ACES LOOKING FOR A HAT-TRICK
LOCKDOWN has tempered celebrations but Melbourne Aces championship manager and Claxton Shield collector Allan de San Miguel is already plotting a three-peat.
After seven titles as a player, the first six at Perth and one at Melbourne last season, de San Miguel last Friday made it eight Claxton Shields in 14 professional seasons.
Six of de San Miguel’s eight rings have come in the Australian Baseball League era.
“I’ve been fortunate I’ve played with a lot of good guys and great players along the way,” de San Miguel said.
“Every time you walk out there you’re always planning to win and I’ll be back out there next year ready to go again.”
The Aces last Friday night demolished de San
Miguel‘s former team Perth Heat 9-1 at Melbourne Ballpark, Altona, in a snap ABL decider to finish the season before the Victorian lockdown. ABL minor premiers Melbourne finished the season with a 19-9 record in the regular season.
The Aces went 2-0 in the postseason, outscoring their opponents 28-6 across two games to win back to back titles.
RESPECT. Aura. Success. Culture. Discipline. Professionalism. Humility.
These are the seven key reasons why former Cronulla stars hope Melbourne Storm super coach Craig Bellamy will shock rugby league and join the Sharks from next season.
The Sharks and Bellamy have been locked in secret negotiations for six months about him coach joining Cronulla as coaching director in 2022.
Former Sharks champions were united in their push for Bellamy. Former Cronulla player Matty Johns (left) is close mates with him.
“To varying degrees, every club would be interested in Craig Bellamy because of what he puts in place,” Johns said.
“The bottom line is, look what he has done at Melbourne — $200,000 players play like $500,000 players. He puts discipline into the joint and improves players. He would a perfect fit no matter where he went.”
Former Sharks and Australian forward Robbie Kearns, who lives in Melbourne after his stint with Storm, said Bellamy even had the ability to succeed in AFL.
“No matter where Craig Bellamy goes, he would turn a club around pretty much overnight,” Kearns said.
“A lot of AFL people here in Melbourne ask me why Craig is so good. He knows the game so well, he presents very well and he has a real care for his players. He is all about work ethic, humility, selfless acts and respect.”
Sharks legend Jason Stevens also lavished praise.
“There is an aura around Craig Bellamy,” he said.
YOU never write off a champion but second seed Simona Halep could be running out of lives at the Open.
For the second time, the two-time grand slam champion has pulled off a great escape – toppling French Open champion Iga Swiatek in three sets to set up a quarterfinal with Serena Williams.
Just as she did against Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic in their three-set second round encounter, Halep roared back to life after conceding the first set – saying afterwards that she made key adjustments to stay alive.
“After the first set I knew I had to change something. I was hitting too strong and too flat, so I had to roll the ball more,” Halep said.
“I think I moved her a little bit better and that’s why she started to miss a little bit more and then probably she lost a bit of rhythm and I got back in the game.”