Michael Lynch, The Age's expert on soccer, has had extensive experience of high level journalism in the UK and Australia. Michael has covered the Socceroos through Asia, Europe and South America in their past three World Cup campaigns. He has also reported on Grands Prix and top class motor sport from Asia and Europe. He has won several national media awards for both sports and industry journalism.
On the biggest of occasions it is the big name players who invariably take centre stage. They revel in the spotlight, and so often lift their game to make the decisive contributions.
The 19-year-old rider is likely to remember Saturday's Flemington meeting as one of the most significant of his career.
As Morten Nordstrand bore down on goal - from what looked suspiciously like an offside position - late in Newcastle's game against Adelaide on Friday night, the Fox Sports and SBS commentators prepared to say something that we hadn't heard, at least at the business end of the season, for years.
He believes in the high-tempo, hard-running, physical approach his team has brought to the league this season.
Besart Berisha is poised to overtake Archie Thompson as the A-League's leading scorer. But is he the better player?
Under pressure from owners, trainers and jockeys to lift prizemoney to keep pace with the richer stakes on offer in NSW, Racing Victoria on Friday announced that $5 million in additional funding will be distributed across the industry as a result of a successful spring carnival.
A probe into whether Racing Victoria chairman David Moodie had disclosed sensitive information on cobalt investigations and misled the Racing Victoria board found the claims substantiated, Sal Perna, Victoria's Racing Integrity Commissioner, explained on Friday.
Making it to the top as a leading jockey is a tough business.
Melbourne City goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis admits to having plenty of butterflies in October when he made his first start for the club.
While Melbourne Victory is sharing the limelight on a more regular basis with rival Melbourne City, two Victory players have taken centre stage in the PFA awards race for November.
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