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Exclusive
Drugs in sport
Ex-club doctor blew the whistle on drugs in the AFL. But he has more to say
Zeeshan Arain says he documented a disturbingly high prevalence of illicit drug use among players at the Melbourne Football Club and wanted to expose a cultural problem, not blow up the league’s drugs policy.
‘Inspired us all’: Melbourne youth worker Les Twentyman dies
Described as “one of Melbourne’s big characters”, Twentyman was known for his work with at-risk young people – particularly in the western suburbs. He was 76.
Exclusive
Investigations
Mansions, private jets, acreages: Brethren leader’s family builds its empire
The family of Exclusive Brethren world leader Bruce D. Hales has amassed one of Australia’s most impressive property portfolios.
Updated
Drugs
Woman dead, two critical after mass drug overdose
A woman in her 40s has died and two others have been taken to hospital on the Gold Coast in a serious condition following a mass drug overdose involving seven women.
Exclusive
Food
‘We got it wrong’: Is the feast over for plant-based meat?
“Chicken-free chicken” start-up Sunfed has had its valuation slashed to zero and its products are no longer available in supermarkets.
Live
AFL 2024
Dons lose midfielder Setterfield for Saints clash
Follow along for all the major moments and post game reactions as we cover the Saints taking on the Bombers and the Power versus the Demons.
Latest live posts
LoadingWorrying signs for North as Clarkson defends key list management calls
Alastair Clarkson has defended the call not to select defensive prospect Daniel Curtin after also letting free agent Ben McKay walk.
How Tarryn Thomas can go to any club, at no draft cost
Suspended midfielder Tarryn Thomas can be signed as a free agent by any club, bar North Melbourne, at the end of the 2024 season.
These houses of worship attract huge congregations as Victorians turn their back on the church
In the suburbs, Sikhism, Hinduism and Buddhism are flourishing as Christianity plummets, with more atheists than ever.
Exclusive
Victorian election
Liberal daughter plans to wrest blue-ribbon seat from a teal
Amelia Hamer is from a formidable political dynasty but she wants voters to know that she is no ‘nepo-baby’.
US signs off on more bombs, warplanes for Israel, sources say
The package comes as Israel faces strong international criticism over its continued bombing campaign and ground offensive in Gaza.
Opinion
Retirement living
How early can you retire? These are the key dates to know
There’s a lot of confusion surrounding the retirement process, from the steps leading up to retirement to navigating life post-retirement.
Bec Wilson
Money contributor
Opinion
Superannuation
How your super compares with the average (and how to fix it if it doesn’t)
Since Easter is all about eggs, do you know how your nest egg compares to someone else’s at your life stage? And are you on track for a sweet retirement?
Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon
Money contributor
Opinion
Cafe
A cafe isn’t a rent-free office. Why don’t you Zoom off?
Cafes are occupied by too many entitled loiterers, for whom $4.50 a coffee is way too cheap. The rest of us are subsidising their Zoom meetings.
Malcolm Knox
Journalist, author and columnist
Recipe collection
Lamb
8 fall-apart lamb shoulder recipes (plus the perfect roast potatoes) for your Easter feast
Featuring the Adam Liaw slow-roasted lamb shoulder with gravy and fresh mint sauce masterclass recipes that almost broke the internet.
Editor's Picks
Just in
WEEKEND READS
He knew too much about Putin’s apparatchiks – so his family ended up hiding out here
When a job with an oligarch in Russia turned dangerous, Nick Stride grabbed his family and fled as far as they could go: Australia.
Keeping the faith: These religious groups are flourishing as atheism takes hold
Christianity is declining and atheism is growing, while the faithful flock to megachurches, temples and mosques.
Victoria
‘It feels like a suburb of Geelong’: Has Torquay lost its small-town charm?
The Torquay community is fiercely protective of its surrounding environment – both ocean and land – as its population boom threatens its coastal character.
Underground drug trafficking operation linked to ‘colourful’ clinic owner, court hears
Police seized hundreds of vials of testosterone, human growth hormone and anabolic steroids, 17 luxury cars worth more than $3 million and a safe of cash in raids.
Exclusive
Cost of living
Victorians face biggest jump in financial distress
More than half of Victorians are experiencing cost-of-living and personal debt distress beyond normal levels.
Updated
Racism
Police launch investigation after Eddie Betts shares footage of racial abuse
Indigenous AFL great Eddie Betts has shared footage to social media of four children being racially abused while playing basketball in the front garden of a Glen Iris home.
Child, 5, in attempted kidnapping from Footscray street
A teenager who attempted to prevent the kidnapping is alleged to have been punched in the face.
AFL
The AFL needs to clarify its stance on recreational drug use
If the AFL disagrees with the World Anti-Doping Agency rules about drugs like cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis, it should say so and change its code.
Blues dine out on Kangas; Pendlebury fined for ‘strike’; Fremantle’s 3-0 start
Callum Coleman-Jones will have scans in the coming days for what appears to be an Achilles injury suffered in the Roos’ 56-point loss. Follow the action.
Politics
Exclusive
Supermarkets
Coalition developing ‘big stick’ law to rein in Coles and Woolworths
Opposition backbenchers are putting pressure on Peter Dutton to live up to his repeated claim that the Coalition is now the party of the working classes.
Business
Almost 18 months after the floods, Rick is still battling his insurer. He’s far from alone
As climate change increases the severity and frequency of natural disasters, insurance companies face pressure to improve the handling of their claims.
World
More than 150 cattle died on a ship from Darwin. It could be a diplomatic ‘debacle’
Was the true death figure kept secret from the Indonesians? By Saturday afternoon, neither the Australian government nor shipping company had addressed the question.
Opinion
Melbourne, your street art and laneways are overrated. We’re just putting lipstick on a concrete pig
Prue Blake
Comedian and former urban planner
Just when Dutton is winning, he sounds like a sore loser
David Crowe
Chief political correspondent
Explore
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Share information with our journalists securely and confidentially. Learn more
Property
Twelve of our favourite properties for sale in Victoria
Looking for your next home in Victoria? From Sorrento to Northcote, we’ve got you covered.
How much it costs to live near Australia’s best beaches
A patch of paradise won’t break the bank in some of the most beautiful and isolated locations in the country.
Good Food
Lifestyle
‘Birth is just a snapshot’: Why boutique post-natal services are on the rise
More attention is being paid to the “fourth trimester” with the rise of dedicated clinics, hotels and mother’s groups – often with a hefty price tag attached.
Culture
Series
MICF
Staying in Melbourne? Here’s a look at who’s playing the International Comedy Festival
This year’s laugh-fest has kicked off, with more than 800 performers set to step up to the mic. Here, our writers take a closer look.
Traveller
Drivedrive
From Our Partners
Sport
Live
AFL 2024
AFL 2024 round three LIVE updates: Essendon Bombers, St Kilda Saints square off on Easter Saturday
Follow along for all the major moments and post game reactions as we cover the Saints taking on the Bombers and the Power versus the Demons.
How Tarryn Thomas can go to any club, at no draft cost
Suspended midfielder Tarryn Thomas can be signed as a free agent by any club, bar North Melbourne, at the end of the 2024 season.
Exclusive
Drugs in sport
He blew the whistle on the AFL drugs scandal. Here is what Melbourne’s ex-club doctor wants to change
Zeeshan Arain says he documented a disturbingly high prevalence of illicit drug use among players at the Melbourne Football Club and wanted to expose a cultural problem, not blow up the league’s drugs policy.
Exclusive
Australian Open
‘It’s not a war’: The seismic shift about to hit world tennis
The “war” over a radical new direction for professional tennis – between the cashed-up Saudis and the four grand slams – is anything but, according to Australian Open boss Craig Tiley in this interview about the future of the sport.
Super Rugby LIVE: Waratahs drop four straight as Rebels power home
The Waratahs’ hopes of playing finals footy are not getting any better after they lost their fourth straight game.
Worrying signs for rebuilding North as Clarkson defends key list management calls
North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson has defended the club’s call not to select key defensive prospect Daniel Curtin in last year’s draft after also letting restricted free agent Ben McKay walk.
The mystery of baseball’s billion-dollar man, his interpreter and the betting scandal that rocked US sport
Shohei Ohtani’s perfect image has been besmirched by allegations of a $US4.5 million bank transfer to an illegal bookmaker in California.
Have Your Say
In the game of the father: The blood ties complicating footy’s feel-good stories
One of dozens of senior coaches and football bosses to have their judgment blinkered by blood ties, Denis Pagan coached his own son at AFL level. He believes Anthony Stevens has done the right thing by stepping away from the Kangaroos board.
