Categories
Sports

Commonwealth Games 2022: Cody Simpson butterfly result, star sends powerful message

Commonwealth Games 2022: Cody Simpson butterfly result, star sends powerful message

Cody Simpson has gone from the music charts to off the charts in his swimming career.

The 25-year-old has ticked off everything he wanted to in his Commonwealth Games campaign and the biggest tick came on Wednesday morning in his pet event — the 100m butterfly — where he lined up alongside Aussie national champion Matt Temple.

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In a thrilling final, Temple picked up the silver medal in a swim where the top three swimmers all finished within 0.16 seconds of each other.

Temple shared the silver with England’s James Guy after they were both pipped in the reach to the wall by the strong-finishing Joshua Liendo-Edwards of Canada.

Simpson, meanwhile, was slow out the blocks and it looked like being a disaster for him when he made the turn after the first 50m before he powered home in the second 50m to finish fifth — an extraordinary result.

His time of 52.06 seconds was the second-quickest of his career, but it was still outside his personal best of 51.79 seconds.

The pop star started his swimming comeback journey just two years ago after 10 years away from the pool and he did it as something of a sideshow alley attraction. Now he’s proven he is box-office on his swimming credentials alone.

Aussie swimming legend Cate Campbell told Simpson in his post-race interview he was changing the game as a mature-age converter to the sport.

“It has been a meteoric rise, a phenomenal effort and you are really re-writing what people can do in this sport,” she said.

“We are usually seeing people coming in as teenagers and you are told, if you are entering as a teenager, you’re too late.”

Simpson responded: “I want to inspire young people to know that they can do whatever it is they want to do, even if they feel like it’s too late or they’re too old to pick something up, because it’s never too late,” I told Channel 7 after the race.

He said he is well ahead of where he thought he would be in his dream of chasing a medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

“I think with experience comes confidence. And I’m still gathering the experience, so still gaining confidence,” he said.

“I am happy to be here. And I think, win or lose today, I’m going to go back to the drawing board and make sure I come back stronger. I’m already way ahead where I thought I would be at this stage.”

The Queenslander’s journey from music artist to swimming star has captivated Australia this year since he qualified for the Commonwealth Games at the Australian Swimming Championships in May.

His swimming career changed forever earlier this week when he picked up a gold medal in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay, where he swam in the heats before missing out on a spot in the final.

His dream of representing Australia had already come true this campaign when he competed in the semi-finals of the 50m butterfly.

But it has always been the 100m butterfly that he has had his eye on.

He was able to move through to Wednesday’s final with the fifth-quickest overall time, swimming at 52.16, well outside the personal best time of 51.79 he set at the Australian National Championships in May.

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Categories
Australia

Mid-career workers retrain as teachers under para-professional program in NSW schools

Two women stand on the ground of a high school during break time

Jodie Hirst was a professional sports dietitian for 10 years before she felt drawn to the classroom.

Like many people during the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2021, Ms Hirst reassessed her career and realized that she loved helping and inspiring people to learn.

Ms Hirst, a mother of two, is currently six months into a Masters of Teaching at Macquarie University.

“The transition from going back to university has been challenging but I am really enjoying it,” she said.

“I would love to inspire people to respect science and continue to want to learn in that field. I am hoping I can bring that into schools.”

Ms Hirst is taking part in New South Wales’ first mid-career teachers program to support people from other areas of the community to transition to teaching.

Bulli High School is situated 100 meters from the beach which is featured in the background.
Bulli High School has more than 1,000 students and 70 teachers.(ABC Illawarra: Sarah Moss)

She is working as a para-professional — helping with paperwork, resource development and classroom activities — at Bulli High School, in the northern Illawarra region.

Principal Denise James said she was “a bit in awe” of mid-career teachers such as Ms Hirst.

“I think it’s phenomenal and I hope more people do it,” she said.

“It’s invigorating for students to know teachers’ stories and to know they have had this other life and are experts in other things. It brings a whole lot of possibilities.”

changing the world

Ms James hoped more people would come to look at teaching as a great career.

“I admire someone who is already performing very well in their own field who wants to become a teacher,” she said.

“We know that the better education they [students] get, the better the world is.

“Jodie [Hirst] is here as a para-professional learning from our science faculty, but Bulli High is also learning with Jodie.

A woman wearing green stands in her office
Principal Denise James says the majority of teachers at Bulli High have decades of teaching experience.(ABC Illawarra: Sarah Moss)

“That is the beauty of this program — we are learning from her how science operates outside of our school, in the real world … and we are also being able to use her skills in classrooms.”

But Ms James did warn that people’s expectations of teaching could sometimes differ from reality.

“You picture yourself in classrooms, you don’t realize that a lot of the work is happening alongside your colleagues in staff rooms in conversations and in meetings,” she said.

“So the paraprofessional role is a really great program.”

Along with 70 permanent teachers, the school relies on a pool of long-term temporary and casual teachers, who Ms James said it could not do without.

“We need the flexibility especially with a lot of illness in the world today,” she said.

Learning how to teach

Ms Hirst said she was looking forward to being able to increase the supply of science and technology teachers across the state.

“I’ll be teaching science, biology, chemistry and junior science … but I am relearning the content which is a part of the degree I am doing now, so learning the syllabus and how to teach that,” she said.

A woman stands in a science classroom at Bulli High School
Jodie Hirst is transitioning from a career as a sports dietitian to being a secondary science teacher.(ABC Illawarra: Sarah Moss)

“Yes, I have a HECS debt now but with this mid-career transition, they [the Education Department] do provide some funding for the first six months of study, and then being employed three days a week at Bulli High, that’s going to help.”

Delivering group presentations in her former role as a consultant dietician for the Illawarra Academy of Sport helped give her the confidence to be at the front of the classroom.

“People were so motivated and generally interested that it became the favorite part of my job,” Ms Hirst said.

Professionals on the move

More than 4,000 new teachers have entered the workforce this year after gaining accreditation, according to the state’s Education Department, with at least 28 of them transitioning from other careers.

A productivity commission report in NSW recently investigated how to get more people from other careers into teaching.

NSW Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell saluted the program and was “excited to welcome a further 3,000 teachers by the end of the year”.

Sue Bennett smiles in the afternoon sun
Professor Sue Bennett says there are different teaching strategies across different subject areas.(Supplied UOW: Paul Jones)

Professor Sue Bennett from the University of Wollongong said the extra teachers were much-needed.

“We’ve always had a group of people who have got significant experience in other roles… who want to make a change and they seek that pathway into the [teaching] profession,” Ms Bennett said.

“Around Australia there are universities and private providers that offer degrees in teaching with many variations available designed for people to find the right fit for them.”

The next round of applications for the mid-career program is open until September 11, with successful candidates due to commence studies in 2023.

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Categories
US

Utah man trying to kill spider with lighter started Springville wildfire, police say

Firefighters battle a wildfire from the ground as a helicopter drops water above them in Springville on Monday. The fire started when a man tried to burn a spider with a lighter, police said.

Firefighters battle a wildfire from the ground as a helicopter drops water above them in Springville on Monday. The fire started when a man tried to burn a spider with a lighter, police said. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

SPRINGVILLE — A wildfire near Springville, which police say was started by a man who claimed he was trying to kill a spider Monday afternoon, is now 90% contained, according to firefighters.

Cory Allan Martin, 26, of Draper, was arrested Monday evening for investigation of reckless burning, as well as possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, according to Utah County Jail records.

Reports of a fire “north of town on the mountainside” came in just before 5 pm, Springville fire officials said. Utah County sheriff’s deputies also responded to a report of the fire, which was located by the Bonneville Shoreline Trail near 1400 N. Main in Springville.

When deputies arrived, firefighters at the scene said they had come across a man who said that he started the fire. The crews escorted him down the mountain to speak with authorities. The man identified himself as Martin and explained that he saw a spider on the mountain and tried to burn it with a lighter, according to a police booking affidavit.

“When he attempted to burn the spider, the surrounding brush ignited and the fire began spreading very rapidly,” the affidavit states.

Martin was arrested at the scene and placed in a squad car. Deputies later found a jar of marijuana and drug paraphernalia while searching his belongings, the arrest report adds.

The fire quickly grew to 40 fires in size Monday evening; it had burned about 60 acres of US Forest Service land within the Pleasant Grove Ranger District as of Tuesday morning, according to Utah Fire Info, an information center for state and federal firefighters.

Two crews, one squad and one engine, were assigned to the fire Tuesday. Firefighters said they expected “containment to drastically increase” by the end of Tuesday’s shift, and it improved from 10% to 90%.

Officials asked residents to avoid the area to “help open the roads for emergency vehicles.”

The Bonneville Shoreline Trail is also temporarily closed between the Buckley Draw and Little Rock Creek as crews continue to fight the fire.

Photos

Most recent Utah wildfires stories

Arianne Brown is a breaking news reporter for KSL.com. She also enjoys finding and sharing stories of everyday Utahns, a talent she developed over several years of freelance writing for various Utah news outlets.

Carter Williams is an award-winning reporter who covers general news, outdoors, history and sports for KSL.com. He previously worked for the Deseret News. He is a Utah transplant by the way of Rochester, New York.

More stories you may be interested in

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Categories
Technology

Discord won’t treat its Android app like an afterthought anymore

Discord_IAP_KeyVisuals_Header_02-resized

React Native developers are winning, though

Discord might be best known as an advanced IRC for gamers and the Perpetually Online, but it’s got a mass appeal with over 100 million Android downloads. While the app has an excellent rating on the Play Store, one common concern is the late arrival of new features when compared to the iOS or desktop clients. However, that’s set to change soon, as the Discord Android app is getting an under-the-hood overhaul.

ANDROID POLICE VIDEO OF THE DAY

Discord has announced on its official blog that the Android app is being rewritten in React Native. The iOS version of Discord has been on React Native since 2015, while the desktop version uses React and Electron in its framework. This means that new features and updates will roll out nearly simultaneously across all three platforms and Android users won’t be waiting around for new features iPhone owners get to have. Additionally, the design and UI elements are expected to be more aligned across the three versions. New Android users will notice a larger font size when they install the app for the first time, whereas existing users will be able to toggle the font size in their app’s settings. The payoffs are about as obvious as what’s leading to them: a reduced codebase means developers are able to push out updates faster.


However, some users are highly concerned about the changes. Those who had enrolled in beta testing for the revamped app have mentioned that it is slow to run. Additionally, a few developers who have worked with React Native claim that it tends to be littered with bugs. That said, numerous popular apps including Facebook, Instagram, Microsoft Office, and the Xbox Game Pass use the language (so says React Native) and if those companies can make okay-functioning Android apps with it, then why not Discord?

The updated Android app for Discord has already started rolling out and will arrive globally within a few weeks.

Categories
Sports

Alpine driver Oscar Piastri says he won’t be replacing Fernando Alonso

Alpine driver Oscar Piastri says he won't be replacing Fernando Alonso

“We do have a legal contract with him (Piastri) into the future for ’23. And if an option is taken up, for ’24,” he said.

“I don’t know what he’s done with McLaren … I’m not privy to that.”

Oscar Piastri looms as Australia's next big thing in F1 - but it won't be with his current French team.

Oscar Piastri looms as Australia’s next big thing in F1 – but it won’t be with his current French team.Credit:Getty Images

Piastri had previously been linked to Williams, but that was as a loan deal on the understanding that he would return to Alpine when Alonso left.

There was no comment from McLaren, who are battling Alpine for fourth place in the constructors’ championship, and Piastri’s management could not be contacted immediately.

McLaren have Daniel Ricciardo and Britain’s Lando Norris but the experienced Australian has been performing below expectations and his place called into question.

Ricciardo, who joined McLaren from the Renault team that is now Alpine, has insisted he is staying and has an option on his side.

Oscar Piastri and fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo at a Renault event in 2020.

Oscar Piastri and fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo at a Renault event in 2020.

Formula 1 has a contracts recognition board to settle disputes between teams over drivers and the matter could end up there.

Alpine, as part of a major manufacturer, are unlikely to have taken the step of announcing a driver without feeling confident, however.

“We believe we are legally correct in our statement,” the team said, without further comment.

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There was an air of uncertainty and mis-communication, however, with Szafnauer saying he found out about Alonso’s move only when he read Aston Martin’s press release.

Asked whether he had spoken to Alonso, Szafnauer replied: “I haven’t talked to him, since he’s on a boat, I think, in the Greek Isles somewhere.”

Alonso then posted on Instagram a video of himself walking in his home town of Oviedo in northern Spain. He also tweeted a picture of a go-kart at his museum track with the caption “favorite activity on holidays”.

The dispute echoes another ongoing contract clash between McLaren and Chip Ganassi Racing in IndyCar over reigning champion Alex Palou.

Spaniard Palou announced last month that he will be joining McLaren’s roster of drivers for 2023, hours after Ganassi said he was staying with them.

Reuters

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Categories
Australia

Private emergency rooms are on the rise in WA. What does that mean for public health care?

Architectural drawing of the new St John of God hospital in Subiaco, comprising two rectangular towers.

Health industry experts say WA’s rising number of private emergency departments is unlikely to erode investment in public hospitals, but patients should understand the limitations and costs of private EDs.

By the end of 2025, the number of private emergency departments — which charge up to $295 to see a doctor — is expected to have tripled in WA.

“It is a little bit curious because emergency departments are not profitable things for private hospitals,” St John of God Health Care Group chief executive Shane Kelly said.

“They’re generally run at a loss.”

For almost 20 years, the only private emergency department in WA was the St John of God facility in Murdoch.

In November, Hollywood Hospital opened a $67 million emergency department.

In May, the hospital said it had seen 5,000 patients in its first six months. It charges a $200 consultation fee.

St John of God Health Care Group has also announced plans to build the state’s third private emergency department at its Subiaco hospital by the end of 2025.

Rise reflects demand, chief says

Dr Kelly said the rising investment in private emergency departments in WA reflected high demand for emergency care overall.

“Obviously, our public emergency departments are pretty busy — very busy, in fact — and, I think, they’re looking for another option,” he said.

Portrait of Shane Kelly smiling and wearing suit in front of white background.
Dr Kelly says he does not expect the rising number of private emergency departments in WA to affect public health services.(Supplied)

The motivation for private hospitals, Dr Kelly said, was to fill empty beds by bringing more patients to the hospital door.

St John of God hospitals waives the emergency consultation fee of $295 if patients are admitted into the hospital, he said.

Since it opened in 1994, St John of God’s Murdoch-based emergency department has seen about 20,000 patients annually.

Fees raised to ‘moderate’ demand

But last year, as the community spread of COVID-19 ballooned, the facility found itself under pressure as patient numbers reached a record high of 25,000.

Pandemic-related staff shortages were also affecting the private ED’s capacity, Dr Kelly said.

Demand for the facility grew so high that the facility raised its fees by $100 to $295.

“We were trying to moderate the demand a little bit,” Dr Kelly said.

He said patient numbers had dropped back to normal in 2022, which he said was likely linked to the fee hike and the launch of the Hollywood facility in November.

Dr Kelly said he did not believe the growing number of private hospitals would reduce investment in public emergency departments, already under enormous stress, because he said the number of private patients was “modest” overall.

“For example, we see about 80,000 a year in our St John of God public emergency department at Midland,” Dr Kelly said.

But, he said, they only saw up to 25,000 patients at the emergency hospital.

“So that puts it in perspective,” Dr Kelly said.

More choice for consumers

WA Health Consumers’ Council deputy director Clare Mullen said providing more choices would be positive for health care overall.

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Categories
US

No charges for officer who pepper-sprayed Army lieutenant

No charges for officer who pepper-sprayed Army lieutenant

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A former police officer in Virginia should not be criminally charged but should be investigated for potential civil rights violations after he pepper-sprayed, struck and handcuffed a Black US Army lieutenant during a 2020 traffic stop, a special prosecutor has determined.

The prosecutor’s findings are the latest fallout from a confrontation involving two police officers and a uniformed military officer that drew outrage and national attention to the small town of Windsor, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) southeast of Richmond.

The man who was pulled over, Caron Nazario, was never charged. Video of the December 2020 traffic stop surfaced in April 2021 after Nazario sued in federal court, alleging that his constitutional rights were violated. The images sparked outrage and served as a grim reminder to many Black Americans that a military uniform doesn’t necessarily protect against mistreatment by police.

In December, then-Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring’s office sued the town, alleging that it operated in a way that discriminated against Black Americans.

One of the officers, Joe Gutierrez, was fired from the department. He was the target of the special prosecutor’s criminal probe.

“Although I find the video very disturbing and frankly unsettling, Gutierrez’s use of force to remove Nazario did not violate state law as he had given multiple commands for Nazario to exit the vehicle,” special prosecutor Anton Bell said in his report, dated July 29 and posted online by Nazario’s attorneys.

“The problematic issue, however, were Gutierrez’s statements throughout the entire order, which would lead a reasonable person to wonder whether underlying bias was at the root of how and why Nazario was treated in like manner,” Bell wrote.

Bell’s findings were first reported Monday by The Virginian-Pilot newspaper.

The incident began when Nazario was driving home from his duty station, according to his lawsuit. Officer Daniel Crocker radioed that he was attempting to stop a vehicle with no rear license plate and tinted windows.

Crocker said the driver was “eluding police” and he considered it a “high-risk traffic stop,” according to a report that’s included in the lawsuit. One of Nazario’s attorneys, Jonathan Arthur, later explained that Nazario was trying to stop in a well-lit area “for officer safety and out of respect for the officers.”

The other officer, Gutierrez, was driving by and decided to join the traffic stop, the lawsuit stated. By the time the two officers reached Nazario’s SUV, the license plate was visible in the rear.

When Nazario stopped at a well-lit gas station, the two officers immediately drew their guns and pointed them at Nazario, his lawsuit alleges. The officers then attempted to pull Nazario out of the vehicle while he continued to keep his hands in the air. Gutierrez pepper-sprayed Nazario multiple times as the officers yelled for him to get out.

At one point, Gutierrez told Nazario he was “fixin’ to ride the lightning,” a reference to the electric chair that was also a line from the movie “The Green Mile,” a film about a Black man facing execution, the lawsuit said .

Nazario got out and asked for a supervisor. Gutierrez responded with “knee-strikes” to his legs from him, knocking him to the ground, the lawsuit says. The two officers struck him multiple times, then handcuffed and interrogated him.

The traffic stop was captured on Nazario’s cellphone as well as the officer’s body-worn cameras.

Tom Roberts, another attorney representing Nazario, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that a judge or a jury, not a special prosecutor, should have determined whether Gutierrez violated the law.

“I think that there’s sufficient evidence to show that he was intentional in his actions,” Roberts said. “And I believe that he exceeded any authority to use force, and therefore he committed assault and battery.”

Roberts said that it would have been a misdemeanor offense, for which the statute of limitations is one year, well before the special prosecutor released his findings.

“All too often, when it comes to law enforcement violating the laws, we see our Commonwealth’s Attorneys fail to apply the same zeal at prosecuting law enforcement as they do with other offenders,” Roberts’ firm said in a statement.

John Becker Mumford Jr., an attorney listed for Gutierrez in Nazario’s lawsuit, did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Bell, the special prosecutor, wrote that he asked the local US Attorney’s Office to review the case for possible civil rights violations. Karoline Foote, a spokeswoman for the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, said Tuesday that the office had no comment.

In February, the town of Windsor asked a court to dismiss the state attorney general’s lawsuit, arguing that it only refers to one person — Nazario — “in a cursory and inconclusive manner.”

Jason Miyares, who defeated Herring in November’s election, took over as Virginia’s AG in January. Victoria LaCivita, a spokeswoman for Miyares’ office, said Tuesday that the lawsuit is still pending.

Categories
Technology

Fire Emblem Fans Should Give This Steam Hit A Try

Fire Emblem Fans Should Give This Steam Hit A Try

There’s been a raft of intriguing strategy RPGs this year, but one of my favorites so far is Symphony of War. It’s been climbing the charts on Steam in recent months, and for good reason. From a distance it looks like another Fire Emblem knockoff. Up close it’s doing enough interesting things to stand on its own, and I really recommend you give it a shot.

Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga quietly came out on Steam in June and has been racking up positive reviews ever since. Developed by an indie team called Dancing Dragon Games with a history of RPG Maker projects, it’s a trope-filled military drama about civil war and demonic threats. But you can pretty much ignore all that. Beneath the predictable plot and airbrushed character portraits is a deep strategy game that’s hard to put down. Personally, I think it’s even better in the strategy department than Triangle Strategy.

Make no mistake: Symphony of War is old-school. While newer entries in the Fire Emblem series have delved deeper into visual novel elements and relationship mechanics, it’s focused almost exclusively on renewing the nuts and bolts of classic grid-based battles. What works so well is that Symphony of War nails the basics and also adds plenty of new wrinkles for fans to dig into (especially those who also dug last year’s Dark Deity).

Gif: Dancing Dragon Games / KotakuGif: Dancing Dragon Games / Kotaku

The biggest one is that each individual unit represents an entire squad made up multiple types of fighters. Maybe there are some knights in front flanked by pikemen while wizards and archers rain down death from the back. When two units move next to each other and throw down, a mini-turn-based skirmish ensues. Mages in the back cast fireballs and healing spells while knights in the front dish out melee damage. Combat unfolds across two rounds, with attackers getting the first turn and the defending side going second. Some fighters can only attack on the first or second turn, while others will occasionally luck into a bonus turn. The action is easy to follow and yet also opens up plenty of room for customization.

Adding more subtle layers of complexity are unique fighter bonuses and an extensive research tree. Horseback fighters get to attack first without retribution. Infantry provide defensive bonuses to nearby units. And archers can naturally attack from a distance without facing counter-attacks. These and other stats can then be augmented and magnified by researching new tech. Rather than leveling up specific units, you’re growing the overall capabilities of your army.

Screenshot: Dancing Dragon GamesScreenshot: Dancing Dragon Games

in this way Symphony of War forces you to sometimes think like a 4X strategist while playing like a traditional JRPG enthusiast. Instead of customizing one single party and fighting through a dungeon, you’re building up a small army of them and taking on a whole battlefield. Completing missions faster and capturing enemy units and buildings along the way nets you extra money and points that can then be poured back into outfitting your various crews. Just a few novel tweaks and the decades-old tactical JRPG formula feels fresh and modern again in 2022.

A few other games have also taken hybrid approaches to tactical RPGs recently. The Iron Oath and Songs of Conquest both come to mind. The former is a roguelike with battles that take place on a hexagonal grid. The latter also sports a hexagonal battlefield in service of map exploration and city-building closer to a 4X game. They’re really promising games in their own right (and still in Early Access), yet neither is as focused on plumbing the depths of leveraging small advantages so one group of animated sprites can wipe the floor with another.

Symphony of War is far from a perfect package, but it offers one of the more meaty and innovative takes on the tactics RPG formula I’ve come across in years.

Categories
Entertainment

Bindi Irwin daughter Grace melts hearts with reaction to photo of late grandad Steve Irwin: ‘Gets me every time’

Bindi Irwin daughter Grace melts hearts with reaction to photo of late grandad Steve Irwin: 'Gets me every time'

Grace Warrior Irwin Powell certainly knows who her late grandad Steve Irwin is, if an adorable new video posted by mum Bindi is anything to go by.

On Tuesday, Bindi, 24, posted a sweet video of one-year-old Grace at Australia Zoo, pointing at a poster of Steve Irwin wearing a hard hat.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Grace Irwin visits ‘Grandpa Crocodile’

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“We have a little construction going on to make our Tasmanian devil habitat even more beautiful,” Bindi captioned the post.

“Grace’s favorite part?

“Visiting Grandpa Crocodile.

“All the love.”

In the video, Grace potters over to the poster of Steve as Bindi asks, “Is he here?”

“Yes,” Grace replies.

“Grandpa Crocodile, and he’s in his construction hat!” Bindi says.

“Do you love Grandpa Crocodile?”

Grace looks up at the poster, smiles and says “Yes!”

Grace clearly loves ‘Grandpa Crocodile’, AKA Steve Irwin. Credit: Instagram/Bindi Irwin

She then toddles over to another sign featuring Steve, points to it and waves.

Grace’s dad Chandler Powell, 25, took to the comments section, writing: “Her little wave gets me every time.”

Australia Zoo’s official account added: “The cutest,” with a red love heart emoji.

Steve Irwin died in 2006 when he was pierced by a string ray on the Great Barrier Reef.

“It’s like she knows him from another time,” one Bindi fan observed.

Grace likes looking at the poster of her late grandfather. Credit: Instagram/Bindi Irwin

“Steve’s soul lives on through his granddaughter,” another wrote.

“Oh my goodness Bindi, this is beyond special!” said another.

“Grace Warrior’s connection and love for your dad is so evident!

“This is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.”

Since Grace was born, Bindi has spoken often about how much her father Steve would have endowed on her.

“If Dad was around, honestly, we would never see her,” she told People.

“He would be in love.

“He’d just have her doing everything with him.”

Bindi Irwin with daughter Grace. Credit: Instagram/Bindi Irwin

Bindi’s mum Terri told Entertainment Tonight how she could already see aspects of Steve in her young granddaughter.

“I think she’s got that determination that Steve had, and that connection with wildlife,” she said.

Steve with son Robert and daughter Bindi before his death in 2006. Credit: australia zoo

“Because it is weird to see animals just gravitate to her.

“So she’ll go out in the morning in the stroller, and all the kangaroos just gather around her like they’re having a meeting.”

For more engaging celebrity content, visit 7Life on Facebook.

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Categories
Sports

Manly Sea Eagles player breaks silence on rift over pride jersey saga

A member of the ‘rainbow 17’ – one of the Manly stars who did wear the pride jumper last week – has broken his silence over the issue that has divided the game.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, he painted a grim picture of a team still very much at war with itself over the controversy.

While officials insist the club is now united after coffee meetings, a visit from a mediator, text messages and peace offerings, the player revealed a deep resentment against the seven players who stood down last week remains.

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“They (the seven) are still saying they weren’t consulted about the pride jersey and it went against the religious a cultural beliefs,” the player said.

“We weren’t consulted when a betting sponsor was placed on our jersey – the guys wear that every week… I’m not sure what their god would say about that.

“No one asked us when our oval was renamed after a brewery (4 Pines Park) – I don’t think their god would have been crazy about that either.

“And I can tell you very few young blokes in our club live by the 10 commandments – nor most young blokes in Australia for that matter.

“Yet these guys take a stance over a good move by the club to make the gay community feel inclusive in our game.

Stream the NRL premiership 2022 live and free on 9Now

“They could have said they didn’t support the initiative but to refuse to play with their mates, it doesn’t sit well, and there is something of a rift in the group as a result.

“If those two lost points – and we are confident we would have won (against the Roosters) – cost us a place in the finals, it will take a long time for us to get over it.”

One man who has spoken out in support of the seven rebels is Paul Abboud, principal at East Hills Boys High School in Bankstown.

Manly rainbow meeting held amid fears of ‘rift’

Abboud posted on social media: “I have been a Manly fan for 47 years, like most, loud and proud. In amongst the furore of last week, I got a call from teachers who have taken a year nine group to Narrabeen for a camp .

“After the seven players who have elected to stand down had their meeting with (club owner) Scott Penn, they hung around and chatted and took selfies with the boys at the camp. Even under the enormous pressure they’re under this week they took the time to inspire the next generation.

“I’m prouder than ever to know these blokes represent my club every week. They took some time today and created memories for life for these kids.”

COURT CASE COULD DECIDE FUTURE OF NRL

The NRL’s worst nightmare is currently being played out in the English legal system.

A group of nearly 200 former rugby union players have launched a class action lawsuit against World Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union and the Rugby Football Union over the failure to protect them from brain damage caused by concussion.

And the firm that represents them has also signed up 75 British ex-rugby league players who will watch the trial with great interest.

Put should be scratched from season: Johns

If the rugby union group is successful, the league players are certain to take their own legal action – and that could have far reaching effects for the NRL.

The league players include former Great Britain Test star Bobbie Goulding, who at 49 has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia.

The NRL has taken its hardline stance against head injuries specifically because they knew that sooner or later, this day would come.

There are many ex-players in Australia who are suffering from early onset dementia and concussion related brain injuries that could have been caused by playing football.

And the scary thing is that these lawsuits are successful, the very future of both rugby union and rugby league will be in doubt.

REAL REASON BEHIND TIGERS DECISION

Plenty of Tigers fans are shaking their heads at the decision to allow their best outside back, David Nofoaluma, to spend the rest of the year with Melbourne

But there is a method behind the Tigers’ madness – and it’s one that won’t make Nofoaluma happy.

The Tigers have let the sometimes wayward star go to what they believe will provide a demanding boot camp.

Nofoaluma is a class player but his off-field behavior has frustrated the Tigers for some time.

Craig Bellamy runs the tightest ship in the NRL and the Tigers believe that after a couple of months in the Storm system, Nofoaluma will return to the club a more professional and hardened player – and that can only be a good thing for the Tigers.

SON OF A GUN JOINS SHARKS

The son of Kiwi great Kevin Iro has signed a deal with the Sharks and has immediately been included in the club’s top 30 squad.

Kayal Iro, a speedy outside back in the same mold as his dad, has been in superb form for the high-flying Newtown Jets in the NSW Cup this season.

Iro has just signed a contract with the Sharks until the end of 2024 and looked a fine prospect playing for the Cook Islands against Samoa in the recent Pacific Test match.

A former Warriors under 20s player and Newcastle lower grader, 22-year-old Iro may even get a chance in the NRL this year if injuries hit the Sharks.

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