Muscat takes loss in his stride
Michael Lynch 11:50 PM Anyone expecting Melbourne Victory boss Kevin Muscat to be fuming after his side crashed to a scarcely believable 2-1 loss to Melbourne City would have been in for a post match surprise.
Top Stories
Renegades get the better of Heat
![Chris Gayle of the Renegades hits a six over cover during his brief innings of 23.](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/r/o/w/s/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glrp17.100177.png/1450574792527.jpg)
11:09 PM BIG BASH LEAGUE Melbourne Renegades beat Brisbane Heat by seven wickets in a Twenty20 clash at the Gabba.
City squeak through in derby thriller
![Melbourne City players celebrate a goal by Stefan Mauk.](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/r/n/s/k/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glrooz.100177.png/1450574792527.jpg)
Michael Lynch 10:02 PM SOCCER Melbourne City delivered their supporters the Christmas present they had all been waiting for when they clung on for a nerve wracking win in a pulsating Victorian derby.
Motor sport's year of living dangerously
![Andrew Tate](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/r/k/9/y/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glopq6.100177.png/1450574792527.jpg)
MOTOR SPORT The deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna on one deadly weekend in 1994 pushed Formula One towards tighter safety regulations that kept grands prix fatality free for 19 years. That all ended in 2015.
Yuvraj picked for Australian tour
![Back for India: Yuvraj Singh celebrates hitting the winning runs during the 2011 World Cup](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/r/p/u/2/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glrpu0.100177.png/1450574792527.jpg)
6:16 AM CRICKET World Cup winners Yuvraj Singh and Ashish Nehra are set for comebacks to the Indian team to tour Australia.
Lyon warns Windies can expect no mercy
![In the money: Nathan Lyon talks to teammates during the First Test match against the West Indies.](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/p/0/7/s/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glrkyn.100177.png/1450574792527.jpg)
Daniel Lane 5:48 PM CRICKET Australia's spin bowler Nathan Lyon warned it won't be hard to show the battling West Indies no mercy in the Boxing Day Test.
Chelsea restore order, Leicester five clear
![Chelsea interim manager Guus Hiddink talks with staff after their 3-1 win.](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/r/p/p/k/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glrpox.100177.png/1450574792527.jpg)
Martyn Herman 8:43 AM SOCCER Chelsea fans booed their team, but the post-Jose Mourinho era began with a 3-1 victory over Sunderland.
Van 't Schip lauds City's character
![Leigh Broxham of the Victory and Bruno Fornaroli of the City compete for the ball.](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/r/p/6/m/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glrp03.100177.png/1450574792527.jpg)
Daniel Cherny 11:39 PM SOCCER John van 't Schip says the character his team showed in Saturday night's 2-1 win over Melbourne Victory gives him "a lot of joy looking forward."
New Stars leggie Zampa vows to do it his way
![Good move: Adam Zampa is happy he shifted from NSW to South Australia.](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/r/n/7/z/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glqc3t.100177.png/1450574792527.jpg)
Jesse Hogan 7:27 PM CRICKET He is another blonde leg-spinner, but Adam Zampa won't bow to pressure to try and spin the ball sharply like Shane Warne did and instead will rely on subtlety as his biggest weapon in the BBL.
Rodionova manages heat for play-off win
![Arina Rodionova](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/r/h/n/v/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glrhhq.100177.png/1450574792527.jpg)
Larissa Nicholson 4:14 PM TENNIS It was 36C at 11.10am in Melbourne, and Arina Rodionova had just clawed her way back from a shocking start to advance closer to a spot in next year's Australian Open.
Carlton ruckman is right where he wants to be
![Kid gloves: Matthew Kreuzer (left) and Michael Jamison spar in training.](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/r/m/w/t/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glrg6y.100177.png/1450574792527.jpg)
Matt Murnane 7:04 PM AFL Matthew Kreuzer might have been the only one at Carlton who didn't want 2015 to end.
Cricket
West Indies show some fight in tour game
![Resistance in the heat: Kraigg Brathwaite.](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/m/4/e/b/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glrki0.1000zr.png/1450516846072.jpg)
Peter Hanlon 6:28 PM All over the state on Saturday, sporting events were abandoned with an eye to the wellbeing of participants.
MORE CRICKET NEWS
AFL
No AFL control: the lessons of 2015
![Illustration: Mick Connolly](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/r/n/3/e/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glrles.106eai.png/1450522185907.jpg)
Jake Niall 7:17 PM In 2015, the AFL couldn't stop fans from booing Adam Goodes, or from expressing varying forms of racial prejudice.
MORE AFL NEWS
Soccer
Maccarone celebrates with beer
![Cheers: Massimo Maccarone's goal celebration.](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/r/t/b/r/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glrsxw.1000zw.png/1450574757306.jpg)
12:24 PM Empoli extended their Serie A winning streak to four matches with a 3-2 triumph at Bologna in a thriller on Saturday after Massimo Maccarone got a double and celebrated with beer.
MORE SOCCER NEWS
Rugby Union
Jones wants a nasty England team
![Controversial: Dylan Hartley, left, is not stranger to on-field trouble.](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/r/q/b/s/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glrqbh.png/1450562490524.jpg)
Jim White 10:00 AM The man sitting behind me on the train was adamant. "If it happens," he was loudly informing the person at the other end of the phone line, "it will be the most scandalous thing to happen in British sport in history. And I mean ever."
MORE RUGBY UNION NEWS
Rugby League
Rabbitohs try to lure Roberts home
![Wanted man: James Roberts.](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/m/2/s/v/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glrl1q.png/1450517432735.jpg)
Michael Carayannis 8:30 PM South Sydney have hatched a plan for James Roberts to become a focal point of their off-field community work as they stepped up in their bid to attract the Rabbitohs junior back to the club.
MORE RUGBY LEAGUE NEWS
Motor Sport
NASCAR champ Busch undergoes surgery
![Kyle Busch has had surgery.](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/q/k/i/j/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glqkfg.11q817.png/1450394525034.jpg)
NASCAR series champion Kyle Busch has undergone foot and leg surgery.
MORE MOTOR SPORT NEWS
Tennis
Honourable path to a grand slam debut
![Wildcard: Priscilla Hon has her eye on Serena Williams.](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/r/n/l/q/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glp74y.119zdz.png/1450515449609.jpg)
Linda Pearce 7:57 PM Priscilla Hon knows she could play 21-time grand slam champion Serena Williams in the first round of next month's Australian Open.
MORE TENNIS NEWS
Cycling
Organiser pulls Tour from 2017 calendar
![Blow to UCI: Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme.](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/r/o/0/z/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glrnze.13hkhn.png/1450517755853.jpg)
8:35 PM Tour de France organiser ASO is withdrawing its races from the International Cycling Union (UCI) calendar in 2017 because of a disagreement over the reform of the calendar and the selection of teams.
MORE CYCLING NEWS
Horse Racing
Huet to challenge improper riding suspension
![Hot work: Brodie Loy had to work hard to win on Kaleidoscope at Rosehill on Saturday.](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/r/l/e/b/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glri5o.11a1oq.png/1450517855859.jpg)
Adam Pengilly 6:52 PM French jockey Thomas Huet will appeal a contentious four-week suspension incurred over an improper riding charge from the last race at Wyong on Thursday.
MORE HORSE RACING NEWS
Basketball
Flames overcome deficit to beat Boomers
![Melbourne's Brittany Smart drives on Sydney's Katie-Rae Ebzery.](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/r/o/o/8/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glrlww.12e3uq.png/1450523958407.jpg)
Roy Ward 10:16 PM Melbourne Boomers suqnadered a 21-point lead to lose to Sydney University Flames.
MORE BASKETBALL NEWS
Athletics
Diack sought Russian hush money: report
![Officially under investigation: Lamine Diack.](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/r/0/2/w/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glriee.ghk9mq.png/1448961800579.jpg)
John Leicester 1:32 PM The investigation into doping in Russian athletics has taken an unexpected turn, with French media reporting money was given to support regime change in Senegal.
MORE ATHLETICS NEWS
More Sport
Pssst: 'I'm nominated for what?'
![Vince Byron is making a name for himself.](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/r/9/1/e/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glr8rn.zzax1.png/1450518229478.jpg)
Daniel Cherny 8:10 PM If you were nominated for arguably the most prestigious annual multi-sports awards in the world, you'd half expect the organisers would let you know about it.
US stadium naming rights: absurd names
![This is such an obvious winner that it's almost not even really worth explaining.](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/r/m/v/a/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glrjca.zzax1.png/1450532198696.jpg)
Clinton Yates 7:00 PM The top 11 awesomely absurd bowl names of 2015.
From the cheap seats
![Vladimir Putin.](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/r/m/p/t/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glrj0f.zzax1.png/1450518229478.jpg)
Leaping Larry 6:45 PM No doubt the whole FIFA mess has wound up exactly where everybody thought it would – i.e. with Russian president, and previously unsuspected comic genius, Vladimir Putin, insisting that suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Hayne says practice accelerated development
![Please, no more of Jarryd Hayne and his logos.](/web/20151220015118im_/http://www.theage.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/i/m/o/j/image.related.thumbnail.90x60.glrji5.zzax1.png/1450518229478.jpg)
Matt Barrows 8:06 PM AMERICAN FOOTBALL Jarryd Hayne's first NFL season is drawing to a close, but he insists his career in America's most popular sport is just beginning.