Ok, I think that’s all for now. I’m going to focus my attention on the remaining hour or so of the A-League grand final.
Thanks for your company.
AFL: GWS 20.18 (138) vs 7.3 (45) Carlton
Carlton have finally been put out of their misery. The Blues are in all sorts of trouble and the long awaited fruits of their interminable rebuild look a long way off still. Lachie Whitfield won’t mind, he picked up 40 possessions, 18 marks, and kicked 3.1. He was one of eight Giants to score more than 100 Dream Team points.
Number three for Lids. 👏#AFLGiantsBlues pic.twitter.com/GUwWjcUdFm
— AFL (@AFL) May 19, 2019
AFL: 3QT: GWS 18.14 (122) vs 5.2 (32) Carlton - This hasn’t been a contest for almost two hours. Unless you’re a Giants die-hard or a Carlton masochist switch over to the A-League grannie.
Massive crowd and a cracking atmosphere building at Optus Stadium for the A-League grand final. Kick-off just seconds away.
It’s go time! @ALeague pic.twitter.com/J2huvgXL74
— Rob Cornthwaite (@robcornthwaite) May 19, 2019
Thoughts and prayers with our own Craig Little.
Just a reminder that the main action is now over here - on Mike Hytner’s dedicated A-League grand final liveblog. Kick-off in Perth is about 20 minutes away.
Rugby: The news for Rugby Australia isn’t getting better anytime soon with Waratahs hooker Tolu Latu facing a drink driving rap. Latu has been banished from the Wallabies’ Brisbane training camp, and is instead set to meet with Rugby Australia’s integrity unit on Monday after reports on Saturday alleged he was found asleep behind the wheel of a car with a blood alcohol level of 0.135 last Thursday.
NRL: Cronulla 14-24 Manly
The Sea Eagles will end the round fifth with a game between them and the Sharks after a solid victory at Shark Park. Dylan Walker made a try-scoring return to the starting XIII, one of four players to cross for Manly who had to withstand a late push from Cronulla but showed superb defensive resilience.
Flying high 🦅#NRLSharksManly#NRL pic.twitter.com/jqIlEkXyxd
— NRL (@NRL) May 19, 2019
AFL: HT: GWS 13.9 (87) vs 2.1 (13) Carlton - The blowtorch on the Blues is going to be fierce this week. This is very very ugly indeed.
The buzzer *JUST* beats Sam Reid and Adam Tomlinson, but it's still our highest-scoring first half EVER here at GIANTS Stadium!#NeverSurrender #AFLGIANTSBlues pic.twitter.com/WGMz8quikM
— GWS GIANTS (@GWSGIANTS) May 19, 2019
AFL: Richmond 14.11 (95) vs 8.11 (59) Hawthorn
The Hawks made them earn it but Richmond always had enough when it mattered at the MCG. The Tigers leap from the edge of the eight up to the top four among the clutch of sides on six wins from nine matches.
Dustin Martin finished with 37 disposals 2.2. Not a bad day out.
Nick Vlaustin roosts it from outside 50 💫#AFLTigersHawks pic.twitter.com/FHVQAz4pw9
— AFL (@AFL) May 19, 2019
Ok, so if you came here for the A-League grand final, Mike Hytner is manning a dedicated liveblog over here. Kick-off is about 45 minutes away.
👌👌👌
— Hyundai A-League (@ALeague) May 19, 2019
Looking a treat.#ALeagueGF #FeelTheFinals pic.twitter.com/Ep0FDwqRi1
NRL: Sad news in the NRL yesterday with the announcement of the death of former NZ skipper Quentin Pongia from cancer. He was 48.
The teams are in...
The Starting XI is in - Chianese partners Ikonomidis up top with our Maestro just in between the midfield and attacking lines.#ALeagueGF #FeelTheFinals #OneMission #OneGlory pic.twitter.com/aLEBgtSZWa
— Perth Glory FC (@PerthGloryFC) May 19, 2019
LINEUP | Here’s how we shape up for the 2019 @ALeague Grand Final!
— Sydney FC (@SydneyFC) May 19, 2019
Unchanged from our massive Semi-Final win last week, what do you make of the squad?#SydneyIsSkyBlue #ComeWithUs #FeelTheFinals #ALeagueGF pic.twitter.com/iyo83MahAH
AFL: 3QT: Richmond 11.7 (73) vs 6.9 (45) Hawthorn - The Hawks pushed hard at the start of the third quarter, reducing the margin to within a goal, but the Tigers hit back, kicking five of the last six goals to establish a comfortable three-quarter time lead.
The Tigers get one to go through Josh Caddy! pic.twitter.com/nTRV8CJBFj
— AFL (@AFL) May 19, 2019
AFL: QT: GWS 7.5 (47) vs 1.1 (7) Carlton - Carlton’s season isn’t going to improve any time soon. They are on the wrong end of what threatens to be a nightmare afternoon in Sydney. Harry Himmelberg already has three goals.
Brent Daniels gets amongst the goal kickers with a nice finish.#AFLGiantsBlues pic.twitter.com/2n8GYqdSi7
— AFL (@AFL) May 19, 2019
AFL: We’re underway in the final AFL fixture of the day between GWS and Carlton, notable for being the Giants’ first Welcome Game, a new initiative by the club to embrace the diverse cultures of their region. The centrepiece is a citizenship ceremony for 300 new Australians.
NRL: HT: Cronulla 4-18 Manly - The Sea Eagles take a solid lead into the interval courtesy of three first-half tries, all converted. The Sharks are completing their sets at just 67% compared to Manly’s 90% so the home side have plenty to work on in the second half.
😲😲😲#NRLSharksManly#TelstraPremiership pic.twitter.com/bowqeRK97H
— NRL (@NRL) May 19, 2019
A-League: This blog will cede priority status to the A-League grand final later this evening. In the meantime here’s my preview of Perth Glory vs Sydney FC in what promises to be a packed Optus Stadium.
And here’s a nice story about how all the mascots for the final will be girls, Football Federation Australia embracing the “you can’t be what you can’t see” mantra.
Gates are now open! And just 2 hours to go until kick-off ⚽️
— Optus Stadium (@OptusStadium) May 19, 2019
💜Go Glory! 💜#FeelTheFinals #OneMission #OneGlory pic.twitter.com/f0mu6H1STd
Here. We. Go! 💪
— Sydney FC (@SydneyFC) May 19, 2019
We’re on the bus and on our way to @OptusStadium! It’s game time. #SydneyIsSkyBlue #ComeWithUs #FeelTheFinals #ALeagueGF pic.twitter.com/HimFVSzSga
What an incredible photo that is of the players' shadows in the Hawks/Tigers game. Thanks for posting it Jonathan.
Agreed! It is a work of art.
Scott Barbour, the photographer, deserves the most credit, then my colleague Mike Hytner for selecting it out of the feed.
Women’s Champions League: Lyon stormed to their fourth consecutive Champions League title, aided by a first-half hat-trick from Ballon d’Or Féminin holder Ada Hegerberg.
AFL: HT: Richmond 6.6 (42) vs 3.8 (26) Hawthorn - Two goals and 19 disposals from Dustin Martin has Richmond ahead at half-time. It’s an even contest around the ground though with the Hawks rueing some wasteful kicking at the MCG.
Dusty is on today 👏#AFLTigersHawks pic.twitter.com/J6AkBtv8RP
— AFL (@AFL) May 19, 2019
NRL: 15 mins: Cronulla 4-6 Manly - This one’s on fire early with a try apiece in the opening 15 minutes.
The big fella just strolls through 🔥#NRLSharksManly 6-0 9th Minute#TelstraPremiership pic.twitter.com/pf0nRZUJRn
— NRL (@NRL) May 19, 2019
Just over two hours to go...
The stage is set...#FillTheStadium #ALeagueGF #FeelTheFinals #OneMission #OneGlory pic.twitter.com/fUeiSfxzx8
— Perth Glory FC (@PerthGloryFC) May 19, 2019
Cycling: Good news for Australian cycling overnight with Caleb Ewan sprinting to a stage victory at the Giro d’Italia.
NRL: Cronulla 0-0 Manly - Underway at Shark Park in what promises to be a heavyweight clash, with the home crowd no doubt boosted by the news celebrity fan Scott Morrison will be repping the Shire on the biggest stage for another three years.
Dylan Walker lines up at centre for the Sea Eagles for his first match of the season after he was found not guilty of assaulting his partner.
Don’t forget, still to come...
Game day. @ALeague Grand Final. 2 best teams all year to square off @OptusStadium in front of a massive crowd. Still 1k tickets left. Let’s sell it out. 😄⚽️ #OneGlory #OneMission #ALeagueGF pic.twitter.com/dFeIF0iRyS
— Tony Pignata (@tpignata9) May 19, 2019
Tennis: The Italian Open has restored some semblance of order to the ATP Tour with Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal making the final. The decider will be enormously significant for Nadal who has yet to win a tournament this season and for the first time in his career appearing mortal on clay. A reminder that Rome is the final major stop before the French Open.
The WTA Tour continues to be chaotic. The most open of seasons continues to surprise, the latest oddity being the pairing of two players normally unaccustomed to success on clay (Karolina Pliskova and Johanna Konta) meeting in the Italian Open final, and one of them, Konta, not being accustomed to any kind of success at all in the past few seasons.
Updated
NRL: Dragons 12-45 Knights
For two sides separated by just points difference before the opening whistle this turned into an unexpectedly one-sided affair. The Knights had a day out in Mudgee, ending with seven tries, two to Kalyn Ponga as part of his 24-point haul. There was even a last minute Mitchell Pearce drop-goal to rub salt into St George Illawarra’s wounds. Kurt Mann’s sin-binning allowed the Dragons in for two consolation scores but this was a day to forget for Paul McGregor and his men.
Watson scores off a brilliant Mitch Barnett offload 💯#NRLDragonsKnights#TelstraPremiership pic.twitter.com/hQRnst5pAR
— NRL (@NRL) May 19, 2019
AFL: QT: Richmond 3.2 (20) vs 2.5 (17) Hawthorn - It’s an arm-wrestle at the MCG but one featuring Dustin Martin in vintage form, bullying his way to 13 disposals and a goal in the opening quarter.
That was an exciting goal!
— AFL (@AFL) May 19, 2019
🙈#AFLTigersHawks pic.twitter.com/dnbD6oCCNN
AFL: Port Adelaide 13.11 (89) vs 7.9 (51) Gold Coast
The Power moved into a finals spot after grinding out the four points against Gold Coast at a soggy Adelaide Oval. There was little separating the sides until a Port Adelaide burst in the shadow of three-quarter time provided enough momentum to see the home side through the final term unscathed.
Darcy MacPherson ended the game on 12 tackles while teammate Brayden Fiorini had the most eye-catching stats sheet, featuring 38 touches (29 kicks) and a goal.
This kid might be something one day. #AFLPowerSuns pic.twitter.com/Vti0Z0BR3D
— AFL (@AFL) May 19, 2019
Golf: Brooks Koepka remains in total control of the year’s final major. His procession to the USPGA title has been ceremonial since the opening round and shows no sign of coming under threat. Ewan Murray is in excellent form for The Guardian at Bethpage.
Koepka will begin the fourth round of the 101st US PGA Championship at 12 under par and holding a seven-stroke advantage. Hope among all others is publicly forlorn and privately non-existent. Barring a delivery of kryptonite to Bethpage, or someone placing explodable balls in his golf bag overnight, Koepka will win his fourth major in eight attempts.
FA Cup: Manchester City completed the domestic treble in England overnight, overpowering Watford 6-0 in a demonstration of their fearsome ability.
Although for some within the game the starkness of the gulf in class between City and their final opponents - in a week in which Uefa are considering sanctions against the club in relation to financial fair play - has become something of a tipping point. Instead of marvelling at what Pep Guardiola has accomplished, the narrative has quickly shifted to asking how it is possible for one team to become so powerful. Expect much more on this in the coming months.
Boxing: Deontay Wilder defended his WBC heavyweight title a few minutes ago by knocking out Dominic Breazeale in the opening round this morning. He is the first of the big three heavyweight contenders to go through the motions after he, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua all somehow managed to avoid fighting each other after signing conflicting broadcast deals.
Nonetheless, boxing action means we get to enjoy more from Bryan Armen Graham, including this gem on punching power.
Power, or what’s known in the fight game as being heavy-handed, is one of the least understood phenomena in all of sports. There are boxers with the exaggerated physiques of bodybuilders who couldn’t crack an egg. There are lean, modest-looking fighters capable of knocking down anything they touch with even a grazing blow. Speed or technique or body type alone can’t account for it, nor can the simple immutability of Newton’s second law. It exists in a place beyond rhyme or reason and in defiance of unifying theory.
AFL: 3QT: Port Adelaide 9.9 (63) vs 7.8 (50) Gold Coast - It is ark weather in Adelaide today and it is suiting Port more than Gold Coast with the home side enjoying a two-goal cushion at the final interval. Darcy MacPherson has the most eye-catching stats, the 21-year old Sun racking up 12 tackles already in the wet. I think the AFL record is 19, so he could give that a shake in the final stages.
It's a long way down but that doesn't bother two-metre Peter! #AFLPowerSuns pic.twitter.com/FSF2hCzlMX
— AFL (@AFL) May 19, 2019
NRL: HT: Dragons 0-28 Knights - The myth makers from days of yore will be delighted with the action so far in Mudgee because the Knights are putting the Dragons to the sword. With two tries and six goals Kalyn Ponga is once again the man for Newcastle as they look on course to finish the round in sixth spot.
That's a double for KP 🤩#NRLDragonsKnights#TelstraPremiership pic.twitter.com/KhFqWta08j
— NRL (@NRL) May 19, 2019
Super Netball: Firebirds 61-69 Giants
The Firebirds remain winless after Caitlin Bassett inspired the Giants to their first away victory of the season. The Diamonds captain led all-comers with 50 goals while Romelda Aiken shot at an uncharacteristic 71% efficiency for Queensland. The Giants won every quarter in a result that sees them move into finals contention while the Firebirds are still searching for their first win of the year alongside the Fever.
Speaking of the Fever they snapped their three game losing streak in a thriller last night, drawing with the ladder leading Vixens at RAC Arena.
Gretel Tippett did everything but haul the Queenslanders to a win, with the goal attack scoring 41 goals from 41 shots for her second consecutive flawless display.
With little between the two sides, spark from the substitutes was crucial and Firebird Caitlyn Nevins kept her team in touch after her injection late in the second quarter, nabbing 29 feeds.
With AAP.
Updated
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to the afternoon after the night before. After all the hype and expectation, who could have believed what a horror showing would unfold? I mean, Madonna really was horrendous on Eurovision.
Back to more important issues than soft diplomacy or affairs of state, like sport, lots and lots of sport, you know, that safe space where results are predictable and dreams can never be crushed.
Today is all about the A-League grand final between Perth Glory and Sydney FC at 6.30pm from a near sold out Optus Stadium. We’ll be setting up a specific blog for that one nearer the time but feeding in plenty of hype on here along the way.
Before that the NRL has some tasty fixtures, including the heraldic derby between the Knights and Dragons (2pm) and the Liberal party classic between ScoMo’s Sharks and NoMoTone’s Sea Eagles (4.05pm).
The AFL should not be forgotten either with Port Adelaide and Gold Coast coming together (1.10pm) along with Hawthorn vs Richmond (3.20pm) and GWS vs Carlton (4.40pm).
In amongst all that we’ll be wrapping up the action from overnight and around the globe.
If you want to take part, feel free to do a Twitter @JPHowcroft- or an email - jonathan.howcroft.freelance@theguardian.com.
Carlton down by 88 10 minutes into the third. I hope they can stop the haemorrhaging and salvage something from the game.