Sport: Where reality and make-believe cross paths
Greg Baum 7:19 PM Movies are make-believe stories that seem real. Sport is a real story that sometimes seems like make-believe. Glamour surrounds both, heartbreak too. So does a fascination with what happens behind the scenes that brings these stories to life.
Top Stories
Hawks weather hits to take out Kangaroos
Jon Pierik 1:52 AM Hawthorn's form may have been patchy through the opening half of the season but they are back in the top four.
Boyle not optimistic on retrospective golds
Michael Gleeson 5:34 PM OLYMPICS Raelene Boyle was twice cheated out of Olympic gold just as Jared Tallent was. But she knows she is unlikely ever to get those medals.
'The Bont' starting to get that Brownlow look
Rohan Connolly 2:00 PM AFL Marcus Bontempelli played his debut AFL season against a backdrop of superlatives about his talent and potential. Two years down the track, on the eve of his 50th game, it's happening again.
Ricciardo crashes in Baku practice
9:43 PM MOTOR SPORT Australian Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo has snapped off his right rear wheel after clipping a barrier in Friday's opening practice for the European Grand Prix in Azerbaijan.
Your guide to round 13 of the AFL
Ronny Lerner 9:32 PM AFL What to look out for in round 13: A pair of Victorian top-eight blockbusters, a forgotten ruckman getting his chance and the northern academy debate to potentially cause another stir.
Players end-of-season bye a big thumbs down
Caroline Wilson 7:01 PM AFL footballers have underlined their commitment for two byes each season, with Gillon McLachlan's 2016 end-of-season bye having received a lukewarm response from the players.
Russia must not compete at the Games
Darren Kane 9:37 PM COMMENT Russia's very participation in the Rio Olympics represents a material threat to the core integrity of sports' grandest show.
Bulldogs captain savours the dream
Stephanie Chiocci 11:00 AM AFL We can't underestimate the importance of Wednesday's announcement in providing female role models for young girls to look up to throughout their own journey.
Codes unite to fight violence against women
Samantha Lane 7:10 PM AFL A full-time female investigator was quietly added to the AFL's integrity unit last month.
Want success? Sack the d--heads
Chris Judd 12:03 PM COMMENT Success or failure is not just about the coach. There are seven key roles at any club and if anyone is under-performing, action is required.
Ricciardo set to stay at Red Bull in 2017
Andrew Tate 1:35 PM MOTOR SPORTRed Bull has moved to shut down talk that Daniel Ricciardo will be leaving the team next year for Ferrari, by activating their 2017 option on the Australian's contract.
McMahon throws down challenge
Roy Ward 3:57 PM RUGBY UNION Wallabies flanker Sean McMahon has thrown down the gauntlet to anyone who thinks he will be outclassed against England in the second test at AAMI Park on Saturday night.
AFL
Paul Roos defends Dees' interest in Hibberd
Daniel Cherny 5:37 PM Melbourne coach Paul Roos says he sympathises with Essendon counterpart John Worsfold, but insists the Demons have not broken any rules in approaching contracted Bomber Michael Hibberd.
There are upsides to a Lions-sized headache
Andrew Stafford 2:50 PM The Brisbane Lions' weekly match review showed 113 errors last Monday, but would another coach do any better given the team's development?
MORE AFL NEWS
Cricket
Watson: Keep Ashes red-ball only
Jon Pierik Former Australian star Shane Watson has urged authorities to retain Ashes Tests as "red-ball only", declaring tradition must be upheld.
MORE CRICKET NEWS
Olympics
IAAF refuses to overturn athletics ban on Russia competing at Rio Olympics
Mitch Phillips and Kevin Liffey 1:22 AM World athletics' governing body met on Friday to decide whether to overturn a doping ban on all Russian athletes competing at the Rio Olympics.
MORE OLYMPICS NEWS
Tennis
Kyrgios and I don't tank: Tomic
11:25 AM Bernard Tomic believes he and Davis Cup teammate Nick Kyrgios are unfairly branded "tankers", saying they fight for every point - even if it doesn't always look like it.
MORE TENNIS NEWS
Soccer
Euro 2016: Germany, Poland, Croatia all win
Bastian Schweinsteiger marked his return from injury with the match-sealing goal as Germany opened their Euro 2016 campaign with a 2-0 win over Ukraine.
MORE SOCCER NEWS
Golf
Day off course as rain washes out US Open
8:03 AM World No.1 Jason Day failed to hit a ball in anger as the opening round of the US Open at Oakmont Country Club was marred by thunderstorms.
MORE GOLF NEWS
Motor Sport
Ricciardo crashes in Baku practice
9:43 PM Australian Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo has snapped off his right rear wheel after clipping a barrier in Friday's opening practice for the European Grand Prix in Azerbaijan.
MORE MOTOR SPORT NEWS
Basketball
Cavaliers look to pull off a great escape
Paul Suttor 4:13 PM With the 2016 NBA Finals series delicately poised at 3-2 in favour of Steph Curry's Warriors, can LeBron James recreate his heroics of Game five and force the series to a seventh game?
MORE BASKETBALL NEWS
Horse Racing
Australia's women jockeys prove they don't need any extra allowances
Max Presnell 11:00 PM Once treated as a turf novelty in Australia, even more so than the UK, female jockeys are now major players.
MORE HORSE RACING NEWS
Rugby Union
Pulver enjoying Jones' verbal barbs
Tom Decent 8:21 PM ARU chief executive Bill Pulver admits he didn't think England would beat the Wallabies in Brisbane and says he loves the barbs Eddie Jones has thrown his way, adamant the "theatre" has been beneficial for rugby as a whole.
MORE RUGBY UNION NEWS
Netball
Codes unite to fight violence against women
Samantha Lane 7:10 PM A full-time female investigator was quietly added to the AFL's integrity unit last month.
MORE NETBALL NEWS
More Sport
'Free' tickets being sold to Ali memorial
BOXING Muhammad Ali's family has slammed people who have tried to sell free tickets to Friday's memorial service for the late boxing icon.
Rich list has new No.1 for first time in 15 years
For the first time in 15 years, neither golfer Tiger Woods nor now-retired boxer Floyd Mayweather hold the No.1 spot in the annual Forbes rich list of athletes.
Highlights
FootyFix: Will North answer the call?
Rohan Connolly previews all the round 13 action.
It's all kicking off at the Euros ....
Russia hit with a suspended ban, prompting calls from British MPs for them to be stripped of hosting rights for the 2018 World Cup.
Don't turn Ali into a sanitised caricature
We're left with a man of inordinate courage who made some awful mistakes.
Mid-year team: An even spread of talent
With apologies to at least seven midfielders, here's Rohan Connolly's mid-season AFL All-Australian team.
FootyFix: Battle in the top eight
Rohan Connolly previews all the footy action ahead of round 12.
Transgender issues could dominate Rio
COMMENT The Rio Olympics have already proven to be highly controversial and the Opening Ceremony is still two months away.
Why did he mean so much to me?
It was a dream assignment. Follow your hero. Stay close to him. Many others felt the same.
Who would deny his immortality?
In Norman Mailer's seminal book, he describes Muhammad Ali thus.
Best Betts
Eddie Betts adds another wonder goal to his remarkable AFL career.
Rance is the modern-day Archer
But which one would Wayne Carey pick in his ultimate fantasy team?
What lies beneath is what worries big-wave rider
Widely regarded as one of the best big-wave surfers in the world, Mark Mathews isn't scared by the monsters he rides.
Pick 1 v Pick 2
Jacob Weitering and Josh Schache were separated by just a few seconds at the draft last year.
Roughy's greatness
The most inspirational moments in sport don't always occur in the heat of battle, or in the immediate aftermath of glorious triumphs or heartbreaking defeats.
Plays of the Week
These are the most exciting, silly and downright crazy plays in the sport world this week.
The curse of Ricciardo - expletive deleted
Daniel Ricciardo did a lot of swearing in Monaco this weekend. But he's earned the right.
Betts does it again?
Adelaide maestro may have outdone himself with his goal of the year contender.
Working like a mason, Cox sinks the boot in
Collingwood's vertically-gifted US import makes up for his lack of experience sheer hard work.
Shield no ticket to honours for Victorians
The Sheffield Shield and the Australian Test team have become like third cousins, twice removed. You know they're related, but it's hard to remember how.
Which is the best?
The AFL's Indigenous Round takes place this weekend and to mark the occasion, each club will wear a specially-designed guernsey.
A lesson in being a good (sports)person
Players with talent are a dime a dozen. The supportive, determined and selfless athletes are the most valuable.
