🏉 AFLW FTW

Howdy, it's Thursday, 25 August. Just when you thought the footy was winding down the AFLW season kicks off. It starts tonight in Melbourne with a rivalry clash between the Blues and the Pies and if it's anything like Sunday's game in the men's comp we're in for a treat. We'll bring you up to speed on what to expect this season plus heaps of other sports news, so let's get into it. 

⏱ 1,363 words = 6 minutes

👀 Get ready for the Shaq attack... 

THE MAIN GAME

🏉 7th heaven for the AFLW

Season 7 of the AFLW begins with new teams, new faces, a new finals series and a new chance at premiership glory. 

Golden points: It's only been 4 months since the last AFLW Grand Final (blame COVID for stuffing up the schedule) but that just means we get twice as much footy in 2022 and this season looks a little different. 

• For starters, all 18 AFL clubs will compete for the 1st time. Sydney, Essendon, Hawthorn and Port Adelaide are the 4 expansion sides entering the comp, and their lists have been filled with the best young talent in the country after this year's player draft.

• Even though there are 4 extra teams and 18 in total, the season still goes for 10 rounds. The players want more footy, but the league isn't rushing anything. The finals will now have 8 teams and be played over 4 weekends, finishing up in late November.

• Unlike the men's game, there are 16 players per team on the field in the AFLW and the games are shorter - quarters are 15 minutes long compared to 20 minutes (which is more like 30 minutes) in the AFL.

• The Adelaide Crows are the defending champions and they're one of 3 favourites, along with last year's runners-up Melbourne and Brisbane to win the flag this season.

Who to watch: Sport Today's resident AFLW expert Lucy Watkin has revealed her players to watch in today's podcast, but some names she mentioned include overall #1 draft pick Montana Ham for the Swans, reigning league best and fairest Emily Bates from the Lions and Richmond's Monique Conti. 

Watch it: The opening match between Carlton and Collingwood starts at 7:10pm AEST tonight at Ikon Park. All games will be broadcast on Foxtel and Kayo with a few matches each round on Channel 7. Here's the full fixture so you can plan ahead. 

QUICK SINGLES

🏎 F1: Daniel Ricciardo and McLaren are done. But not right away. Ricciardo will drive out the rest of the season after he mutually parted ways with the team overnight with one year left on his contract. It has been speculated for weeks that McLaren would punt Ricciardo for not living up to team expectations, despite winning the team's only race since 2012. Fellow Aussie Oscar Piastri is tipped to take Ricciardo's seat, while there are a few spots still available for Ricciardo next season. He says he's still got the fire in the belly to drive in Formula 1, now it's just a matter of if he'll get that chance. 

🏉 AFL: The Essendon exodus continues. 'Exodus' - what a word! It totally applies at the Essendon, where CEO Xavier Campbell, former president Paul Brasher and club director/club legend Simon Madden quit yesterday. Vice-president Peter Allen and football director Sean Wellman will also leave by the end of the year. The exodus (there it is again) follows Dave Barham taking over as president, an external review being ordered, failing to hire Alastair Clarkson and coach Ben Rutten getting sacked. Exodus!

🏀 WNBL: Lauren Jackson's comeback continues. Not content with playing for the Australian Opals at next month's World Cup in Sydney, Jackson has signed with the Southside Flyers in the WNBL for the upcoming season. Jackson hasn't played in the WNBL since a chronic knee injury forced her to leave midway through the 2015-16 season. One of the sticking points was her boys, Harry and Lenny, but the Flyers say they'll be looked after when mum plays and the grandparents are set for extra babysitting duties as well. 

🏉 Golf: Tiger and Rory are teaming up to take on the Shark. Well, that's kinda what it looks like. Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have announced their newest venture, TMRW Sports (pronounced tomorrow sports), which is about "progressive approaches to sports, media, and entertainment" using technology. Its 1st big move is a brand new golf series called the Team Golf League, which is a team event to be played on Monday nights in primetime at a custom-built course from January 2024. The TGL is in partnership with the PGA Tour, so it's another product to combat Greg Norman's LIV Golf Tour. 

🏉 AFL: The 2022 All-Australian team was last night and as you can imagine it's star-studded. Here's the full list, but some players include Clayton Oliver, Charlie Curnow and Shai Bolton. Tom Hawkins was named captain of the team and Patrick Cripps his vice-captain. This team doesn't actually play a game but it's a huge recognition for a great year of footy. 

LEFT OF FIELD

🏀 NBA: Shaquille O'Neal is open to a move to Australia but there's a catch - he's got to marry an Aussie. Shaq is in Australia for a special TV event tonight and has been doing bulk press to promote it. Naturally, he's been asked all kinds of questions, but when asked if he'd be interested in owning an NBL team he said he'd have to be living here and the only way he'd do that is if he married an Aussie. He's only here for about a week so time is of the essence. In the likely event he doesn't get hitched before he leaves, Shaq might come back one day because he says he's going to speak to the NBA about getting some NBA games here in Australia. Do that, Shaq, and you're an honorary citizen. 

📽 Highlight reel: We're sure how this shot from WNBA great Candace Parker went in. Gonna need a few replays. 

📸 Photo finish: Rugby league savant Matty Johns is known for his humour, footy IQ and really, really small hands. Here he is comparing paws with Shaq. It's not even close. 

THE POLLING BOOTH

Wednesday's result: 84.09% said they'd never drink a beer through a hotdog. 

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

• 🏉 7:10pm - AFLW - Carlton v Collingwood - Ikon Park, Melbourne - 7mate, Foxtel, Kayo

• 🏉 7:50pm - NRL - Broncos v Eels - Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane - Channel 9, Foxtel, Kayo

• 🏏 3:00am (Friday) - Golf - Tour Championship, Round 1 - East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta - Foxtel, Kayo

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