Australia and New Zealand – Page 33 – Michmutters

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Geelong Cats premiership favorites but fixture curveball, defeat St Kilda Saints, Nathan Buckley on Best On Ground

Geelong Cats premiership favorites but fixture curveball, defeat St Kilda Saints, Nathan Buckley on Best On Ground

Geelong veteran Zach Tuohy believes there’s a different feeling about his playing group in 2022 compared to past seasons after the Cats claimed their 11th straight win on Saturday night.

But while seven-time All-Australian Nathan Buckley believes the Cats are “primed at the right time of the year and on top of the ladder for a reason”, he holds some concerns about how “hardened” the Cats could be come September, with clashes against two bottom-10 opponents to come over the final two home and away rounds.

The Cats on Saturday cemented their spot inside the top four with a 45-point win over St Kilda at GMHBA Stadium. It means the Cats will earn a double chance in finals for a fourth straight season – and the ninth time in 12 seasons under coach Chris Scott.

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The narrative around Geelong at this time of the year in recent seasons has been whether they’re able to translate their home and away form into a finals campaign, consistently reaching the preliminary final stage since 2013 but falling short of a flag.

Speaking on Fox Footy’s Best On Ground on Saturday night, Tuohy said there was something different about the 2022 Cats.

“We’ve certainly always felt we’re in with a big shout coming to the pointy end of the year, but this year kind of does have a different smell to it,” Tuohy told Fox Footy.

“I’m not sure you can shut down one or two of our players and think it’s going to effect the result too much, which is a great problem to have.”

Asked if the Cats were the clear No. 1 seed heading into finals, triple premiership Lion Jonathan Brown told Best On Ground: “I think so. They’re building something nicely, they just seem to be very complete.

“I just have more confidence in the game style they play. I think it’ll stack up better in September.”

Saints champion Nick Riewoldt added Roo: “That style they played that brought them unstuck – in finals in particular under the fierce pressure – that control game, they can flick to it and still go to it, but they’re less inclined to start games like it

“I think they’re just far more potent on offense than they have been in recent times and they haven’t given up much defensively.”

After a tough five-game run against finals contenders, the Cats now face Gold Coast (11th) and West Coast (17th) to finish their home and away game.

Buckley suggested it’s “not the best way to finish the home and away season”.

“You want to be hardened because you get that week off between home and away and finals, so if there’s anything that’s not working for Geelong, it might be those couple of games,” he told Best On Ground. “But they’ve taken it all before them.”

Isaac Smith of the Cats is in stellar form. Picture: Darrian TraynorSource: Getty Images

But Buckley said the changes the Cats had made personnel-wise over the past 12 months would put them in good stead for a shot at this year’s flag.

“Sam De Koning down back, Tyson Stengle up forward, Jeremy Cameron’s up and about, Zach Guthrie played a really good game tonight and Tom Atkins through the midfield – five players they’ve found this year they didn’t have last year,” he said.

“They’ve always had a deep squad and players that can come in and play the roles, but they just seem to be deeper again this year.

“The other two are Max Holmes, who’s a young player that’s getting it done, and at the other end of the spectrum is Isaac Smith – those two are running players getting up and down the ground in front of the ball. Brad Close is another … I mean Sam Menegola wasn’t even in the 22 and he comes in and he’s a legitimate AFL player.

“They’re really well placed and that depth of squad they’ve been able to put together with shrewd trading and recruiting, salary cap management – ​​they’ve done well.”

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Eli Templeton, St Kilda Saints, Balwyn Football Club, Eastern Football Club, Port Melbourne, VFL, concrete, concussion, fence, bump, Zac Clarke

Eli Templeton, St Kilda Saints, Balwyn Football Club, Eastern Football Club, Port Melbourne, VFL, concrete, concussion, fence, bump, Zac Clarke

A former Saint has been rushed to hospital, reportedly with a fractured skull, after a shocking incident that saw a local footy game called off on Saturday.

Eli Templeton was sent crashing over a fence while representing Balwyn Football Club and landed head-first onto the surrounding concrete.

He suffered concussion in the shocking incident that’s been described in a News Corp report as “not malicious”.

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It was former Docker Zac Clarke who made the contact that sent Templeton over the fence in the clash between Balwyn and Doncaster East.

Templeton was reportedly unconscious for at least two minutes after the accident.

There’s reports the 26-year-old suffered a fractured skull in the sickening collision which left teammates and those at the ground visibly shaken.

But in good news for Templeton, he is set to make a full recovery.

Balwyn president Richard Wilson told local media the youngster was “cognitive and speaking and passing all the tests” on Saturday night.

It’s believed if Templeton had gone over the fence a few meters away from where he landed, it would have been onto grass.

Templeton had been granted permission to play for Balwyn after his VFL side Port Melbourne had the bye this weekend.

In a statement, Port Melbourne confirmed Templeton was injured in the collision.

“The club is aware that one of our VFL players Eli Templeton was injured in a local game today playing for Balwyn,” the statement read.

“We ask that everyone respects his privacy and we will update in due course.”

The 26-year-old played 14 games for the Saints across three seasons before being delisted at the end of 2016.

The Burnie product was the number three pick in the 2013 Rookie Draft but his AFL career was over by the age of just 21.

The Balwyn clash was called off early in the third term after Templeton’s sickening injury with the club leading by 23 points at the time.

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NRL 2022 Canterbury Bulldogs v North Queensland Cowboys, live score, updates, stream, start time, teams, Supercoach scores

NRL 2022 Canterbury Bulldogs v North Queensland Cowboys, live score, updates, stream, start time, teams, Supercoach scores

The Bulldogs lodged the quickest captain’s challenge in NRL history and earned a dream start against the Cowboys.

That led to the first try in the opening set of the game and Matt Burton crossed for the Dogs’ second.

But the Cowboys hit back just before the break with quick-fire tries to Griffin Neame and Chad Townsend to make 10-10 at halftime.

MATCH CENTER: Bulldogs v Cowboys, stats, teams, videos

North Queensland kicked off the match and the touch judge ruled it to bounce out, but Braidon Burns said he got a hand to it with his foot planted out.

The Dogs challenged and replays proved Burns correct, giving Canterbury a penalty on halfway which led to the first try.

Burton put through a grubber and Peta Hiku hesitated just long enough for Josh Addo-Carr to swoop through and score in the third minute.

Burton then turned scorer when he proved too strong from close range off the back off a scrum move in the 18th minute.

The Cowboys were finally rewarded for their sustained pressure when forward Griffin Neame barged over from close range in the 31st minute.

North Queensland halfback Chad Townsend made it two tries in three minutes when he put his head down and burrowed over in the corner.

34TH MINUTE

North Queensland halfback Chad Townsend put his head down and burrowed his way over in the corner.

31ST MINUTES

The Cowboys were finally rewarded for their sustained pressure when forward Griffin Neame barged over from close range.

18TH MINUTE

Bulldogs five-eighth Matt Burton proved too strong from close range to finish off the back off a scrum move.

3RD MINUTE

Matt Burton put through a grubber and Peta Hiku hesitated just long enough for Josh Addo-Carr to swoop through and score.

“Hiku thought the fullback Scott Drinkwater was going to come in and attack the ball and the Foxx is right there on the sport,” Steve Roach said on Fox League.

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MATCH PREVIEW

The Bulldogs have brought Raymond Faitala-Mariner into their starting side at lock to face the Cowboys, with Tevita Pangai Junior moving to the bench.

Canterbury look like a new side under Mick Potter and the Dogs are chasing a third straight win in what would be their biggest scalp of the season.

North Queensland have won six of their past seven and are looking to solidify a second spot on the ladder.

The Cowboys are 1-17 on side coach Todd Payten named on Tuesday.

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow takes Kyle Feldt’s place after it was confirmed he would miss two games with a hamstring injury. Jake Granville slots onto the bench.

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Contracts, driver market, Daniel Ricciardo future, Pierre Gasly contract clause, McLaren, Alpine replacement

Contracts, driver market, Daniel Ricciardo future, Pierre Gasly contract clause, McLaren, Alpine replacement

The F1’s silly season has well and truly arrived, with the retirement of Sebastian Vettel last week sparking mid-season musical chairs as Fernando Alonso signed with Aston Martin.

Now widespread reports suggest McLaren will snap up rising Australian star Oscar Piastri, leaving fellow countryman Daniel Ricciardo without a seat for next year.

It leaves Alpine on the lookout for a driver to replace Alonso and Ricciardo shaped as the most logical option, having previously worked together when the team was called Renault.

Lamonato: Likely to see Piastri in F1 | 06:01

But there could be a twist which opens up another alternative for Alphine, should they opt to go in a different direction.

A report back in June from RacingNews365claimed that AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly has a clause in his contract that would allow him to join a rival team in 2023 — with one condition.

That is that the team is placed higher than AlphaTauri on the standings and Alpine, currently sitting in fourth in the constructors’ championship, would fit that bill.

Now that report has been shared around again given it takes on even more relevance with Alonso’s shock exit.

Gasly’s path back to Red Bull is seemingly blocked after Sergio Perez re-signed until at least the end of 2024 and the Frenchman had been linked to McLaren earlier in the year.

But with Piastri seemingly on his way to McLaren, there would be an opportunity at Alpine should that be of interest to both parties.

MORE F1 NEWS

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AlphaTauri's French driver Pierre Gasly could hold the key. (Photo by Jure Makovec / AFP)
AlphaTauri’s French driver Pierre Gasly could hold the key. (Photo by Jure Makovec / AFP)Source: AFP

Speaking back in June, Gasly said he was in “ongoing conversations” with Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko about his future.

“Well, at the moment, it is not a question of looking outside [Red Bull] or looking anywhere,” Gasly told media, per RacingNews365.com.

“I think my contract situation is pretty clear with Red Bull.

“It’s just ongoing conversation with Helmut and the management to know what’s best for all of us. But, as I said, it’s been very logical that they signed Sergio.

“He’s been competitive since the start of the year, so yeah, no surprise on that side. Obviously, it impacts what’s going to happen for my career in the coming years and, based on that, we just need to have normal conversation on what’s best going forward.”

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Business

Australian mum’s travel hate booms into $20m business Luxico

Australian mum's travel hate booms into $20m business Luxico

When it comes to holidaying, deciding whether to go with the expected comforts of a hotel or the relaxed amenities of an Airbnb generally comes down to the guest and the mood of the trip.

For mum and businesswoman Alexandra Ormerod, travel has always been high on the priority list – and she had no plans for that to change when she and husband Tom decided to start a family.

But with a little one in tow, the pair soon realized that the simple pleasures they once took for granted in a hotel room were no longer applicable for a young family.

“We have a lot of family overseas… we are avid travelers and after our first daughter was born we quickly discovered in our travels that hotels were dead to us and that came as a bit of a shock,” Ms Ormerod told news.com. ouch

“We soon found it very challenging to be traveling with a small child and finding accommodation that was of a standard better than a serviced apartment.

“We realized quite early on that places like Europe and Asia have a more mature market than Australia, so there are a lot more villas to hire in different locations. Whereas when you came to Australia and you effectively had the option of a holiday home. That home would be hired through a real estate agent and generally you were restricted to a coastal location and picking the keys up from the local fish and chip shop because the office was closed.

Ms Ormerod said the “disconnected experience” and “transactional approach” to hiring holiday homes in Australia meant guests “never really knew what they were going to get” on arrival.

With a background in advertising, Ms Ormerod said her work in travel and tourism along with her husband’s involvement in property development and real estate meant they identified a gap in the market for couples, friends and family groups seeking options in the luxury end of the holiday homes market.

As a result, ‘Luxico’ – which essentially combines hotels and holidays homes into one – was born in 2013.

“Luxico was a bit of an obvious outcome,” she explained of the company, which is now worth almost $20 million.

“We found there was a real niche for designer accommodation which we identified as not really existing at the time Luxico was born.”

Having a house on the Mornington Peninsula, Ms Ormerod said a lot of neighbors and Melbourne residents had “big homes” in the area which sat empty for most of the year. So she and Tom started renting out properties in the area which signaled a huge area of ​​demand for beautiful, high-end homes temporarily.

“We found there was a lot of demand for that $1000-a-night or more price point that was not being serviced,” she said.

“So we then built on that to try and service that demand, and try to take the experience away from a transactional offering to a more hospitality or hotel offering [within a luxury home].”

Each Luxico stay comes with a concierge service – essentially a local who ‘checks you in’ to the home. Each concierge acts as a point of call for guests, with no request too big, small or bizarre. The homes range from $250 to $15,000 or more per night.

“It’s bringing the human element back into that holiday home stay, and all our concierges are from the local area,” she explained of the company which exclusively manages $700 million worth of property across Australia.

“The extra services you can have – from chefs, to butlers and specialist touring – are all part of the optional extras.

“But for the everyday traveller, the feedback has been that the concierge had given them insider tips to the area … maybe told them of an amazing hidden gem they wouldn’t have otherwise known about that made their holiday.”

While celebrity clients make up a large bulk of the brand’s clientele, Ms Ormerod said “mums and dads” still make up the majority of bookings.

“Luxico is an end-to-end service so we exclusively manage all of the properties that we offer,” she said, adding that if a family is looking to book two or three hotel rooms – a home works out to be better value.

“So we are managing the guest experience not just through the booking process, but the experience they have in home and even afterwards.

“So from the slippers, to the towels to prepared toiletries, the concierge is going in there and provisioning and preparing the home so if you are traveling with small children we will bring in a toy box so they have something to play with. So it’s all those little touches that make the experience a continuance of the booking process.

“It’s more a holistic experience, connecting you with local products, experiences and service providers that will build on that stay.”

Read related topics:airbnb

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Washington Open 2022, results, semi-finals, Nick Kyrgios def. Mikael Ymer, final, time, tennis news

Washington Open 2022, results, semi-finals, Nick Kyrgios def. Mikael Ymer, final, time, tennis news

Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios, seeking his first title in three years, advanced to the men’s final at the ATP and WTA Washington Open with a tight victory over Sweden’s Mikael Ymer.

Australia’s 63rd-ranked Kyrgios edged 115th-ranked Ymer 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 and will play for the crown Sunday against the later winner between top seed Andrey Rublev and Japan’s 96th-ranked Yoshihito Nishioka.

Kyrgios, who won the most recent of his six ATP titles at Washington in 2019, has a 2-1 career mark against Rublev and a 3-0 record against Nishioka.

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Nick Kyrgios celebrates victory. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Nick Kyrgios celebrates victory. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

“I didn’t get to sleep until 4.50am, I just had so much adrenaline after (the Tiafoe win),” Kyrgios said.

“I got some treatment and my body was just so sore after last night. It was an epic battle.

“I didn’t really do much today but I felt like my energy was a little flat early on today and it’s understandable, I’m only human.

“My adrenaline for the final is going to be right there and I’m super excited for it. I’ve got doubles tonight, work on my returns a little bit. I returned pretty poorly tonight I’m not going to lie, so hopefully I can turn it up a little tonight.”

Kyrgios then backed it up to book a spot in the final doubles shortly after alongside American Jack Sock, making it two victories in the space of around five hours.

Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi, trying to end a nine-year WTA title drought at age 37, and 60th-ranked Liudmila Samsonova will meet in the women’s final at the US Open tuneup.

World number 37 Kanepi eliminated Australia’s Daria Saville 6-3, 6-1 in 73 minutes while Samsonova routed China’s Wang Xiyu 6-1, 6-1 in 67 minutes.

Kyrgios won the last three points in the first-set tiebreaker, Ymer sending a forehand long to end an intense rally before Kyrgios added a service winner and overhead smash.

Ymer, who lost his only ATP final last August in Winston-Salem, botched a forehand volley in the third game of the second set to miss a chance to grab a break point.

Kyrgios earned the first break points of the match in the eighth game and took advantage on his third chance with a passing forehand winner to break for a 5-3 edge, then held to claim the match after 94 minutes on his 10th ace.

The Aussie fired 28 winners with only 15 unforced errors and dropped only four points on his second serve.

Nick Kyrgios returns a shot. Patrick Smith/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP

Rublev seeks his 12th career crown and fourth title of the season after Marseille, Dubai and Belgrade, hoping to match Spaniards Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz for the most ATP trophies this year.

Nishioka, in his first ATP semi-final since 2020 at Delray Beach, won his only ATP title in 2018 at Shenzhen.

Nishioka and Rublev split two prior meetings, Nishioka winning at Sydney in 2019 and Rublev at last year’s ATP Cup.

Kanepi seeks her fifth career WTA title but her first since the 2013 Brussels Open. She won her only WTA hardcourt title at Brisbane in 2012.

Into her first WTA final since a 2021 Australian Open tuneup at Melbourne, Kanepi dominated Saville’s first WTA semi-final since 2018 at Acapulco.

“I played my best match,” Kanepi said. “Everything was very smooth for me. I hit a lot of lines.”

Kyrgios wins hearts with gift for fan | 00:37

Kanepi reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final since 2017 at this year’s Australian Open and credited that for a confidence boost crucial to her success this year.

“It was amazing,” she said. “I never thought I would make quarters in Australia. I thought it’s not just my place. But I played really well, and then I continued playing well. I didn’t actually put any pressure on myself to achieve something special.”

Samsonova, 23, won her only meeting with Kanepi in last year’s first round at Wimbledon. Samsonova is into her first WTA hardcourt final, having won her only prior tour final at last year’s German Open.

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Inner West major to look into stadium safety after Leichhardt Oval grandstand crash

Inner West major to look into stadium safety after Leichhardt Oval grandstand crash

A Sydney Mayor who has lashed out at Dominic Perrottet for alleged rugby stadium “pork barreling” has reacted with shock after a grandstand collapsed at the weekend.

A disturbing video shows the moment a railing at a Leichhardt Oval grandstand collapsed under the weight of fans attending a schoolboy rugby match.

A number of fans went tumbling over the stand like dominoes and face planted onto concrete meters below.

Paramedic crews at the game treated some minor injuries but no one was taken to hospital, NSW Ambulance reported.

Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne, who has campaigned for funding to upgrade the Leichhardt Oval, issued a media release just days before the collapse, accusing the state government of pork barreling for choosing to spend upwards of $300 million to build Penrith Stadium despite numerous commitments to fund suburban sports grounds.

“Dominic Perrottet is happy to spend $300 million in Stuart Ayres seat, to build a shiny, new Panthers Stadium for the exclusive use of one club,” Mr Byrne said, referring to the outgoing trade minister and MP for Penrith.

“But the Wests Tigers, and all of the other senior and junior, men’s and women’s Rugby League, Soccer and Rugby Union teams who regularly use Leichhardt Oval get nothing.”

The Council had plans to use part of a planned $250m slated for suburban sports grounds to upgrade and expand their grandstands.

“I call on Mr Perrottet to explain why this shocking pork-barrelling continues while most footy fans across Sydney get dudded,” the Labor mayor said.

Leichhardt Oval hosts more than 50 games a year across various rugby codes while Penrith Stadium will host just 11 Penrith Panthers games a year.

Mr Byrne took to his social media following the grandstand collapse to share his shock over the dangerous incident.

“The collapse of grandstand seating at Leichhardt Oval today during a schoolboy rugby match was incredibly dangerous,’ he said.

“The footage is shocking.”

Inner West councilor Philippa Scott jumped into the comment section to direct her anger at the state government.

“I am heartened to know that the spectators were sent home with only minor injuries, however I am incandescently angry at how our inner west infrastructure is treated by the state government,” she said.

“We are being smashed by not being a marginal Liberal seat.”

Mayor Byrne said his team are working to make the site safe and will fully investigate the safety risks it raises.

Australia Rugby League boss Peter V’landys this week accused Premier Dominic Perrottet of reneging on his agreement after he redirected funds set aside for sports grounds to flood recovery.

Premier Dominic Perrottet has denied backflipping on his deal to upgrade Brookvale Oval, Leichhardt Oval and Shark Park.

“We won’t give up. We’re going to make sure the fans will get the facilities,” Mr V’Landys told 2GB radio this week.

A tense 24 hours of negotiations on Tuesday night had the ARL boss and the government tussling over whether the grand final would be moved from Sydney to Queensland.

Mr V’landys said in a radio interview at the weekend negotiations were ongoing and that a decision on the grand final would be made on Monday.

“We’re still negotiating with the NSW government, we don’t accept the excuse they’ve given us,” he said.

“The (ARL) commission will meet on Monday to decide the strategy it’s going to use … we don’t want to punish the NSW fans because the government isn’t meeting its commitments.”

Read related topics:sydney

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AFL news 2022: Kane Cornes slams Buddy Franklin for contract saga, Sydney Swans

AFL news 2022: Kane Cornes slams Buddy Franklin for contract saga, Sydney Swans

Former Port Adelaide star Kane Cornes has accused Sydney Swans forward Lance Franklin of selfishness, suggesting the eight-time All-Australian’s contract saga is distracting his teammates ahead of the finals.

Earlier this week, Nine journalist Michael Atkinson reported that Franklin was considering turning his back on the Swans for a deal with the Brisbane Lions.

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But on Saturday, Franklin’s management released a statement confirming the 35-year-old was still “undecided” about his future in the sport, officially putting contract talks on hold and hinting at a possible retirement.

“At this stage conversations have been paused around my contract so I can put all my focus on playing footy,” Franklin said.

“No further comment will be made until the season is done and I have decided about my future.

“I am still undecided and need time after the season to make a family decision about whether I continue to play next year.”

Speaking on Channel 9’s AFL Sunday Footy ShowCornes argued that Franklin’s “very strange” statement didn’t stop speculation about his future in the sport, but rather fanned the flames.

“It was a very ‘me, me, me’ thing to do, I thought, from Buddy Franklin when the Sydney Swans are flying,” he said on Sunday morning.

“They’d paid him $10 million over nine years… I’m not sure you need to release a statement prior to the game.

“What was the point of Buddy doing that?

“It didn’t alleviate any of the talk. It made the talk fester more.

“The day before a game to release a statement like that, I thought it was very strange.”

Franklin has been in excellent form this season, kicking 41 goals in 17 games for Swans. However, the ongoing contract drama has become a significant distraction for John Longmire’s side as they approach September.

Lions coach Chris Fagan believes that if Franklin is considering a move to Queensland it would be more likely to be for retirement rather than continuing his football career.

“I would have thought if they are moving to Queensland, that’s perhaps an indication that Bud’s going to retire from AFL football,” he said on Friday.

“If it came to pass down the track that they do move here, and. someone reaches out from his camp and suggests that he still wants to play, then we would be remiss as a footy club not to go and have a conversation with him.

“As far I’m concerned he’s a Sydney Swans player, and if any of that was going to happen, it would happen when the season’s all over.

“My latest communication with him was a text message I sent to him when he kicked his 1000th (AFL) goal which was four months ago.

“I don’t know what will play out in the future but the way I see it right now is if he is moving to Queensland to live, I would suggest that he’s going to retire.”

Franklin joined the Swans from the Hawthorn Hawks in 2014 on a nine-year, $10 million deal.

While he has been injured prone in recent years, the scenes of fans flooding onto the SCG when he kicked his 1000th career goal showed he is still one of the sport’s biggest drawcards.

The Swans will face North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on Sunday afternoon, with the first bounce scheduled for 1.10pm AEST.

Read related topics:AdelaideSydney

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Construction industry collapse: Sign sector is heading for a bust

Construction industry collapse: Sign sector is heading for a bust

In the history of Australia, the nation’s economy has often been defined by booms and busts. From the 1890s depression driven by a collapse in wool prices and housing price crash, all the way through to the current boom in thermal coal prices, Australia’s economy has thrived and dived on boom and bust cycles.

In October 2019, the Reserve Bank warned of yet another boom that would turn to a bust, this time in the construction sector. At the time RBA Deputy Governor Guy Debelle made a speech to warn of falling activity in the industry, stating that it would subtract around 1 percentage point from GDP growth and that there was some risk the decline could be even larger.

Around that time investment bank UBS was equally concerned, warning that construction job ads were pointing to around 100,000 jobs potentially being lost in the industry as activity levels dropped from its peak.

With every boom comes a bust

Looking at the data, it’s clear why Debelle and the RBA were concerned about the direction of the industry. Between April 2012 and November 2017, the construction sector underwent an enormous boom following a period of rapidly falling activity resulting from the end of projects driven by the Rudd and Gillard government’s first homeowner grants. During this period dwelling approvals rose by 119 per cent and the construction sector enjoyed a period of strong growth even while other parts of the economy struggled.

But the continued strength of the construction sector was not to be.

Between November 2017 and the pre-pandemic lows of January 2020, dwelling approvals fell by 41.5 per cent. Naturally in time, dwelling commencements also fell from their peaks, dropping by 31.8 per cent between March 2018 and September 2019.

The pandemic effect

At the start of 2020, it was all very much looking like the RBA’s concerns about the future of the construction sector were justified. But when the pandemic arrived on Australia’s shores just a few months later everything changed.

In just a few months the fortunes of the construction sector changed dramatically, from a slowly dwindling pipeline of projects to unprecedented levels of government support for the industry.

From June 4 2020, the federal government’s ‘HomeBuilder’ program provided a $25,000 grant for eligible new builds and large scale home renovations on homes that met the government’s criteria. According to the federal Treasury as of March 2022, HomeBuilder had cost a total of $2.1 billion and received more than 137,000 applications (113,113 for new builds and 24,642 for renovations).

According to an analysis from Master Builders Australia, the value of building work supported by HomeBuilder amounted to $41.6 billion.

Various state and territory government grants for new homes also helped increase the number of new homes under construction to all time record highs.

Meanwhile, as the way Australians live and work changed dramatically as a result of the pandemic, demand for home renovations surged. According to the ABS during 2021 Australians spent $12.3 billion on renovating their homes, up 33 per cent compared with 2020.

Amid all this stimulus and pandemic driven activity, the construction sector has at times suffered from materials and labor shortages as it attempted to keep pace with rising demand.

But with HomeBuilder and various state and territory grants now in the rear view mirror, a concerning picture of the future is now slowly emerging.

Concerning signs

Since peaking in March 2021, dwelling approvals have failed by 29 per cent as of the latest data for June this year. After hitting an all-time record high in June 2021, dwelling commencements are following approvals down, falling 27.5 per cent as of the March quarter.

While a relatively strong pipeline of work remains and tradies are still in huge demand across much of the nation, the various forward looking indicators for the industry are showing similar concerning signs to those displayed in 2019.

However, unlike 2019 the broader economic circumstances are quite different and there are risks that the fortunes of the construction sector could deteriorate more swiftly. With mortgage rates currently rising at their most rapid relative rate in Australian history and inflation tipped by Treasury to hit 7.75 per cent by the end of the year, in time Australians may be much more reticent to take the plunge and pull the trigger on building a brand new home.

In 2020 the construction sector became the latest example of the “Lucky Country’s” good fortune coming to the rescue at exactly the right time. But now with a very different backdrop of economic circumstances, the sector has become even larger and activity levels even higher than the previous peaks, from which the RBA and UBS warned that the falls from could prove quite challenging.

Ultimately, despite the deteriorating forward looking indicators it is still very much early days for the construction sectors eventually slow down. More government stimulus or social housing construction may yet still come to somewhat fill the gap, but whether the sectors good fortune will hold, remains very much up in the air.

Tarric Brooker is a freelance journalist and social commentator | @AvidCommentator

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Ricky Stuart spray, Jaeman Salmon history, Ricky Stuart son, Cronulla Sharks juniors, Penrith Panthers, weak gutted dog, news

Ricky Stuart spray, Jaeman Salmon history, Ricky Stuart son, Cronulla Sharks juniors, Penrith Panthers, weak gutted dog, news

NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo has confirmed an investigation will be launched into Ricky Stuart’s stunning spray aimed at Panthers young gun Jaeman Salmon — as details of the history between the pair has been revealed.

Speaking on the Big Sports Breakfast, Abdo said the NRL Integrity Unit would be looking into the matter, and The Daily Telegraph’s Buzz Rothfield also explained ARLC chairman Peter V’landys is “aware of the full background”.

The bad-blood reportedly stems from Salmon’s time in the Cronulla Sharks junior system 12-years-ago and an incident with Stuart’s son, who played in the same team, according to the SMH.

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Stuart’s son was reportedly reduced to tears following an incident with Salmon in 2010.

Stuart then made comments which saw Salmon’s father get involved.

The dads then had a heated exchange and had to be separated.

“Not pleasant, I spoke to Ricky late last night and I have spoken to him again this morning,” Rothfield said on the Big Sports Breakfast.

“He knows that this happened a long long time ago, involving junior football and his son and I think that is common knowledge.

“But Ricky last night chose the wrong platform to speak out about it, and his choice of words were probably inappropriate.”

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Rothfield also called for all parties to sit down and mediate the situation which has “lingered on for a long time”.

“I think they (NRL) will have to (investigate), I think there has been quite a significant public outrage over Ricky’s choice of words and again the platform of a press conference,” Rothfield said.

“They will certainly investigate it.

“I would like to see them do it properly and maybe get all parties involved, because it has obviously lingered on for a long time and it is not good for the game when things like that blow up like it did last night.”

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Stuart labeled the Panthers playmaker a “weak gutted dog” in his post-match press conference, referencing his previous run-ins with Salmon.

The 23-year-old was placed on report for kicking out at Canberra dummy-half Tom Starling in a tackle.

“But where Salmon kicked Tommy (Starling), it ain’t on,” Stuart said.

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“I have had history with that kid (Salmon). I know that kid very well.

“He was a weak gutted dog as a kid and he hasn’t changed now. He is a weak gutted dog person now.”

Panthers coach Ivan Cleary chose not to respond to Stuart’s comments, and Rothfield explained the Raiders coach’s biggest problem is his inability to control his emotions.

“I am very close to Ricky and we know how emotional he gets,” Rothfield said.

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“Ricky’s biggest problem as a football coach and even when he was a player, he is one of those guys that gets so emotionally worked up.

“He has never been good at controlling those emotions, and you can say it wasn’t in the heat of battle, but after you have lost an important game you are still worked up.

“You aren’t thinking as clearly.

“I am not defending him at all, but it is a difficult one for the NRL to manage, I know Peter V’landys is aware of the full background so it is going to be an important story.”

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