the standouts on performances over the past 18 months and have been handicapped accordingly at the top of the weights for this year’s Stella Artois Caulfield Cup and Lexus Melbourne Cup.

“The joint Caulfield Cup topweights Anthony Van Dyck and Japan were both Group 1 winners over 2400m in 2019 and have been placed behind the world’s highest rated horse Ghaiyyath this year. Anthony Van Dyck holds the honour of sole topweight in the Melbourne Cup with Japan not nominated.”

Continuing his explanation of weight allocations, Carpenter said:

“The outstanding Magical, who is a six-time Group 1 winner and nominated for the Caulfield Cup only, has 58kg and will need to set a weight carrying record for a mare with Tranquil Star claiming that mark when winning the 1942 Caulfield Cup with 56kg.

“There’s a challenge been set for talented local mare Verry Elleegant also, who has 55kg in both Cups. Makybe Diva is the only mare to carry more than 55kg to victory in the Melbourne Cup having done so in 2004 (55.5kg) and 2005 (58kg), the latter being the last time a mare has placed in our most famous race.

“There is always great interest in what weight is given to the defending Melbourne Cup champion and this year that is Vow And Declare who rises to 57kg having won the race with 52kg last year for Australia with Craig Williams in the saddle for Danny O’Brien.

“The 5kg increase for Vow And Declare represents a 1.5kg increase in his weight-for-age benchmark moving to five years of age and a 3.5kg penalty for his 2019 win. That’s the same penalty that was afforded to Cross Counter, Prince of Penzance, Green Moon, Dunaden and Americain for their title defences over the past decade.

The weights allocated to other notable entries are as follows:

Dual Melbourne Cup placed horse, English stayer Prince Of Arran (Charlie Fellowes), has been allocated 54.5kg – 0.5kg more than he carried when promoted to second in the 2019 edition and 1.5kg more than his third placing in 2018.

Master of Reality, who was second across the line in the 2019 Melbourne Cup before being demoted to fourth on protest, rises 0.5kg this year to 56kg – the same weight the Joseph O’Brien trained stayer has in the Caulfield Cup.

In addition to Master of Reality, Australian owner Lloyd Williams has the Joseph O’Brien-trained pair Twilight Payment (55.5kg), Buckhurst (55kg) as well as Adelaide Cup winner King of Leogrance (53.5kg) prominent in the weights in his pursuit of a seventh Melbourne Cup and second Caulfield Cup.

The Willie Mullins-trained duo of recent Lonsdale Cup runner-up Stratum and last year’s VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner True Self have been handicapped on 55kg and 52kg respectively.

Germany’s sole entrant Ashrun has been assigned 53kg in both races for the 2014 Melbourne Cup-winning combination of trainer Andreas Wohler and syndicators Australian Bloodstock.

Northern Hemisphere three-year-olds have won two of the last three Melbourne Cups. Young French stayer Port Guillaume (Jean-Claude Rouget), touted as a key contender should he make the trip, has been weighted on 52.5kg.

16 Irish horses in 100th Cox Plate after first acceptance stage

One hundred and nine horses feature among the acceptors for the 100th Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m), with Irish champion trainer Aidan O’Brien, who won the 2014 Cox Plate with Adelaide, accounting for 12 of the 17 internationally-trained entries.

The Ballydoyle brigade for the weight-for-age championship of Australasia are Armory, Circus Maximus, Ennistymon, Japan, Magic Wand, Magical, Mogul, Mythical, Order Of Australia, Peaceful, Tiger Moth, and Vatican City.

Joseph O’Brien has three acceptors for the race with Buckhurst, Degraves and Patrick Sarsfield, while champion National Hunt trainer Willie Mullins has one acceptor in True Self.

Today’s 109 acceptances includes 37 Group 1 winners, represents the second highest number of first acceptors in the past decade with the lion’s share of a AUD $5 million purse and a one-off gold Cox Plate trophy on offer for the winner at The Valley on Saturday, 24 October 2020.

Nominal Cox Plate favourites Russian Camelot (entered in next Saturday’s Makybe Diva Stakes) and Verry Elleegant (Group 1 Winx Stakes winner at Randwick) feature among the acceptances, as does the former Aidan O’Brien-trained Sir Dragonet who arrives in Australia on 2 October to join the Ciaron Maher and Dave Eustace stable.

Other notable first stage acceptors include Melbourne Cup hero Vow And Declare (an intended runner in the Group 1 Makybe Diva next Saturday), Arcadia Queen, Behemoth (winner of the recent Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield), Surprise Baby and last weekend’s Feehan Stakes winner Humidor who is guaranteed a shot at a third Cox Plate placing.

A total of 22 Southern Hemisphere three-year-olds feature among the first acceptors including Alcyone, Farnan, Flying Award, King’s Legacy, North Pacific and Tagaloa.

Second acceptances for the Cox Plate will be taken on Tuesday, 22 September 2020.

Aussie Rules – Tuohy & O’Connor lead Irish interest AFL playoffs

After weathering serious disruption to the 2020 AFL season, the condensed Aussie Rules calendar is now entering its 16th week, with 23 rounds in total anticipated to be completed prior to the finals. 

At the beginning of the season, Irish interests were high with 17 players AFL registered to play with 9 separate outfits. However, only a certain number of Irish players have managed to make a notable contribution to their sides’ finals efforts. Mark O’Connor (Kerry) & Zach Tuohy (Laois) of Geelong Cats, and Conor McKenna (Returning to Tyrone) of the Essendon Bombers have been the most impressive.

Geelong boasts a very experienced side and is currently 2nd on the ladder. Having finished 1st at the end of last season’s regular season, but ultimately succumbing to eventual winners Richmond, they will be keen to return to this season’s finals and capture their first Premiership since 2011.

McKenna hit the headlines earlier in the season after becoming embroiled in a Covid-19 controversy and was harshly vilified by the Australian press. However, he has gone on to have an excellent season. The Bombers sit 11th on the ladder, just 2 points off Melbourne Demons, who currently occupy the coveted 8th spot. Essendon’s next three fixtures are crucial as they face West Coast, Geelong, & Port Adelaide. A strong showing in those fixtures could see the Bombers return to the finals for the second successive season. 

 

Mark Keane (Cork) made his Collingwood debut this season, and while he hasn’t made the impact that he would have hoped, he is still very young. Collingwood are currently in 6th position, and having fallen at the final hurdle last year, will be hoping to go one better this time around. 

Traditionally, Victorian-based teams have had a huge advantage as the Grand Final has always been played at the historic 100,000 capacity Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). However, due to the Covid-19 impact on Melbourne, this season’s final looks set to be played at the Gabba in Brisbane. This is the first time in the competition’s 134-year history that the final will be played outside of Victoria, and is sure to provide an interesting subplot.

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