Scott Spits

Pat Cummins and his men played as if they had a point to prove, and they did it in emphatic fashion - levelling the series 1-1 inside three days of cricket at the Adelaide Oval.

Interim Melbourne president Brad Green takes to social media to ridicule a claim that Clayton Oliver – the star player who is subject to intense trade speculation – had “cleaned out his locker”. On a busier day of the AFL’s exhange period, there were various pick swaps as Carlton secured Hawthorn’s first-round pick.

The second day of the AFL’s silly season was relatively quiet but there is plenty bubbling away behind the scenes. Here’s how it played out.

Joe Daniher would have retired if the Brisbane Lions had won last year’s AFL grand final, a match in which this year’s premiers were narrowly beaten to the flag by Collingwood.

Tom Hawkins has been given a slight chance of returning from a foot injury before the end of the home-and-away season.

Brisbane’s stuttering AFL campaign has continued at Manuka Oval, thrashed by a surging GWS outfit to slump to 2-5 for the season. The 2023 grand finalists fell to their biggest loss of the year.

Aaron Naughton kicked an equal career-best bag of six goals as the Western Bulldogs eased some of the considerable pressure on coach Luke Beveridge with a 60-point thumping of St Kilda.

Mercurial forward Kysaiah Pickett will miss Melbourne’s bumper Thursday night clash against Brisbane at the MCG after being hit with a one-match ban.

Collingwood have revived their AFL season and sent the Brisbane Lions’ further south with a 20-point win in a scrappy, fluctuating grand final re-match at the Gabba.

Jannik Sinner is just the fifth man to win an Australian Open singles title in the past 19 years. He’s not writing Novak Djokovic off yet, but even he recognises his win could be a game-changing moment.

Aryna Sabalenka has become the first Australian Open women’s defending champion in more than a decade, the world No.2 overpowering China’s Zheng Qinwen with a clinical straight sets victory.

Australian tennis is experiencing a doubles renaissance and Matthew Ebden and Storm Hunter are two of the driving forces behind it.

Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska has become the first qualifier to reach the Australian Open women’s semi-finals in 46 years, storming past Czech Linda Noskova on Rod Laver Arena.

Iga Swiatek’s woes at the Australian Open have continued, with the world No.1 eliminated by a Czech teenager in the star Pole’s earliest exit in five years.

Alex de Minaur and Storm Hunter carry the hopes of Australia on day six of the Australian Open, while Stefanos Tsitsipas, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic do battle in round three.

Storm Hunter is rapt to be “riding the wave” after achieving a career-best grand slam singles result, surging into the Australian Open third round, while Russia’s Mirra Andreeva announced her arrival as the brightest young star in tennis by knocking out Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur.

The Spanish legend is the latest sports star to accept a role in the gulf nation. Meantime, Australian Open favourite Swiatek explained how Ash Barty had played a part in her rise to world No.1.

Tactical weapon to distract your opponent or an involuntary physiological response to exertion? Grunting has been a bugbear for decades – and it won’t be resolved in the next two weeks.

Tennis great Andre Agassi is buoyed by Nick Kyrgios’ authenticity, impressed that the injured Australian speaks openly about his personal battles.

The draw for the 2024 Australian Open has been unveiled. Qualifying is well under way at Melbourne Park with plenty of main draw spots still to be secured. Alex de Minaur will play explosive Canadian Milos Raonic in the first round.