分类： sports

In a move that ends weeks of swirling speculation, AFL side Carlton has formally confirmed that interim coach Josh Fraser will step into the full-time senior coaching role for 2027 and beyond, capping off a dramatic underdog run that has propelled the club to an unexpected wildcard spot in the finals series.

Fraser’s rise to the top job comes after a nearly perfect stint as the club’s temporary leader, a performance that turned Carlton’s grim season around entirely. When the Blues parted ways with former senior coach Michael Voss in round 9, the club sat at just one win from nine opening matches, with little hope of securing a place in the finals. Poached from Collingwood earlier in 2026, where he served as head of player development, the former ruckman stepped into the interim role and immediately delivered results.

Over his first 13 matches at the helm, Fraser claimed an impressive 10 victories. That turnaround peaked on Sunday, when a hard-fought draw against the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium locked in Carlton’s place for wildcard weekend, a result few pundits predicted at the midpoint of the season. It also cemented Fraser’s status as the overwhelming favorite for the permanent role, beating out a field of high-profile candidates that included Corey Enright of St Kilda, Jaymie Graham from Fremantle, and Geelong’s James Kelly.

The Carlton board held deliberations on Monday to finalize the appointment, following Sunday’s season-defining draw. Sources close to the club confirm Fraser is set to put pen to paper on a multi-year contract, with an official public announcement scheduled to drop later this week. Now, the club turns its attention to the final round of the home-and-away season, where Carlton will host Fremantle at Marvel Stadium this weekend to wrap up their regular season campaign before the wildcard match.

Cricket’s world number one Test side Australia is reeling from one of the most shocking upsets in modern international cricket, after an understrength Bangladesh side claimed a dominant nine-wicket victory in the series opener in Darwin that has left the hosts facing urgent calls for batting lineup changes. Openers Jake Weatherald and middle-order batter Marnus Labuschagne have emerged as the two players most at risk of being dropped ahead of the second Test, which kicks off this Saturday in Mackay.

Heading into the first match, the result was widely predicted to be a one-sided Australian win. Bangladesh had collapsed to an innings defeat in their only warm-up fixture, and arrived in Darwin without their injured pace spearhead Nahid Rana. But Bangladesh defied all pre-series expectations to dominate all four days of the Test, securing a historic victory that left the Australian camp shell-shocked and facing widespread internal and external recrimination.

This is not Australia’s first surprise home Test defeat in recent years — the side fell to an eight-run loss to the West Indies at the Gabba in 2024 — but the comprehensiveness of the Darwin loss has drawn unprecedented criticism. Australian media labeled the result a “national disaster” and the most embarrassing performance in the country’s modern Test cricket history on Monday.

Leading Australian cricket figures have joined the calls for immediate change, including legendary former captain Ricky Ponting, who argues the time has come for selectors to make tough decisions to kickstart long-overdue team regeneration. “I’m the last one to want to make change,” Ponting told Channel Seven as the Test neared its conclusion. “As a captain or as a player I wanted to keep a group together, so it has to get to a bad point before I start saying you’ve got to leave somebody out. But there’s been enough evidence coming here to suggest they weren’t going to lose anything, or much at all, by starting that regeneration, bringing in another opener, bringing in someone at three. I think that has to happen.”

Critics have pointed to Australia’s underwhelming batting performance as the core of the problem. With only Steve Smith, who scored 71 in the first innings and 44 in the second, and Cameron Green, who hit a match-saving century in the second innings, posting meaningful scores, the rest of the batting order collapsed through a string of soft, unforced dismissals. Since the start of the 2025 Ashes series against England, both Weatherald and Labuschagne have held batting averages below 27, leaving both running out of opportunities to prove their form.

Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden echoed Ponting’s concerns, noting that consistent early wickets put unnecessary pressure on Australia’s middle order. “The 1-2-3, as Ricky and I will tell you, are absolutely fundamental to the set-up of a batting team,” Hayden told Channel Seven. “When they are constantly putting that middle order under pressure, Steve Smith arriving way earlier than he ever needs to be, then you’ve got to start to answer those questions.”

Australian captain Pat Cummins has acknowledged that persistent batting failure has become a worrying trend, confirming selectors are willing to look beyond the existing 13-man squad for replacements. The most widely predicted change is veteran batter Matt Renshaw coming into the side to replace Weatherald at opener, but there is also growing momentum to hand opportunities to young, emerging players who have impressed in domestic cricket. Prospects including Sam Konstas, Campbell Kellaway, Ollie Peake and Cooper Connolly are all waiting in the wings for a first Test call-up.

Australian great Mark Waugh has argued selectors “have to bite the bullet at some stage,” while former star opener David Warner — whose retirement in 2024 left a gaping hole at the top of Australia’s batting order that has yet to be permanently filled — added: “I think we’ve got to start blooding some youngsters.” With Australia set to face a challenging three-Test tour of South Africa in October, giving young prospects match time in Mackay to gain international experience makes strategic sense for the long term.

For Labuschagne’s number three spot, media reports suggest Kurtis Patterson and Nathan McSweeney are the current frontrunners to replace him, though neither has been in outstanding recent domestic form.

While the batting unit is facing the most intense scrutiny, there are also questions over Australia’s veteran bowling attack, which has remained unchanged for several years. All four core bowlers — captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon — are still favored to retain their spots for now, despite their advanced ages. Hazlewood, returning from injury, silenced critics with a six-wicket haul in Bangladesh’s first innings that cemented his position as Australia’s first-choice fast bowler. The most vulnerable bowler is 38-year-old off-spinner Nathan Lyon, also returning from injury, who was outbowled by Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Twenty-five-year-old understudy Todd Murphy is the leading candidate to replace Lyon if selectors opt for change.

An ongoing investigation into an alleged serious incident involving players from Australian Football League side Sydney Swans has rocked the Australian football community, after the club confirmed multiple squad members have been referred to Victoria Police over events that unfolded earlier this month in Melbourne.

The controversy emerged shortly after the Swans claimed a victory at Melbourne’s iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, with the incident alleged to have occurred in the hours following the match at an East Melbourne hotel on Wellington Parade in the early hours of Sunday morning.

In a press conference held on Monday, Sydney Swans chief executive Matthew Pavlich confirmed that an unspecified number of players are connected to the investigation, and acknowledged the club’s profound reaction to the allegations. “Safe to say, we’re extremely shocked and disappointed that this has taken place, and that the players have found themselves in this situation,” Pavlich told reporters.

Pavlich added that the club is still working to map out a clear timeline of exactly what occurred on the night in question, and declined to comment on the specific details of the allegations, including how many players are involved, whether any arrests have been made, or the exact nature of the claims. He also noted that widespread public speculation is unavoidable at this stage, but the ongoing police investigation means the club cannot release further details publicly.

Victoria Police confirmed separately that its detectives are actively investigating a reported sexual assault at the East Melbourne hotel location, adding that the exact circumstances of the incident have not yet been confirmed, and the investigation remains active and ongoing.

A spokesperson for the Australian Football League also confirmed that the Sydney Swans club promptly notified league administration of the matter as soon as it emerged, and the governing body is standing by to await the outcome of the police investigation before taking any further action.

Nearly a decade after lifting a premiership trophy together as teammates, a potential reunion of Cameron Munster and Billy Slater at the Melbourne Storm is now the subject of rampant rugby league speculation, following Slater’s sudden resignation as head coach of the Queensland Maroons State of Origin side.

Queensland Rugby League made the announcement last Friday that the Maroons legend would step down from the role after five consecutive Origin series in charge, triggering widespread discussion across Australian rugby league about what the 2024 premiership-winner will do next. Among the most eye-catching rumors to emerge is a possible return to Melbourne to replace the club’s iconic long-term head coach Craig Bellamy when he retires in 2028. Melbourne Storm CEO Justin Rodski addressed the speculation publicly over the weekend, though no official confirmation has been provided by either party.

While Slater has previously stated he has no interest in taking a full-time NRL head coaching role, current Queensland captain and Melbourne Storm five-eighth Cameron Munster says the idea of Slater leading his old club makes perfect sense. Speaking on the speculation, Munster highlighted Slater’s unparalleled rugby league acumen, honed through a decorated career as a player and more recently as a commentator for Nine Network. “There’s probably no better brainiac than Bill when it comes to footy,” Munster said. “He’s footy mad and dissects the game so well. You could see that in the way he had some great years for Queensland as a player and coach, and it shines through in his commentary work too. Whatever he decides to do, I’m sure a lot of people will be lining up for his services, and why wouldn’t you?”

Munster also expressed understanding for why Slater chose to step down from the Maroons job, noting the former fullback’s overlapping commitments with commentary and multiple side businesses left him unable to dedicate his full attention to the Origin role. “He had too much on his plate, and he doesn’t want to do a disservice to Queensland. He’s got his fingers in other pies and businesses, so he felt like he wasn’t going to be fully in with Queensland,” Munster explained. “Knowing Billy, if he’s not fully in with something then he won’t take it up.”

Despite that understanding, the Queensland skipper made clear the entire squad is disappointed to see Slater depart. “It’s very disappointing. We all have a lot of love and admiration for him, and he’s done a lot for me and my game as both a player and coach. It’s very disappointing for Queensland, but someone else gets the chance to coach Queensland,” he said.

Attention has already turned to potential candidates to fill the vacant Maroons head coaching role, with Storm Immortal-in-waiting Cameron Smith emerging as the early bookmakers’ favorite, alongside North Queensland Cowboys legend Johnathan Thurston. For Munster, opening talks with Smith about the job is an obvious next step for QRL. “When you look at guys like him and JT and Bill, they’re guys that have been in that arena for a long time and had a lot of success,” Munster said. “It would be a no-brainer having a chat with Smithy. I’m not sure if he wants to do it, but I’m sure they won’t have any bad suitors or anyone who can’t do the job. It’s an exciting time for Queensland. Whoever takes it up will do a great job.”

The coaching speculation extends beyond Queensland, as it could also shape Munster’s own long-term future at Melbourne. The 31-year-old will become eligible to negotiate with rival clubs from November 1, and his contract beyond 2027 remains unresolved. Munster has previously stated he will stay at the Storm as long as Bellamy remains head coach, and any move by Slater to take over from Bellamy in 2028 could influence his decision to re-sign. He has also been linked with a potential career-ending move to a Papua New Guinean side in recent months.

Melbourne has repeatedly stated it wants to retain Munster, who has spent his entire career at the club after making his debut in 2014, though young prospect Hayden Watson has turned heads with strong recent performances, giving the Storm depth at five-eighth if Munster does depart.

Speaking on his own future, Munster said coaching will play a role in his decision, but family priorities will ultimately be the deciding factor. “The coach does play a part, but the coach also wants to have me here as well,” he said. “We’ve got some good young kids coming through our pathways, but also I love the club and have so much respect for them. They were the club that gave me my first chance, and I’m all about giving back to that. I probably could have gone to other clubs for more money, but I’ve also got to make sure I do the right thing for my family. I’ve got three young kids, they need to go to school and get a better education than me, so I’ve got to put them first. If that’s the right opportunity to stay here, then I’d love to stay here. But I’ve got to talk to the board and recruitment team here and see if it’s the best thing for my wife and kids.”

As the NRL finals series draws near, South Sydney star Latrell Mitchell has taken a visible step forward in his injury recovery, making an appearance at Monday’s wet weather training session to complete light jogging drills – a development that has injected cautious optimism into the Rabbitohs camp around his potential return this season. However, his teammates have confirmed that a comeback for this weekend’s high-stakes clash against the New Zealand Warriors remains highly unlikely. Mitchell has been sidelined since South Sydney’s Round 11 defeat to the Dolphins on May 15, when a back injury triggered a lingering nerve issue that ultimately spread to cause a persistent calf complaint that has kept him off the pitch for months. Rabbitohs winger Campbell Graham, who is also managing his own calf injury, shared the latest update on Mitchell’s recovery after joining the star playmaker for his light training session Monday. “I can’t see him suiting up this week, and I don’t have a clear timeline for when he’ll be back, but whenever he’s available, we’ll welcome him with open arms,” Graham told reporters. “We only did a short session of jogging and stride outs, and I don’t have a full read on his physical readiness for match play just yet, but there’s definitely still hope he’ll pull through and get back on the pitch this year. It’s really good to see the big fella out there putting in the work – it’s clear he’s one step closer to a possible return. “Any time he can pull on the jersey for us is a win, and I’ve been really impressed with how he’s handled this whole tough period. I know firsthand how demoralizing it can be when you’re stuck on the sidelines, not knowing when or if you’ll be able to play again. It can feel like there’s no end in sight, but Mitchell has handled it like a true professional. He’s stayed in great shape even when he couldn’t do much on-field training, and he’s made all the right choices off the pitch to make sure he’ll be ready the second he gets the green light to return. His hunger to get back out there with the group is a really great example for all of us, too.” Graham is no stranger to the frustration of injury layoffs himself, after a calf injury forced him to miss South Sydney’s Round 23 win against Parramatta Eels. Initially, there were concerns the winger would be sidelined for multiple weeks, but he pushed through to return in last weekend’s critical clash against the Canterbury Bulldogs, a win that has all but locked in South Sydney’s spot in the 2024 NRL finals. “Coming back so soon did carry some risk, but this was such a big game for us, and I knew I had to be out there to help us get the result we needed,” Graham explained. “I’m just glad we walked away with the two points, and even happier that I got through the match without any new issues. “This is going to be an ongoing thing I manage through training load management for the rest of the season, but getting that first match back under my belt was a huge step in the right direction. I have full faith in our club’s medical staff to help me manage this moving forward, so I can stay on the pitch for the games that matter most.”