Sport

Linda Pearce

Linda Pearce is the Chief Tennis Writer and general sports reporter for The Age. She writes about a range of sports, including football, netball, and gymnastics. Linda has twice been named Australian tennis writer of the year.

  Black and white: Sharni Layton has learnt plenty about herself at new club the Magpies.

Why a star Diamond almost quit netball

Sharni Layton struggles to think of herself as a former Vixen, having failed to play a single minute in her sole year on the club's list. But that frustrating 2008 experience inspired the netballer who now ranks among the world's finest, even as it came perilously close to driving her permanently from the game.

Sweet story: Melbourne Vixens assistant coach Di Honey and daughter Tayla, who stepped up last weekend as a replacement ...

Mother-daughter netball scenario not sticky for Honeys

When the sporting Honey family finally sat down to watch some old footage of one of the elite netballers in its midst, eldest daughter Tayla, an aspiring Australian midcourter and Melbourne Vixens training partner, saw for the first time the player her mother Di had been.

Kate Moloney of Melbourne Vixens goes to throw the ball.

Vixens end Giants' winning run

Melbourne Vixens have interrupted the Giants' perfect start to the inaugural Super Netball season, retaining second place on the ladder with an outstanding performance at Hisense Arena and a 59-51 scoreline that was as much a statement as a result.

Collingwood netball team.

Magpies still GF-bound, says Swifts coach

Dual NSW Swifts grand final coach Rob Wright is very concerned about the potential ramifications for Sunday's round six encounter against the Collingwood Magpies at Hisense Arena.

Kyrgios says "something switched and now I'm really enjoying it again".

Kyrgios puts 'dark place' - and Djokovic - behind him. Now for Federer

Nick Kyrgios has spoken of emerging from the "dark place" that threatened to engulf his tennis career following his controversial Australian Open loss to Andreas Seppi, his newfound enjoyment for the game manifesting in a second straight sets defeat of Novak Djokovic in the space of a fortnight.

Collingwood netballer Caitlin Thwaites in Melbourne this week.

A new Magpie, happy to be home

When netball star Caitlin Thwaites is asked to nominate her worst injury during an eventful 14-year career, the answer has nothing to do with her body but everything about her mind.

 Emily Mannix.

Vixen rises to the challenge

Having never played a full game in netball's big league until this season, Emily Mannix's first two were against Diamonds' duo Caitlin Thwaites and Caitlin Bassett and her third against the NSW Swifts' Trinidadian revelation Sam Crawford. This Saturday it will be the colossus Romelda Aiken, who is equipped with the twin advantages of height and experience. Welcome.