Strong FTA television audience for AFL's season opener on Thursday night. Data via VirtualOz.

Surprising to see Seven's Super Bowl audience down this year, especially given the interest in Michael Dickson afterwards and the NFL buzz in Melbourne. No Mahomes? Pats fans didn't believe? Not enough casuals knew about Dickson beforehand?

Day session attendance is 21,226. Monday was 50,010.

Amazing how different the precinct looks today.

De Minaur v Alcaraz, tonight

Alex De Minaur helps Nine trump Seven's BBL final on evening free to air, though with Fox/Stan data the picture may be different. Data: VOZ

Daria Kasatkina is in action tonight, her first as a local player at the Australian Open. It's scheduled for ANZ (the old Court 3) but might be changed due to Bergs/Hurkacz running long. So while we wait... Dasha was so happy to pass her Australian citizenship test, we gave her another one.

6.40am on a Thursday, and more than 100 eager golf fans are hoping the shuttle bus at Cheltenham Station arrives in time for them to see Rory McIlroy tee off at 7.05am.

Have confirmed the AFL is finalising an early termination on the lease for People First Stadium, which those in the industry expect will cost millions of dollars. Suns will still play there, but AFL will no longer operate the venue.

Ahead of this week's parliamentary debate in Tasmania about the Hobart stadium, one of the undecided crossbenchers has authored an article on the divisiveness on the debate. She hasn't yet revealed which way she will vote.

‘It just went boom’: NZ model shows others how to capitalise on sports betting surge

A parliamentary committee is exposing the close relationship between major sporting codes and the supposedly independent regulator.

Joe Montemurro, ladies and gentlemen. #matildas

Eli Katoa recovery update via Justin Rodski, chief executive at the Melbourne Storm

🎨

🎨

Huge NRL grand final television audience. Beats AFL GF (4.18m) for the first time since 2015.

Some background ahead of Four Corners tonight. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

#nrl #nrlgf

Women's 800m semis are on tonight from 9:40pm Syd/Mel/Bris, featuring Claudia Hollingsworth, Abbey Caldwell and Jess Hull.

Jess Hull galvanises Australia’s flourishing middle distance running stock | Jack Snape

Here he is.

Gout v Tebogo let's go

‘Brutally honest’: how Bailey Smith’s openness propelled Geelong to AFL finals | Jack Snape

Craig Bellamy’s 600-game party goes up in flames as Roosters torch Storm

Inside Chloe Molloy’s injury rehab and return to AFLW – picture essay

Compelling portrait of Oscar Piastri. www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/a...

Sprinter Lachlan Kennedy out of the World Championships in Tokyo next month.

Very strong TV audience for the English Premier League last night on Channel Nine. See more background here: www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Ash Moloney. Goal of the year? #aflw

Nestory Irankunda. First goal for Watford.

Update to this fast-moving story close to 4pm: Western United has secured an adjournment in the winding up process in Federal Court until 28 August. In football terms, we're well into injury time. www.theguardian.com/football/202...

Cut-out deluxe from Jesse Southwell. Blues in front just before half-time. #WSOO

The greatest disallowed try in rugby league history?

Very unlucky for Queensland. Disallowed. #WSOO

that's when good neighbours become good friends

Now he's quoting Paul Keating to the European football media

Perth NRL team confirmed #nrl

Looks like 20k+ for start of Women's Origin. Officials hopeful for crowd of 30k. #wsoo

No better story in Australian sport right now. www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/m...

The impact of Gout Gout. Channel 7's Stawell Gift audience: 2024 - 228,000 (9,000 streaming) 2025 - 567,000 (48,000 streaming) Via VOZ

An imitation of Ukraine's Zorya Luhansk has just started up in the Russian pyramid. It's not the first example of teams from sovereign Ukrainian territory appearing in Russia, and may not be the last. Football is being used to normalise violent denial of the past. www.theguardian.com/football/202...

A ‘noble death’ seems inevitable for Postecoglou at Tottenham www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer...

"Percentage wise it's one of the fastest growing sports in the country." A beautiful story about a new real tennis court in Sydney - the 50th in the world - and the people who play on it. www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/a...

Lachie Kennedy just put on his singlet at the warm up track. Looks like we are go for Gout vs Kennedy II.

Huge excitement around Gout Gout in the 200m at the national championships in Perth today. A few times to watch in preparation... First, the list of top 10 times by an under 18. Gout has the rest of the year to chip away at Erriyon Knighton's impressive set of runs.

Hobart Stadium set for d-day in Tasmanian parliament next month.

17-year/old Gout Gout runs 9.99s in the 100m in Perth, but with an illegal tailwind of 3.5m/s. Asked whether it felt special, he said no. "Sub-10 was inevitable."

Lachie Kennedy will give Gout Gout a 75cm head start at the Stawell Gift in a couple of weeks for the 120m grass classic. Bree Rizzo (nee Masters) and Chloe Mannix-power are off scratch in the women's.