AFL hosts battle of the North
IT will be a case of the old Townsville versus Cairns rivalry in the first week of the 2018 AFL season at Cazalys Stadium.
North Melbourne, with Townsville products Josh Williams and Braydon Preuss on their list, will tackle the Gold Coast, including hometown heroes Jarrod Harbrow and Jack Bowes, in their opening game of the new season on March 24 in Cairns. Williams is a Gold Coast Suns Academy junior just like Cairns Saints product Bowes and will be pushing for selection under lights at Cazalys Stadium.
Williams and physical ruckman Preuss hail from the same Townsville football home, the Hermit Park Tigers, and both are in line to play their first AFL game in North Queensland. With Metricon Stadium unavailable due to the Commonwealth Games, the match will mark the first time the Suns have hosted a home game in Cairns, despite having played there seven times.
North Melbourne general manager of football Cameron Joyce is looking forward to the Kangaroos making their debut in Queensland’s far north.
“We have never played in Cairns but we will be ready for the challenge,” Joyce said.
“We’ll have plenty of time to prepare for the likely hot and humid conditions, and hopefully we’ll have some warm summer days in Melbourne in the lead- up to help us acclimatise.”
AFL general manager clubs and broadcasting Travis Auld said the Cairns match was part of a deal that would also involve a Suns game in Townsville in either 2019 or 2020. MELBOURNE Victory striker Besart Berisha could be suspended for his push on a fourth official after the incident was referred to the tribunal.
Football Federation Australia’s match review panel has referred the Berisha incident to the disciplinary and ethics committee after he made contact with fourth official Daniel Elder.
The incident has drawn the ire of Victory coach Kevin Muscat, who declared that Berisha was provoked by Elder.
The most similar case happened last November when then Adelaide coach Guillermo Amor was banned for two matches for allegedly touching fourth official Adam Fielding. THE standard of Australia’s WLeague is close to drawing level with the USA National Women’s Soccer League, according to Matildas star Sam Kerr. And she is well placed to judge.
Kerr last week added to last season’s W- League MVP award by claiming its US equivalent, after she shot to the top of the NWSL’s all- time goal- scoring lists with Sky Blue FC.
She has returned home to help kick off the 10th W- League season for Perth on Friday in a grand final re- match against premiers Melbourne City.
“It’s right up there,” Kerr said of the level of professionalism at Australian clubs. “The only difference is that everyone is fulltime professional in the US.” cause of f our seasons.ns “We’re not in a rush to get things done, we’re just really trying to enjoy our time together because we don’t get a lot of that.”
Folau also opened up on just how important Tutaia has been in his life.
“Early on in the relationship I knew she was the one,” Folau said. “It was a feeling I’ve never had before in previous relationships. She’s been really good for me, really supportive.”
Folau had even considered moving to New Zealand Super Rugby club the Blues in Auckland to be with Tutaia, but in the end the pair worked out deals with their respective sports that will allow them to see each other more often as both work towards playing in the rugby and netball World Cups in 2019.
The future nuptials of Folau and Tutaia came into focus last month when the Wallaby tweeted he was against samesex marriage. Soon after, his Wallabies teammate David Pocock – a strong advocate of same- sex marriage – posted in favour of the “Yes” vote.
“I’ve spoken to Dave briefly during that week,” Folau said.
“We both respect each other and it was nice for me to hear a message from Dave.” RED Bull driver Max Verstappen has accused Formula One’s rule makers of “killing the sport” and called on fans to boycott next year’s US Grand Prix after he was stripped of a podium place.
Verstappen, who started 16th yesterday after an engine penalty, passed Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen on the final lap to finish third. But the 20- year- old was handed a five- second penalty after he was adjudged to have gone off the track when he made his move on the Finn.
“We had a great race, but with these stupid decisions you really kill the sport,” Verstappen said yesterday. “I really hope the fans didn’t like this decision and hopefully next year they won’t come.”