English cyclist Matt Walls was involved in a horror crash at the Commonwealth Games on Sunday when he was catapulted over the barriers and into the crowds at the Lee Valley VeloPark.
The Olympic omnium champion, competing in the men’s 15km scratch qualifiers at the London venue, received treatment for more than 40 minutes before being taken away by ambulance.
Spectators were also hurt after Walls and his bike came over the top of the barriers on the high banking of a corner.
Two other riders — the Isle of Man’s Matt Bostock and Canada’s Derek Gee — were also taken to hospital, while two spectators were treated for minor injuries at the velodrome.
A statement from Team England said: “Following medical treatment in hospital, Matt Walls has been discharged with stitches in his forehead, scrapes and bruises but thankfully no major injuries.”
The Isle of Man team said Bostock had a CT scan from which the initial prognosis was positive.
General view of a crash in the Men’s 15km Scratch Race Qualifying Round.Source: Supplied
Witnesses said that because of the gradient of the banking, spectators in the front row had been unsighted for the crash.
One man received treatment for cuts to his arm while a young girl also received medical attention.
Walls had been trying to avoid riders who had failed. The stricken pair of New Zealand’s George Jackson and Australia’s Josh Duffy slid up the banking, forcing Walls up on to the barrier and then over it.
Gee also surfed the top of the barrier but managed to avoid following Walls into the stands but he fell heavily.
A Birmingham 2022 spokesman said in a statement that three cyclists and two spectators had been treated by the on-site medical team.
“The three cyclists have been taken to hospital. The two spectators did not require hospital treatment,” the statement added.
Canadian Mathias Guillemette was disqualified from the race for causing the initial crash and the rest of the morning session was cancelled.
British five-time Olympic gold medalist Laura Kenny, who is competing for England at the Commonwealths, called for bigger barriers or screens to be fitted in velodromes to improve safety.
Kenny, speaking a day after England’s Joe Truman was knocked unconscious in a crash, fears the sport is growing more dangerous.
“I think the crashes are getting worse and it’s because the speeds are getting higher, the positions (on the bike) are getting more extreme,” she said.
“Some of the pursuit positions people are getting in, you see people crashing into the back of people.
“At some point the UCI (cycling’s governing body) are going to have to put a cap on these positions. Maybe there should be screens because Matt should not have been able to go over the top and into the crowd — that’s pretty damn dangerous.” Australia dominated the afternoon session, with Georgia Baker taking gold in the women’s 25km points race and Kristina Clonan winning the women’s 500m time trial in a time of 33.234sec.
Australia’s Matthew Richardson won the men’s sprint, denying Trinidad and Tobago’s Nicholas Paul a second gold of the Games.
New Zealand’s Corbin Strong won the men’s 15km scratch to leave the Kiwis on six cycling golds, one behind Australia.
Most of the events at the Commonwealths are being held in Birmingham but the track cycling is taking place in London.
South Sydney enforcer Tom Burgess has taken the early guilty plea and will be sidelined for one week after he was sent off for a high shot on Saturday night.
A lazy swinging arm collected Sharks center Ronaldo Mulitalo high on the halfway line with three minutes left in golden point.
Burgess was charged with a careless high tackle and will miss next week’s clash against the Warriors.
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Burgess was sitting off in the loss.Source: FOX SPORTS
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The Rabbitohs were penalized over the shot and three tackles later Cronulla halfback Nicho Hynes’ slotted the match-winning field goal.
“High tackle Burgess, it’s a big problem, it’s on halfway,” Dan Ginnane said on Fox League.
“No matter what it’s a penalty to Cronulla, but what is the aftermath.
Ooft, a bit of force in that from Burgess. The players from Cronulla have just seen a replay and that’s got them bubbling again.
“Gone. Sit off. Tom Burgess straight from the field and they will finish with 12 and they have three and a half minutes to hold on with 12.”
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Co-commentator Steve Roach believes Burgess was unlucky to be penalized, let alone sent off.
“He was just trying to do something for his team, a bit over the top but I don’t think he hit him in the head actually, it slid up,” Roach said.
Hynes kicked for touch and three tackles later sent the home crowd into raptures by slotting a golden point field goal.
“Nicho Hynes is ice cool, it’s Cronulla’s night, they’ve done it again at the death in the Shire,” Ginnane said.
“It might be the moment that catapults them into the final four.”
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The very best thing about being Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, right now, as far as I can tell, is that no one is going to make them go to Birmingham. On Friday, the Commonwealth Games opened in the Midlands city and in the coming days, various members of the royal family will be sent forth to do their flag-waving best.
Never mind that much of Europe is busy slathering on the SPF 50 or that the Queen has begun her usual summer hols or that the beaches of Mustique are calling. To be a working member of the British monarchy this week requires that all available HRHs front up while looking jolly pleased to have to wear a Team GB polo shirt and watch badminton.
Having absconded more than two and a half years ago for sunnier climes and fatter bank accounts, this sort of tedious duty is no longer part of the Sussexes’ lives.
Small mercies, huh?
However, aside from the fact that the couple won’t have to contend with so much polyester and so many hours of archery anytime soon, things are not exactly looking that rosy over Montecito way, with the couple having taken hit after hit over the last 12 days or so.
Rewind to July 18 and Harry and Meghan were jetting into New York where they had an appointment at the UN, with the duke having been asked to give the address to mark Nelson Mandela Day. In the couple strode to the famed building’s foyer, a masterful demonstration of what has become a hallmark of their post-royal careers – purposefully marching into the important buildings for supposedly important meetings and events after which … nothing much would seem to happen.
Anyway, they were back! Back at doing their quasi-royal darnedest! Harry had a speech, Meghan had a Jackie O-esque black dress – what could possibly go wrong?
Well, for one thing, not that many people turned up. As the Duke of Sussex gave his address to him, talking about climate change (conveniently forgetting that the family uses private jets on the reg), disinformation and abortion rights (all the good stars on these fronts) the vast majority of the seats were visibly empty.
For whatever reason, the bulk of the great and good of the international body would seem to have decided to be elsewhere and not watch the sixth in line to the throne have a crack at international statesmanship. (Maybe the UN cafeteria was serving waffles?)
If Harry looked grim when the couple was caught by the paparazzi leaving Italian restaurant Locanda Verde, he had every reason to look sour. That week saw the publication of biographer Tom Bower’s Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors.
Bower’s book is a largely unrelenting, highly unflattering take on the Sussexes, casting them as fueled by ego and some misguided notion that Meghan was going to be Diana mark two, aside from the fact that, in the biographer’s telling, she seemed to have no interest in the monarchy, no willingness to learn its fusty ropes and little enthusiasm for the boring parts of HRH-dom.
As the week progressed, Bower did the press rounds, offering a series of caustic takes including that he thought “they pose a real threat to the royal family” and labeling the duchess “a very scheming” person.
What is surprising has been the reaction from Montecito, with the Sussexes having so far not commented. While in the past, the duo have filed multiple court cases against various media outlets and sent out legal letters during the storm over their daughter Lilibet’s name, however in this instance they have remained staunchly silent.
Then came the development playing out in a court in Florida when lawyers for the duchess got into the “subjective” nature of truth. Earlier this year, the former actress was sued by her estranged half-sister Samantha Markle for allegedly telling “false and malicious lies” during her bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview last year.
This week, the Duchess of Sussex’s lawyers moved to dismiss the case, with legal papers filed by their side arguing that Meghan’s description of growing up “as an only child” during the interview was “obviously not meant to be a statement of objective fact” and was “a textbook example of a subjective statement about how a person feels about her childhood.”
While it’s an argument that has more than a tinge of Philosophy 101 (what is truth?) this strategy then raises an obvious question: If Meghan’s characterization about her upbringing was “subjective” then were any of the other devastating claims she made during the two -hour tell-all “subjective” too?
One bright spot on the horizon for the duo during all this was Harry’s successful appeal to the High Court for a judicial review over the Home Office’s decision to no longer automatically grant him full-time bodyguards when he is in the UK.
Except, even this was not exactly a slam dunk; just because the review was granted does not mean it will automatically be successful.
Then there is the cost of the whole legal imbroglio. the Sun has reported that the UK government has spent $156,000 on the case from September last year to May 2020. If Harry’s costs are similar then that would mean he has also spent well into the six figures to argue the case over his security arrangements which only pertain to the handful of days per year he has spent, on average, in the UK since quitting.
That bill could only go up if he ultimately loses the case, with the Home Office having previously said it will look to recover costs if they win.
While August is a traditionally quiet month on the Planet Royal, the rest of the year is shaping up to be a barnstormer of a doozy.
Harry is looking down the barrel of some of the most monumental months of his life since the sonic boom of Megxit, with news his memoir will be published before Christmas and with Page Six having reported that Netflix wants the couple’s “at home” docu series (shush you in the back there yelling “reality show”!) to hit screens this year too.
This book and show will very likely prove to be huge commercial successes for the couple, much needed professional wins after having released exactly no content up until this point for the streaming giant, since 2020 – but at what cost?
If either or both of these projects are focused on little more than the Sussexes launching a fresh volley of complaints about their treatment by the royal family, interspersed with some vignettes of them doing some caring, then they could be playing with fire.
If this scenario came to pass, they would run the risk of looking dangerously like little more than perpetual whingers who are clinging to the self-appointed victim status inside their $20 million mansion at a time when war, fire, floods and monkeypox are blighting the world.
Then there is what toll these two releases could take for his tattered relationship with House of Windsor, a bond that is reportedly hanging by a thread.
as the Sun’s former royal editor Duncan Lacrombe recently told the Daily Beast: “Once the book is out, William will have to make a decision about what he is going to do about Harry, but he is not going to do a thing until he knows what is on.” every page of that book. The reality is that if, as a senior member of the royal family, you have written a tell-all book, you have broken rule No. 1 of the royal family.”
If Harry’s book and/or their Netflix series sees them paint big fresh targets on the monarchy’s backs then will Queen & co. sit idly by and suffer through a fresh hellish round of monarchical character assassinations?
Thus far the Sussexes’ repeated media provocations have been met with a certain imperiousness and contrived dismissiveness from London but should the duke and duchess continue to bait the royal family but we might soon discover that The Firm has some very sharp teeth.
For example, the duo do still, of course, use their gifted Sussex titles from the Queen, day in and day out. While only parliament could officially revoke those titles, that is not to say the weight of the Crown and Harry’s father and brother could not be brought to bear pressure on them to no longer use them.
Would Prince Harry and Meghan Mountbatten-Windsor (or Prince Harry and Princess Henry of Wales) as they could only then call themselves be quite so marketable for Hollywood?
There is so much on the line for them in the coming month – their image, reputations, careers and potentially even a large chunk of money. But, there is always a sliver lining: At least no one is going to be making them sit through a table tennis match any time soon.
Daniela Elser is a royal expert and a writer with more than 15 years’ experience working with a number of Australia’s leading media titles.
The rate at which construction costs are soaring – contributing to a spate of high-profile building company collapses – will ease next year, according to new forecasts from global consultancy firm RLB.
Construction cost inflation in Melbourne is forecast to halve, dropping from 8 per cent this year to 4 per cent in 2023, and in Sydney it is predicted to slow from 6.9 per cent to 3.9 per cent.
An even bigger decline is forecast for the Gold Coast with cost growth dropping from 11.5 per cent to 5.5 per cent. Similarly, in Brisbane it should drop from 10.5 per cent this year to 5.1 per cent in 2023, according to forecasts published this week in RLB’s second quarter 2022 International Report.
RLB research and development director Domenic Schiafone said the expectation that costing will ease through next year was due to curtailing demand, likely to be caused by inflationary pressures.
“This easing of demand should allow manufacturing and logistics to get back to ‘normality’ or pre-Covid levels,” he said.
“The easing of demand should also see a softening of material prices with the high level of ‘demand-led price premiums’ reducing.”
Association of Professional Builders co-founder Russ Stephens, whose clients are residential home builders, agreed to escalate costs could halve next year, but off a much higher base.
He said the cost to build a residential home had increased a lot more than non-residential or commercial builds due to the larger percentage of timber used, and that temporary price hikes created by supply and demand were not reflected in the reports we were seeing.
Australia’s typical house build cost has soared more than $94,000 in 15 months, according to figures revealed in analysis by the Housing Industry Association and News Corp Australia earlier this month.
The national inflation rate hit 6.1 per cent in the year to June with new dwellings and automotive fuel the most significant contributors, new figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics this week showed. New dwellings were up 20.3 per cent.
Warning to Australians wanting to build
While construction cost inflation is expected to ease sometime next year, in the meantime the pain will continue.
Mr Stephens said because costs were increasing so quickly, consumers needed to be aware prices quoted for builds would not last long.
“If they’ve had a price quoted that is older than 30 days they should expect to have that price renegotiated,” he said.
He also said consumers would see more builders including rise and fall clauses, also known as cost escalation clauses, in contracts.
“It gives the ability for a builder to pass an increase in cost of materials on to the consumer,” Mr Stephens explained, adding it was common in other countries but Australia didn’t typically use them.
“What I would say to consumers is that’s not necessarily a negative thing because if the builders don’t put those clauses in they’ll have to put more contingency in to the price to protect themselves against potential increases.
“So rise and fall clauses are probably a good thing for consumers because it means they will only pay the cost of the increase rather than an inflated prediction of what increases might be, especially as we’re seeing evidence now that the increases will start to slow down next year.”
Factors contributing to the construction industry crisis
The construction industry is facing challenges so great that high-profile building companies are dropping like flies.
Mr Schiafone said fragmented supply chain issues were not resolved and labor shortages across the nation have continued as a result of the pandemic.
The consultancy’s report noted lead times for some products from overseas were currently
16 to 20 weeks, when traditionally they were half that at eight to 10 weeks.
Additionally, the need for construction labor and materials after recent flood damage will enhance existing shortages across the country, he said.
Mr Schiafone said higher fuel prices, increasing power costs and timber shortages were all symptoms of the war in Ukraine and were likely to linger for some time yet.
RLB global chairman Andrew Reynolds said significant cost escalation, global delivery uncertainty, aberrant weather events causing significant construction delays, and labor shortages were common challenges in the industry across the world.
Failed building companies
The latest company to collapse was prominent Melbourne apartment developer Caydon earlier this week, blaming “one difficult market situation after another”.
The next day, on Wednesday, ASX-listed developer Cedar Woods shelved a major inner-city Brisbane townhouse and apartment project due to rising costs and delays.
It came less than a week after Perth developer Sirona Urban killed off a $165 million luxury tower, where more than 50 per cent of apartments had been bought off the plan, blaming skyrocketing construction costs and labor shortages.
It was the second major apartment project to fall over in Australia last week.
A Melbourne developer, Central Equity, abandoned plans to build a $500 million apartment tower on the Gold Coast, blaming the crisis in the building industry and surging construction costs for making the project unprofitable.
Earlier this year, two major Australian construction companies, Gold Coast-based Condev and industry giant Probuild, went into liquidation.
The grim list has continued to grow from there as a number of other high-profile companies also collapsed, including Inside Out Construction, Dyldam Developments, Home Innovation Builders, ABG Group, New Sensation Homes, Next, Pindan, ABD Group and Pivotal Homes.
Others joined the list too including Solido Builders, Waterford Homes, Affordable Modular Homes and Statement Builders.
Then two Victorian building companies were further casualties of the crisis, having gone into liquidation at the end of June, with one homeowner having forked out $300,000 for a now half-built house.
Hotondo Homes Horsham, which was a franchisee of a national construction firm, collapsed a fortnight ago affecting 11 homeowners with $1.2 million in outstanding debt.
It is the second Hotondo Homes franchisee to go under this year, with its Hobart branch collapsing in January owing $1.3 million to creditors, according to a report from liquidator Revive Financial.
Meanwhile, a Sydney family face never being able to build their dream home after their builder Jada Group collapsed in March owing $2.4 million and the cost of their home’s construction jumped to $1.9 million, a whopping $800,000 more than the original quote.
Snowdon Developments was ordered into liquidation by the Supreme Court with 52 staff members, 550 homes and more than 250 creditors owed just under $18 million, although it was partially bought out less than 24 hours after going bust.
Dozens of homeowners and hundreds of tradies were left reeling after a Victorian building firm called Langford Jones Homes went into liquidation on July 4 owing $14.2 million to 300 creditors.
News.com.au also raised questions about NSW builder Willoughby Homes, which is under investigation by the Government after builds stalled and debts blew out to 90 days.
There are between 10,000 to 12,000 residential building companies in Australia undertaking new homes or large renovation projects, a figure estimated by the Association of Professional Builders.
The Brisbane Lions’ premiership hopes took a significant hit on Sunday afternoon, with Richmond putting the side’s top-four hopes in jeopardy following a stunning come-from-behind win at the MCG.
Brisbane at one stage in the first half held a 42-point lead, but was reigned in during a thrilling second-half that ultimately ended in the Lions’ 11th straight loss at the MCG, with the side still yet to win at the venue since 2014.
Despite the loss, Fagan said the MCG hoodoo remained an external talking point rather than a genuine phenomenon.
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Brisbane Lions press conference | 06:30
“It’s our best performance at the MCG for a long period of time I would’ve thought,” he said post-game.
“It doesn’t matter to me but I thought anyone watching the game would’ve thought it was a fantastic game of football. We were in it all the way to the end.
“Richmond had a really strong team tonight outside of Dustin. They had a lot to play for, as did we, we were trying to cement ourselves in the top four, now we’re in a battle, they’re trying to get back in the eight … there was no lack of effort on our side or theirs, it was a good reply in that regard.”
Not helping the Lions’ cause was an injury to Zac Bailey in the opening half, which forced Darcy Fort – a ruckman – into the contest as his replacement.
It was a move that raised eyebrows, but one Fagan was coy on when asked post-game.
“In hindsight it was the wrong decision to have Darcy as the sub. It’s probably something I’d rather keep in-house to be honest,” he said.
“I appreciate you asking the question, but we have our reasons and they’re good reasons, but in reflection tonight it would’ve been better to have a running player for sure.”
Speaking on Fox Footy, Dermott Brereton said Fagan had every right to be more frustrated with his side.
“I wouldn’t like to be sitting on one of the wooden seats inside the rooms as coach Fagan decides to give them a recital of what he’s just seen in the last 60 minutes,” he said.
Richmond Tigers Press Conference | 08:42
“Even though they got to within two goals at three quarter-time, I felt like they could still stabilize, Brisbane. Not until Rioli bombed one from 55m did I go ‘woah, this is really dangerous for them now’.”
Co-host Nick Dal Santo said the MCG factor was less of a concern than the sheer collapse the side suffered in the second half.
“Yes the ground conversation will get brought up and I think rightly so, but more damning and more disappointing from a coach’s perspective and the leaders of this football club is they weren’t able to shut the game down during the third quarter, let alone the last quarter,” he said.
“Lachie Neale got enough of the football, so my question becomes what went wrong and who didn’t stand up?
“Because you can’t ask a lot more from their key forwards, particularly in that first half, but it dropped off so quickly and their inability to minimize the momentum when the Tigers had it.”
Asked if there were elements of a “choke” in the Lions’ loss, Dal Santo said: “You’d have to say yes. But to what degree of a choke, I’m not quite sure.
“But when you’re up by 42 points, you are well and truly in control.”
Brereton added: “I thought they put in well enough to say it wasn’t a choke. Richmond just went back to their tried and true formula.”
Geelong captain Joel Selwood celebrated his 350th AFL game in perfect style, with a post-game moment summing up the veteran’s softer side off-field.
Selwood and the Cats notched a 10th consecutive win on Saturday night, defeating the Western Bulldogs at GMHBA Stadium to remain a game clear atop the AFL ladder.
A rousing post-game celebration of Selwood involved a chair-off from teammates, congratulations from friends and family, but took an unexpected turn when the 34-year-old ventured back out to the four corners of the centre-square to thank fans for their support.
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Geelong Cats press conference | 10:14
“How good does that look, how well is that done,” former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said on Fox Footy’s Best On Ground.
“Football is a team game, but it is played by individuals who contribute blood, sweat and tears to the cause.
“To be able to be acknowledged in that arena and in that cauldron of his own accord without even his teammates around, that’s pretty special.”
Geelong coach Chris Scott paid tribute to Selwood’s glittering career so far, but said the moment in the centre-square was an insight into the star skipper’s state of mind.
“The thing that keeps striking me about Joel is that he’s a carer,” he said.
“It might be a little bit of a soft word to attach to such a tough guy, but he’s always thinking about other people.
“That’s what I saw out on the ground too, he’s not going out to wave to the crowd and accept all the adulation, he’s going out there to thank them and show his appreciation for being a part of his big night and big career.”
Scott admitted he had been “a little bit emotional the whole week” about Selwood’s milestone and remains in awe of his side’s captain.
“I’m still pinching myself every day walking into the Geelong footy club,” he said.
“It’d be nice to be able to tell my kids and grandkids one day that I spent a lot of time with Joel Selwood. It’s a royal privilege.”
Selwood’s glittering CV could be capped this year with his first premiership as captain, having already played in three earlier in his career.
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ daughter made her on-screen debut.
Holmes, 43, stars in the newly released movie “Alone Together,” and her daughter Suri Cruise, 16, joined her on the big screen, Fox News Digital has reported.
“I always want the highest level of talent,” Holmes said in an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment. “So, I asked her. She’s very, very talented. She said she would do it, and she recorded it, and I let her do her thing about her. That’s the way I direct in general. It’s like, ‘This is what I think we all want – go do your thing.’”
In the movie, Suri sings a cover of “Blue Moon,” which plays during the opening credits of the film. Holmes told the outlet this will not be her daughter’s only on-screen singing gig.
“She actually did sing in ‘Rare Objects,’ which is the film we did last fall,” Holmes explained. “Other than that, she she’s a 16-year-old kid doing high school.”
Cruise and Holmes were married from 2006 to 2012. Suri is their only child together, and Suri’s parents opted to keep her out of the public eye for a majority of her childhood.
Holmes directed, wrote and stars in “Alone Together.” She stars alongside Jim Sturgess in the romantic comedy set during the coronavirus pandemic. The film follows a man and woman fleeing New York City during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020.
The pair end up booking the same Airbnb and ultimately decide to stay at the upstate property together.
Sturgess praised Holmes’ directing style and shared that she gives actors wide latitude when they are in front of the camera.
“She gives you this incredible space between action and cut,” Sturgess said of his co-star.
“She very rarely shouted, ‘Cut!’ actually. You’d think the scene had ended and she just kind of left it hanging. I love that she was always searching for those little nuggets of authenticity.”
The movie is in theaters and will move to video on demand on Friday.
This article originally appeared in Fox News Digital and was reproduced with permission.
Magpies young gun Jack Ginnivan has revealed the intense commentary around his game has “definitely taken a toll on my mental health,” but says he has strong support around him.
Ginnivan was at the center of more debate from the football world after being involved in a contentious umpiring decision during his side’s 10th consecutive win over Port Adelaide on Saturday.
It put the 19-year old in the spotlight yet again, having made headlines all season for his polarizing approach and ability to draw free kicks.
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And Ginnivan admitted the heavy scrutiny has affected him in a brutally honest post-game interview.
“It’s definitely taken a toll on my mental health and all that stuff, but I’m here, happy, smiling, when you’re kicking goals and winning it’s beautiful, so (I) can’t complain,” Ginnivan told Fox Footy .
“I’ve got some strong leaders around me, Darcy Moore, Callum Brown is one of my best mates, he’s looking after me.
“My mum, my family are so amazing, they’re up here every week, so I can’t complain. ‘Fly’ (Craig McRae), he’s a beautiful human, I love him to bits and he’s looking after me day by day.”
The latest controversial umpire call on Ginnivan came midway through the second term of Collingwood’s narrow win over the Power at the MCG after the forward took possession of the ball inside forward 50.
Ginnivan then appeared to turn into a Robbie Gray tackle and get taken high, prompting the umpire to pin the Magpie for holding the ball.
Collingwood fans were vocal in letting their thoughts be known, booing loudly after the decision.
“Every time he’s tackled there’s a question among football fans,” Fox Footy commentator Mark Howard said.
Riewoldt: ‘It was the right decision’ | 00:43
It came after the AFL recently announced a crackdown of high contact interpretation for players who duck or shrug into a tackle, with umpires now instructed to pay holding the ball.
But just last week the league admitted Ginnivan should’ve been awarded a free kick for a tackle laid on him by Essendon’s Mason Redman, but said the Magpie was responsible for the high contact.
It prompted AFL legend Leigh Matthews to say he felt so “sick” and “disturbed” after watching Ginnivan not receive a free kick for the Redman tackle that he couldn’t sleep, declaring the “fabric of the game is being attacked” in passionate Pull on 3AW.
Although St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt said he believed the umpire made the right call in paying the free kick against Ginnivan during Saturday’s clash against Port.
It came amid a strong first half from Ginnivan, booting three goals, with Riewoldt praising the youngster for performing while under so much scrutiny.
“We’ve lost our minds over the last couple of weeks and this young man has been at the center of it,” Riewoldt said on Fox Footy at halftime.
“You’ve got to love the fact he comes out here on the biggest stage and with all the noise, all the talk, despite the fact he’s only a 19-year-old kid, he comes out this quarter and he absolutely lights it up.
Ginnivan gets caught by Gray (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“It’s just awesome to watch. I don’t think we’ve spoken about a 22-gamer as much as we have this guy and what has maybe gotten a lost a little bit in all of it is just how well he’s been playing.”
Former Magpies coach Nathan Buckley also thought the incident was well umpired.
“There was the one that wasn’t paid inside the forward 50 and he was a metre-and-a-half from the Port Adelaide defender and knew what he was going to do before he got there,” he said.
“There wasn’t any evasive action taken. I think that one was fair enough, as was the one on the wing.”
Triple M commentator Brian Taylor noted: “I think he’s been given life, Ginnivan! I don’t think he’ll receive a free kick again,” while others on social media were less than satisfied with the officiating of the play.
There’s a place that gives me the shivers: And not just because it’s cold. The fresh section of the supermarket has become terrifying.
I’m not frightened of the vegetables themselves. What’s different is the numbers on the price tags. They suddenly make vegetables look like luxury goods.
The latest consumer price inflation figures are out and they tell a shocking story.
As the next chart shows, the price of vegetables has gone supernova. It’s hardly the only product to have shot up. Your breakfast cereal and the sandwich in your lunch box are also much more expensive than before. Only one product category fell in price in the most recent data: pork.
The price of vegetables went up a lot between March and June this year because in winter, we get our veg from Queensland, and the state got flooded in March. Fields that would usually be full of happy young lettuces were instead knee-deep in filthy floodwater.
The basic law of economics says when things are in short supply, the market starts raising prices. Only buyers who really want something – and who can afford it – are left buying. The rest of us stop buying. This is what markets do – change prices to make sure demand equals supply. Sometimes that means raising prices a lot to scare off most buyers.
I was definitely put off buying my favorite fresh vegetables by high prices. I bought frozen veg a few times, and even bought brussels sprouts instead of broccoli at one point – talk about desperate times!
The price of fruit
Fruit was up by a lot in the three month period too. It rose 3.7 per cent, which is significant. Berry crops got hit by bad weather too. But fruit inflation would have been a lot higher if it wasn’t for avocados. Those guys have their seed on the inside, so they count as fruit, and they have tumbled in price. Who among us hasn’t shoveled in a lot of guacamole in recent times?
Avocado farmers seem to have gone on a planting spree back when jokes about smashed avo were at their peak. It takes five years or so for an avocado tree to grow enough to make fruit, and now the farmers are pulling in massive crops. Jokes about smashed avocado are over in 2022 however, and in a grim irony, it’s avocado prices that are now toast.
“The additional [avocado] trees started producing fruit around the middle of last year, leading to oversupply and sharp price falls,” said a spokesperson from the ABS when I asked about why fruit prices were not as high as vegetables.
She explained avocados are often eaten in cafes and restaurants, so when we eat at home more the avocado industry takes an extra hit.
“Reduced demand from the food service industry due to lockdowns also reduced demand for avocados during the later parts of last year,” she said.
That adds up to cheap avocados. I bought a bagful yesterday for well under a dollar each.
Pork on your fork
The outlier in the graph above is pork. Why is it cheaper, I asked? The answer seems to be cheap imports. I went digging for data and found the Australian pork industry published loads of information on pork imports. They say that by May 2022 we had brought in a lot more pork – 22,000 tonnes instead of 13,000 tonnes by May 2021. Our extra bacon is especially coming from Denmark and the Netherlands.
That extra supply has helped eased prices after a period early in 2022 where pork prices got a lot higher.
But why are the Europeans suddenly sending us so much pork? The answer is a fascinating one – pigs don’t graze grass like cows – you have to feed them (not unlike people!) and as the next chart shows, the cost of feed as a percentage of the eventual price of the pig got very high in early 2022.
Pig farmers have the choice to either make money by turning pigs into bacon, or spend money keeping on feeding them. They are choosing the former. So ironically, high food prices in Europe may be helping keep down the price of Australian pork.
Jason Murphy is an economist | @jasemurphy. He is the author of the book Incentivology.
The Tigers will be without Jackson Hastings for the rest of the season after he suffered an ugly leg break against the Broncos.
Hastings had his leg caught under him in an ugly tackle that saw Broncos forward Patrick Carrigan placed on report for a hip drop tackle.
Scans confirmed a broken leg for Hastings who will undergo surgery that rules him out for an extended period.
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Meanwhile, the Eels have copped a massive blow in their hunt for the top four with star halfback Mitchell Moses reportedly suffering a broken finger.
Brent Read told Triple M that Moses will be ruled out for at least a month after suffering in the injury in last night’s win over the Panthers. Moses appeared to injure his finger at him in the 31st minute, and had it strapped by a physio shortly afterwards, but managed to finish the match.
Moses will reportedly undergo surgery and could miss the remainder of the regular season.
COWBOYS LOSE FLYER TO HAMSTRING INJURY
The Cowboys will be sweating on a hamstring injury to winger Kyle Feldt after he limped off in their 34-8 win over the Dragons.
STORM FULLBACK CRISIS WORSENS
Meanwhile, the Storm’s outside back injury crisis has worsened with replacement fullback Nick Meaney going off against the Warriors with a shoulder injury.
Meaney fell on the point of his shoulder from a great height after he was taken out in the air by Warriors winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
“He fell awkwardly and I wouldn’t be surprised if he has quite a significant AC joint injury the way that shoulder came down right on the point,” Warren Smith said on Fox League.
“Melbourne in all sorts of problems here. They were chasing Reece Walsh to be a fullback.
“Tyran Wishart will come on and play fullback now after they already lost Ryan Papenhuyzen for the season.”
Nick Meaney suffered a shoulder injury.Source: FOX SPORTS
Coach Craig Bellamy was hopeful after the game that it wasn’t a serious injury and revealed there are some positive signs.
“He’s done something to his right shoulder but I don’t think we’re quite sure of what he’s done,” he said.
“It looked pretty dire when he came off, he obviously had the sling on. But it’s looking a bit better at the moment, they don’t think it’s quite as bad as what they thought it was at the start.”
In the same game, Warriors five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita succumbed to a leg injury in the first half and left the field.
“We’re thinking it’s an MCL… he’ll have scans to see the extent of the injury. But our medical officer said it’s an MCL injury,” interim coach Stacey Jones said after the game.
Brain fade gives Niche a golden moment | 00:51
ROOSTERS STAR SUFFERS UGLY CONCUSSION
Roosters prop Lindsay Collins has suffered a nasty head knock, colliding with the head of Morgan Boyle.
Collins bounced out of the tackle, knocking himself unconscious before leaving the field with the assistance of the club doctor and trainer.
The 26-year-old was one of three players who left the field in the first four minutes of the Origin decider and was playing his first game since the blow, spending two weeks sidelined due to ongoing concussion symptoms.
“I fear for Lindsay here, he went straight down… he has copped both head and shoulder, that is incredibly heavy on Lindsay Collins,” Andrew Voss said.
“You could see the contact,” Greg Alexander said.
“That is worrying for a player that is only returning this round because of concussion.”
Fox League’s James Hooper confirmed Collins would not return to the field in Round 20.
“Category 1 concussion, his night is over,” Fox League’s James Hooper said.
PANTHERS’ INJURY UPDATE
The Panthers have copped a significant blow with star five-eighth Jarome Luai expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks.
The club confirmed the timeline on Thursday and revealed that Luai had suffered a high grade MCL injury.
Penrith also revealed that Mitch Kenny (knee) and Stephen Crichton (ear/concussion) could return next week.
“I can do it all!” Foxx delivers try | 00:39
TIGERS’ BIG BLOW
Luke Brooks will miss Round 20 and likely the rest of the season after suffering a calf injury at training.
The Wests Tigers confirmed on Thursday that Brooks will be out for five to six weeks with Jock Madden the man expected to replace him in the halves.
The Tigers also revealed Luke Garner is a good chance of returning from a neck injury in Round 21, Stefano Utoikamanu has commended a running program after undergoing wrist surgery and Tommy Talau will return to full team training over the next month.
Read on for the full NRL casualty ward.
ROUND 20 INJURIES
Lindsay Collins (head knock) – TBC
Nick Meaney (shoulder) – TBC
Chanel Harris-Tavita (knee) – TBC
Mitchell Moses (finger) – Finals
Adam Elliott (hip) – TBC
Jackson Hastings (leg) – season
Kyle Feldt (hamstring) – TBC
FULL CASUALTY WARD
BRONCOS
Selwyn Cobbo (concussion) – Round 21
Albert Kelly (foot) – Round 21
TC Robati (arm) – Round 21
Te Maire Martin (ribs) – indefinite
Herbie Farnworth (biceps) – indefinite
Jordan Pereira (illness) – indefinite
raiders
Adam Elliott (hip) – TBC
James Schiller (ankle) – Round 21
Jordan Rapana (suspended) – Round 21
Semi Valemei (knee) – Round 21
Harry Rushton (jaw) – Round 25
Trey Mooney (ankle) – indefinite
Jarrod Croker (shoulder) – season
Josh Hodgson (knee) – season
Harley Smith-Shields (knee) – season
BULLDOGS
Paul Alamoti (cheekbone) – Round 21
Corey Allan (groin) – Round 22
Ava Seumanufagai (calf) – Round 22
Corey Waddell (suspension) – Round 25
Luke Thompson (concussion) – indefinite
Jack Hetherington (shoulder) – season
Billy Tsikrikas (knee) – season
Raymond Faitala-Mariner (ribs) – Round 21
Braith perplexed by Finucane ban | 05:15
SHARKS
Dale Finucane (suspension) – Round 22
Royce Hunt (shoulder) – indefinite
Jack Williams (shoulder) – season
Sione Katoa (pectoral) – season
TITANS
Joe Vuna (knee) – indefinite
Shallin Fuller (leg) – season
BE EAGLES
Sean Keppie (shoulder) – Round 21
Ben Trbojevic (head knock) – TBC
Tom Trbojevic (shoulder) – finals/World Cup
Karl Lawton (knee) – season
Morgan Boyle (ankle) – indefinite
STORM
Nick Meaney (shoulder) – TBC
Jack Howarth (shoulder) – Round 21
Will Warbrick (quad) – Round 21
Tepai Moeroa (shoulder) – Round 21
Brandon Smith (suspended) – Round 21
Xavier Coates (ankle) – Round 22
Trent Loiero (back) – indefinite
Ryan Papenhuyzen (knee) – season
Reimis Smith (pectoral) – season
Christian Welch (Achilles) – season
George Jennings (knee) – season
KNIGHTS
Kalyn Ponga (concussion) – indefinite
Kurt Mann (quad) – Round 21
Bradman Best (thumb) – Round 22
Lachlan Fitzgibbon (shoulder) – indefinite
Chris Vea’ila (leg) – indefinite
Bailey Hodgson (elbow) – season
Dylan Lucas (pectoral) – season
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COWBOYS
Kyle Feldt (hamstring) – TBC
Jordan McLean (hamstring) – Round 24
Mitch Dunn (knee) – season
Heilum Luki (knee) – season
EELS
Haze Dunster (knee) – season
Ray Stone (knee) – season
Mitch Moses (finger) – Finals
PANTHERS
Eddie Blacker (hamstring) – Round 21
Mitch Kenny (knee) – Round 21-22
Stephen Crichton (ear/concussion) – Round 21
Kurt Falls (leg) – Round 21
Mavrik Geyer (thumb) – Round 21
Jarome Luai (knee) – Round 25-finals
Nathan Cleary (suspension) – Finals
‘Personally it wouldn’t be an issue’ | 01:59
RABBITOHS
Peter Mamouzelos (wrist) – Round 24
Hame Sele (hamstring) – Round 25
Michael Chee Kam (thumb) – Round 25
Campbell Graham (cheekbone) – indefinite
Liam Knight (knee) – season
Jacob Host (shoulder) – season
Jed Cartwright (hamstring) – TBC
Taane Milne (hand) – Round 21
dragons
Cody Ramsey (knee) – Round 22
Jayden Sullivan (shoulder) – Round 23
Mikaele Ravalawa (hamstring) – Finals
Moses Suli (ankle) – Finals
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