CRYPTIC CROSSWORD
Across
1. Firing material (7)
5. Mops for the All Blacks from the Southwest (5)
8. 16dn gets bridge player for Mr. Stamp (7)
Appropriately carpet layer loses career (5)
10. Icon epees are part of the spectacle (9)
12. See 13
13 & 12ac. Bravo! Pea was more than average (5,3)
17. Sum up a Dungeon & Dragons play (3)
19. Settle dispute for A. & I. Barrett (9)
21. Dreamed up loved one was an adult insect (5)
22. No change of fishing tackle needed to get to the run down (3-4)
24. Working on leave (5)
25. Snap leg unfortunately on bright stud (7)
Down 1.
Yet you make a stand with them! (3-3)
2. Process the bodies (7)
3. Where you may stay if you are out surprisingly (3)
4. Bird returns from the icebergs (5)
5. An assertion that it is a testament (9)
6. Be naughty like Juliet in her famous scene (3,2)
7. Speakers of “Aye!” & “Right!” in the ship (6)
11. Go with the flow with any gallop (4,5)
14. Support is on the cards for stopping (7)
15. Turning ashen when using the fencing item (6)
16. In concert necessitates return for the middle bit (6)
18. Carl leaves Archibald with Abu (5)
20. Goes broke with the sculptures (5)
23. Discovered girl in a busman’s holiday (3)
FORMER national captain Sharelle Mcmahon and national coach Lisa Alexander are luminaries netball officials believe deserve statues in the Melbourne sporting precinct to represent the game’s contribution to Australian sport.
Netball Victoria has delivered a proposal to the Victorian government requesting funding to immortalise one great of the sport in bronze at the newly named John Cain Arena.
Across Melbourne there are 29 male sporting statues and even three horses – Phar Lap, Makybe Diva and Winx – but only three of female athletes. They are Betty Cuthbert and Shirley Strickland at the MCG, and AFLW star Tayla Harris at Docklands.
Netball Victoria chief executive Rosie King wants the government to add to the three female statues to reflect the impact of women’s sport.
“There is absolutely no denying that every male athlete immortalised in bronze across the city of Melbourne is worthy of the honour,” King said.
“These athletes have inspired past generations and will continue to do so well into the future.
“But the gap between male and female sports icons is too wide.
“We have to empower our young women by showing them that they are equally as capable of achieving excellence in sport by reflecting the same icons and tributes that our male athletes have enjoyed.
“Statues are powerful symbols that stand the test of time. They are monuments that matter, which tell stories about how we as a community view the world and are a constant reminder of the legacy that our sporting legends have left with their sport, and we need to acknowledge our incredible women in far greater numbers.
“Statues may be silent but their presence in our community speaks volumes.”
QUEENSLAND dynamo AJ Brimson is hoping for another crack in the Origin arena this year after a foot injury cut short his Maroons campaign in 2020.
Brimson has spoken exclusively to News Corp as part of the release of the sleek new Pumasponsored Maroons playing kit.
The 22-year-old Titans fullback suffered a Lisfranc injury in his Maroons debut in Adelaide last
November, ruling him out of the rest of the historic Queensland series win.
His impressive performance at fullback wowed many Queensland fans, epitomised by his spectacular 49th-minute try.
Brimson said words could not describe his feelings about getting to wear the famous Maroons jersey and he was pushing hard for a spot in this year’s squad.
“Last year was a dream come true for me,” Brimson said.
“I was a very proud Queenslander growing up and never thought I’d get to put the jersey on.
“It was an awesome experience and I’m so grateful to have got there.
“That’s my goal – to try and get that jersey again; whether it is fullback, on the bench or in the front row, I don’t mind.
“I just have to make sure I’m doing my best at clubland and work hard to get into that position to get that opportunity.”
BENJI Marshall reckons it only took a handful of sessions to see why South Sydney is primed to win the premiership under supercoach Wayne Bennett.
Marshall has been around the NRL block a few times, but even he is blown away by the slickness and sheer focus of the Rabbitohs in drills and during team talks.
It’s why he wasn’t stunned when the red and greens blew St
George Illawarra off the park in the annual Charity Shield with some of the prettiest backline plays ever seen in February.
“It isn’t surprising because the training standards at Souths are phenomenal,” Marshall said ahead of Thursday’s season opener against the Storm in Melbourne.
“Those things that happened in the Charity Shield were the same things that I’ve been seeing in the last four weeks since being at the club. They work on those combinations; they talk through them and everyone knows their roles.
“Since I’ve been at Souths, Wayne is really pushing a trainto-win attitude, and I’ve just noticed that the boys really want to win.”
Marshall says there is also a determination in the Souths players’ eyes after failing to capitalise in the finals for the past few seasons.
He believes the Rabbitohs’ deep desire to become the NRL’S best has filtered through in everything the team does.
“Losing three preliminary finals in a row has really felt like a let-down for a lot of them,” he said.
“So, taking that next step, I think they really want to step up in everything. At training, I’ve noticed a massive step up from a lot of the boys.
“That is what it is about – you have to train how you play.”
Marshall knows he won’t play a major starting role with Souths this season, and he’ll come off the bench as the Bunnies’ super sub, but he isn’t worried.
In what will most likely be his final NRL season after making his debut with the Wests Tigers in 2003, he is happy to add another year to his illustrious resume.
“I’m playing because I want to play,” the 36-year-old said.
A NEW holistic approach to swimming has given Jack Hendy the confidence to believe he can punch his ticket to the Tokyo Olympics.
The former Townsville swimmer moved to Cairns seven months ago to link with Centrals Swimming Club’s Sander Ganzevles, who has changed the 20year-old’s outlook on the sport.
Hendy first met Ganzevles in
June last year when he was part of a one-off training camp at Woree, and quickly moved to FNQ and joined forces with the Stingrays coach.
It is Ganzevles’ holistic approach that has been the biggest change adopted by Hendy in his time in Cairns, and it’s given him the belief that he can cut another second off his 100m freestyle and earn a place in Australia’s relay team – at the least.
“It’s seeing the race from a higher level, visualising what you’re going to do,” Hendy said.
“Swimming is more of a mental sport now.”
Hendy smashed 10 records at the FNQ Long Course Championships at Smithfield on the weekend, and in the process qualified for three events at the Olympic trials later this year.
Everything he’s worked for this year led to that competition, and he blew them out of the water. He puts some of the success down to the immense team atmosphere at the pool, with the Stingrays faithful behind them every stroke of the way, but said “everything clicked” in one of his strongest performances to date.
And Hendy believes he can go even faster.
“The motivating part for me was I looked up at the timing board, saw the time, and felt I could do better,” he said. “I’m confident that if I can take off another second, I’ll be in a position to earn a place in the Olympic team. It felt like everything clicked in the moment.
“We’ve been building up for this since January.
“There was some self-doubt heading into it. We missed a few training sessions because of the cyclone and a few other things, so I didn’t expect to do what I did.”
Hendy’s next major event is nationals at the Gold Coast in April.