Jeff Bezos’ unfinished mega yacht was towed away from a Dutch shipbuilding yard before dawn Tuesday just weeks after Rotterdam residents threatened to pelt the luxury vessel with eggs if the city went through with plans to dismantle a landmark bridge to make way for the $500 million ship .
The 417-foot long, three-masted yacht, which goes by the name Y721, was relocated from the Oceanco shipyard in Alblasserdam to the Greenport yard just 24 miles away in Rotterdam, according to the German-language daily Der Spiegel.
Video of the towing was posted to YouTube by Dutch yacht enthusiast Hanco Bol.
“We never saw a transport going that fast,” Bol writes of what he witnessed. It took less than three hours for the ship to travel southwest along the Noord canal even though it normally requires nearly twice as much time to traverse the route, according to Bol.
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He speculates that Oceanco, the company that was commissioned to build the yacht, chose the timing of the move in order to keep it under wraps given the considerable publicity it has generated.
Rotterdammers who were furious about plans to dismantle “De Hef” bridge, also known as Koningshaven, had threatened to pelt the yacht with eggs if it made the journey.
Bol writes that the yacht’s route was designed to avoid traveling through the Rotterdam city center and underneath “De Hef” — even though it would have saved more time.
Oceanco last month announced that it had dropped its request for the Rotterdam city council to approve the temporary dismantling of the bridge.
The company had indicated that Bezos, the Amazon founder and second-richest person in the world, was willing to foot the bill for the removal of the middle section of the span so that the yacht would be able to sail through the Nieuwe Mass River.
Bol speculates that Oceanco intentionally avoided towing the unfinished yacht underneath “De Hef.”
“I think that was intentional,” he told Der Spiegel.
“When I was standing on one of the bridges, they shined a searchlight on me, so it wasn’t easy for me to take pictures.”
According to Dutch media reports, it will take several more months for the ship to be completed.
The Post has reached out to Amazon and Oceanco seeking comment.
This article was originally published by the New York Post and reproduced with permission
Canberra Raiders prop Josh Papalii has reportedly pledged his allegiance to Samoa for the upcoming Rugby League World Cup held in England later this year.
Papalii has dabbled in the Samoan and Kangaroos camps in the past with four games with Samoa and 11 with the Kangaroos.
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The Maroons veteran is the latest Australian eligible player to commit to a Pacific Island nation, joining Panthers duo Jarome Luai and Brian To’o.
“As an older player, I feel like it’s a movement I just don’t want to be missing out on,” Papalii said.
“Just seeing the likes of a few of the Penrith boys coming out and I’ve had few text messages from other players who haven’t come out yet saying they’ve put their hand up for Samoa.
“I have put my hand up to play for Samoa. Mal Meninga knows that and I’ve had a coffee with Mal as well to speak about what I’m planning to do… but that’s a long way from here, anything can happen in the next hopefully eight weeks.”
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This year’s Rugby League World Cup will be Papalii’s second for Samoa. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Papalii represented Samoa at the 2017 World Cup but has since pulled on the green and gold of Australia.
“I guess probably my last World Cup wasn’t the best, I sort of treated it as a little vacation and probably drank a bit too often, ate more than I should have,” he admitted.
“I’m looking to just play a bit of World Cup for the Motherland and represent my wife and my kids and especially my parents as well and just make Samoa proud.”
This year’s Rugby League World Cup will be hosted in the United Kingdom, making it Papalii’s third appearance in the major tournament, being his second with his native country of Samoa.
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Thai driver Alex Albon confirmed he has agreed to continue with Williams in 2023 amid the fallout over fellow F1 hopeful Oscar Piastri’s denial he will be racing for Alpine.
“I understand that, with my agreement, Williams Racing have put out a press release this afternoon that I am driving for them next year,” Albon said in a Twitter post, ironically referencing Piastri.
“This is right and I have signed a contract with Williams for 2023. I will be driving for Williams next year. Let’s go @williamsracing.”
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On Wednesday, Australian young gun Piastri refuted an announcement made earlier in the day by the French team Alpine that he had signed for them next season.
“I understand that, without my agreement, Alpine F1 have put out a press release late this afternoon that I am driving for them next year,” Piastri tweeted.
“This is wrong and I have not signed a contract with Alpine for 2023. I will not be driving for Alpine next year.”
Williams are one of the teams which, according to unconfirmed reports, are in talks to sign Piastri, Formula 2 champion in 2021 and currently a reserve driver at Alpine.
Williams, however, made no mention on Wednesday of their other driver, Canadian Nicholas Latifi, whose contract expires at the end of this year.
The confusion follows last week’s announcement by four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel that he would retire at the end of 2022.
His Aston Martin team announced a few days later they had concluded an agreement with Alpine driver Fernando Alonso, a double world champion, to replace Vettel from next year.
This precipitated the decision of the French team to announce Piastri as his replacement when the Australian seems to have entered into negotiations to sign for another team.
Rumors are raging Piastri is eyeing a seat at McLaren, with plenty of doubt about Daniel Ricciardo’s place at the team after two underwhelming seasons.
Albon, 26, whose mother is Thai and father British, debuted in Formula 1 in 2019 with Red Bull and joined Williams for this season.
During his time at Red Bull he had two third places before being replaced in 2021 within the Austrian team by Sergio Perez.
He currently sits 19th place in the championship with three points.
The divide in the Newcastle dressing room has been simmering for the past few months with Knights coach Adam O’Brien telling the playing group after a recent loss: “I know what you blokes are saying about me. I’m going nowhere.”
The point blank message from O’Brien can be revealed as the Knights go into damage control in the wake of the coach’s loose carry press conference last Sunday.
O’Brien fronted the media again on Tuesday to try and walk things back off the cliff but by that stage the cracks in the Newcastle dressing room had been prized wide open.
The David Klemmer situation has only driven a further wedge into the struggling club which has only managed five wins out of 19 games this year.
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The Knights started this season full of optimism after back-to-back wins over the Sydney Roosters and Wests Tigers before going on a run of seven losses leading into Magic Round.
It’s been slim pickings since with Newcastle now having the worst defensive record in the NRL having leaked 522 points at an average of 27.47 points per game along with currently having the worst differential in the competition of minus 238 points.
There’s no question O’Brien’s penchant for a blow-up is wearing thin with elements of the Newcastle playing group.
The problem for O’Brien is in 2022 it’s so much easier to get rid of a head coach than it is to completely try and turn over a roster.
The old saying goes you’ve never really been a head coach until you’ve lost four games in a row and the heat is on – which is exactly where O’Brien finds himself now.
‘AT A TIPPING POINT’: Knights at a crossroads, O’Brien feels for running ‘soft ship’
David Klemmer’s future at Newcastle is clouded. NRL PHOTOSSource: The Daily Telegraph
The Knights are adamant O’Brien will remain as the head coach next season but the biggest immediate challenge the Newcastle coach faces is getting the playing group all back on the same page.
New Director of Football Peter Parr has arrived at Newcastle and could only be shaking his head at the bun fight he’s walked into.
O’Brien is signed with Newcastle until the end of 2024 which if the Knights stay the course would mean he’s had a five-year tenure at the club.
After the events of the past week it’s now become blatantly clear the Knights coach needs a fast start to next season to ensure his own job security.
Let’s call the Klemmer play from Newcastle for what it is – the Knights are clearly trying to free up some money to try and go in a different direction next season.
Klemmer is on $800,000-plus which would give Newcastle some serious money to go to the open market with.
Plenty of ex-players are happy to tell you middle forwards often protest against being dragged from the field.
Newcastle have clearly identified they no longer want the ex-NSW and Australian prop at the Knights and so have started the process of steering him towards another club.
Adam O’Brien has come under scrutiny this week. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
ROOSTERS MOVE TO LOCK UP WALKER
The Sydney Roosters are set to launch a multi-million dollar play aimed at keeping young gun halfback Sam Walker at the Tricolours long-term.
Walker, 20, will be a free agent for rival clubs to approach as of November 1 but like all the good clubs the Roosters will try and make sure they strike a deal well beforehand.
The other rookie who has everyone talking at the Chooks is emerging superstar Joseph Suaalii. The Roosters clearly value his contribution to the team at the point where champion frontrower Jared Waerea-Hargreaves has been bringing him into leading the club’s team song over the past fortnight.
Jared has long been the Roosters leader in charge of leading the team song. Even after the Roosters were disappointed with their round 20 win over Manly, JWH still insisted on Suaalii riding shot gun with him leading the celebrations.
Nofoaluma vows to honor Tigers deal | 01:16
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DRAGONS CHASE ROOSTERS HOOKER
THE Gold Coast Titans aren’t the only club having a crack at signing Sydney Roosters hooker Sam Verrills.
The St George Illawarra Dragons are also making a play for the premiership-winning no.9.
Where it gets interesting is the Dragons have had a tough conversation with current hooker Andrew McCullough.
McCullough, 32, still has a year to run on his contract next season but the Red V are clearly exploring going in a different direction.
McCullough is one of the ex-Broncos clique of Dragons players who enjoys a close rapport with Red V coach Anthony Griffin.
The hooker, Dragons captain Ben Hunt and Josh Maguire all played in an under 20s grand finale with the Broncos in 2008 when Griffin was the coach.
‘This is what gives me the s****!’ | 02:04
FARAH GETS HANDS ON IN TIGERS FRONT OFFICE
The Wests Tigers putting the band back together with Tim Sheens, Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah is a smart play from the struggling club.
What’s equally as smart is Farah’s new contract stipulating that he’s also set to learn the ropes in terms of front office administration with the club.
The Tigers have long been laughed at by rival clubs about the way the club has been run.
Getting a figurehead like Farah who has bled for the club more hands-on in this department makes a lot of sense.
SOUTHS MOVE TO KEEP LATRELL, CODY AT REDFERN
We told you last week how South Sydney had a delicate $6 million balancing act on their hands around the re-signings of superstar fullback Latrell Mitchell and five-eighth star Cody Walker.
We were told there was a big chance the two key position players would wait until after November 1 to re-commit to South Sydney.
The Rabbitohs have swiftly moved to try and nip the scenario in the bud by meeting with the star duo earlier this week.
Both Latrell and Cody are off-contract at the end of next season but with talks progressing positively there’s every chance they can soon re-commit to the Bunnies.
It will be a huge coup for the red and green club and also for CEO Blake Solly.
Cult hero Rohan Browning has finished sixth in the final of the 100m at the Commonwealth Games.
Just an hour after he became the first Australian to reach a Commonwealth Games 100m final since 2010, Browning endured a disappointing final run that left him just 0.06 seconds short of the bronze medal at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.
It was the closest Australia has got to winning a medal in the men’s blue ribbon event since Matt Shirvington’s lightning time of 10.03 still wasn’t enough for him to get a medal at the 1998 Games.
Australia has never won a medal in the men’s event since the Commonwealth Games changed the distance to 100m in 1970. Now we have to wait at least four more years.
Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala won gold in 10.02 and reigning champion Akani Simbine won silver in 10.13. Sri Lanka’s Yupun Abeykoon took bronze with 10.14 with Browning crossing the line in 10.20.
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24-year-old Browning exploded out of the blocks and was right there in the mix with 40m to run. However, he slipped back slightly in the final run to the line and had to settle for a result that Aussie athletics great Tamsyn Manou said would have made him “bitterly disappointed”.
“He wasn’t far off,” she said in commentary on Channel 7.
“He looks bitterly disappointed, but I’m OK with that because that means he wanted more.”
In a cruel twist, Browning’s time of 10.10 seconds he set in the heats would have been enough for the silver medal.
Browning was philosophical when assessing his performance after the race. Browning said he “didn’t quite have the gas”.
“It’s nice to make a final and go through rounds of running. It’s a step in the right direction, I would’ve loved to be on the podium,” he added.
“I’m not satisfied by any means, but not too beat up. It’s been one of those seasons, and always learning.”
Browning is also just the fourth Aussie to make a Commonwealth Games 100m final in the past 30 years.
He joins Aaron Rouge-Serret (fifth in 2010) and Patrick Johnson (sixth in 2006) in the list of Aussies who have fallen agonizingly short.
Browning produced his best run of the year to send a message in the heats on Tuesday night (AEST).
He won his heat in a time of 10.10 in a spectacular turnaround from the World Championships in Oregon last month where he was unable to get out of the heats.
Browning, who famously ran 10.01 to win his heat at the Tokyo Olympics last year, looks like he is the real deal once again.
He said part of his bounce back from the world championships is the “humiliating” factor of failing to reach the semi-finals.
“I try not to take it to heart,” he said.
“There’s always that humiliation element when you get run out in the heats, but just trying to bounce back from it and not take it to heart and just trust that the form is there, it’s just in the execution. I think I’ve tapped into a good vein of form.”
Jake Doran, Australia’s second-fastest man, was unable to reach the final, finishing eighth in Heat 2 in a time of 10.40 seconds.
LIVE: It’s Day 6 of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and it’s set to be another cracker for the Aussies.
After 11 golds and 32 medals total on Day 5, Australia will be targeting more success – with a packed schedule in the Athletics, plus the final action in the pool.
Follow all the action in our live blog below and check back for regular updates!
Superstar Peter Bol opened his campaign in style, cruising into the end of the 800m after crossing the line in his heat in first place. While sprint star Rohan Browning is back in action in the 100m semis – and hopefully the final at 6.30am AEST.
In the pool, Ariarne Titmus hunts gold in the 400m, while Se-Bom Lee hits the water in the 200m individual medley.
There’s also plenty of other action on offer, with the Kookaburras back on the hockey field after the Hockeyroos’ comfortable victory early on day six, plus our Aussie women’s cricket who are on top against Pakistan.
That’s not to mention beach volleyball, table tennis, lawn bowls, or mountain biking and so on …
LIVE MEDAL TALLY: Keep up with the Aussie charge to the top!
EVERY AUSSIE MEDAL: Read the day-by-day recap of the Comm Games
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CHALMERS, AUSSIES FALL SHORT IN MASSIVE BOILOVER
Despite a sizzling anchor leg from Kyle Chalmers, Australia failed to win the men’s 4 x 100m medley relay as England caused a major upset to snare the gold.
England finished with a time of 3:31:80 while Australia touched the wall at 3:31:88.
Chalmers swam a split of 46.86 as it looked for all money that he would catch up to English swimmer Tom Dean, but it wasn’t enough.
TITMUS BEATS TEEN SENSATION TO WIN FOURTH GOLD
Ariarne Titmus has set a new Commonwealth Games record after winning the women’s 400m freestyle.
Titmus – the world record holder, defending Commonwealth Games champion, and the Olympic champion – beat 15-year-old Canadian sensation Summer McIntosh who ultimately came second in the race while Aussie Kiah Melverton took home the bronze.
Titmus touched the wall at 3:58:06, a few seconds off her personal best, but it did the job as she won her fourth medal in Birmingham.
STARC BATTLES SERIOUS INJURY AMID MEDAL TILT
Brandon Starc doesn’t look comfortable, grimacing as he deals with a reported foot injury in the men’s high jump final.
The 2018 Commonwealth Games champion needed two attempts to clear 2.15m then missed his first two efforts at 2.19m.
“That was not displaying much purpose. He did not get up off the ground, the foot injury no doubt playing on his mind, ”Channel 7’s David Culbert said.
Starc is battling a foot injury. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“With the troubles he has had you can see the body language is a bit of concern, does not look like the sort of athlete up and about feeling 100 per cent.”
Starc recovered with his third and final jump at 2.19m to stay alive, giving a little smile after nailing the height. Seven’s Matt Hill said: “Really good facial expression in contrast to what we saw a few moments ago.”
He then went on to clear 2.25m to throw down the gauntlet to the rest of the competition.
– via James Matthey, news.com.au
AUSSIE STAR SECURE GOLD IN EPIC BATTLE OF ENDURANCE
Sam Short has won the gold medal in the men’s 1500m freestyle in a physically grievous battle.
Short, who is just 18 years of age, touched the wall at 14:48:54, at a time that smashed his previous personal best by 10 seconds.
Speaking after the race, Short couldn’t hide his beaming smile as he can count himself among the elites of Australian swimming like Kieren Perkins and Grant Hackett.
“All those names are incredible to me,” Short said.
“Standing here today, I didn’t think I would be in the same sentence as them. Four years ago I watched this event and didn’t know I would be in the same position.”
Ariane Titmus won gold in the women’s 800 meter freestyle and backed it up with a strong swim in the 400m to qualify in third spot for the final. Picture: Michael KleinSource: News Corp Australia
Lani Pallister and Kiah Melverton made it a one-two-three for Australia in the heat.
FAVORITE BOWL FOR 800M FINAL
Peter Bol is once again turning heads, having flown into the men’s 800 final.
After a disappointing finish at the world championships, Bol returned to the form that made him a household name at the Tokyo Olympics and blitzed the field in the second heat, posting a time of 1:47:01.
“It’s great to be here,” Bol told Channel 7. “Unbelievable crowd as well. It’s an awesome feeling.
“Two championships in a row. It’s almost like it’s a second chance. I ran exactly how I wanted, and now four days off and back for the final.”
Australia’s Peter Bol (R) reacts after finishing in first place during the second heat of the men’s 800m at the Alexander Stadium, in Birmingham. Photo: AFPSource: AFP
The news wasn’t so good for fellow Australian Charlie Hunter, who missed out on the final after posting a time of 1:49:94.
Meanwhile, Steve Solomon has qualified for the semi-finals of the men’s 400m. The 29-year-old finished second in the opening heat of the event.
“I’m really happy with today’s run,” he said.
“I’ve had a challenging season to put it lightly. I’m really looking forward to coming back Friday night.
“I just wasn’t able to get the body right for (the world’s) and I’m proud of how I’ve refocused. It’s exciting times.”
STAR DUO SMOKE PAKISTAN
Australia remains unbeaten in cricket, after a clinical 44-run win over Pakistan.
Early on though and a big victory seemed a long way off.
The world champions slumped to 2-19 after the early exits of Alyssa Healy (4) and captain Meg Lanning (4), before opener Beth Mooney (70* off 49) and Tahlia McGrath (78* off 51) put Australia in the driver’s seat with their 141-run unbeaten third-wicket stand. In the end Australia finished 2-160 to set an imposing target.
Pakistan never really were in it, losing wickets regularly and finished 8-116.
McGrath took 3-13 and a run out to go along with her fabulous half-century, while Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown, Jessica Jonassen and Alan King each took a wicket.
Tahlia McGrath and Beth Mooney hit half-centuries during Australia’s big win over Pakistan. Photo: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
FLYING HOCKEYROOS
The Hockeyroos’ perfect start continued, as Katrina Powell’s side had a comfortable 2-0 win over Scotland.
The victory sealed top spot in Pool B for the Hockeyroos and a place in the final four.
Grace Stewart celebrates with teammates after scoring their side’s first goal against Scotland on day six of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Photo: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
While Powell’s side dominated much of the game, they had to wait until late in the second term to find the back of the goals as Grace Stewart finished nicely to put Australia in front.
Shanea Tonkin then doubled Australia’s lead to confirm a comfortable victory.
SELECTED SCHEDULE (MORE TO COME)
ATHLETICS
Men’s 100m – 6:30am (Thursday)
HOCKEY
Men’s Group Matches – Australia v South Africa (6am)
LAWN BOWLS
Tons of action from 5.30pm AEST, culminating in theFor Women’s Pairs B6-B8 Gold Medal match – Australia v Scotland (midnight)
Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer has left the door open for a Daniel Ricciardo to return with uncertainty surrounding his future, and that of Oscar Piastri.
Having lost Fernando Alonso to Aston Martin for 2023, Alpine announced that Australia’s Piastri would take the Spaniard’s spot next year.
But in a major bombshell to shake the F1 paddock, Piastri denied on social media that a deal had been made, and emphatically declared: “I will not be driving for Alpine next year.”
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That has sent the rumor mill into overdrive about whether Piastri has a deal secured elsewhere already — possibly at McLaren to replace the struggling Daniel Ricciardo.
Ricciardo has a third year to run on his McLaren contract but has been under pressure, while Piastri’s manager, Mark Webber, is understood to have aggressively lobbied the team to snap up Piastri prior to Alonso’s shock departure.
Should a McLaren move materialize for Piastri, it would leave Ricciardo without a seat for 2023.
One option for Ricciardo could be an awkward return to Alpine (formerly Renault), who was disappointed in 2020 by quitting after just two seasons.
Nonetheless, the team has since undergone a change of management, while Szafnauer sees no reason why Ricciardo can’t be a potential option.
Szafnauer confirmed to motorsport.com.au that the team has already fielded numerous calls from other drivers.
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Asked about the possibility of Ricciardo returning, he pointed to the example of Alonso, whose F1 career has included two stints at McLaren, and three at Alpine-Renault.
“I mean, if you look at Fernando, for example, he comes and goes, and I think that happens to other drivers too,” he told the publication.
“And I don’t think that’s an issue at all. I think what we need to focus on is, like I say, the plans that we have for the next 89-88 races.
“We’ve got to make sure that we complement that plan with the best driver that we can, and there are some options out there for us. And we put the best driver in next to Esteban [Ocon]so that we can move forward towards what we’ve been planning.”
Nonetheless, Alpine hopes to hold onto Piastri, saying: “We believe we are legally correct in our statement (about his signing).”
Szafnauer told the publication — albeit before Piastri’s statement — that there is no reason a healthy working partnership can’t be maintained with the Australian should the team get its wish.
Jeff Bezos’ unfinished mega yacht was towed away from a Dutch shipbuilding yard before dawn Tuesday just weeks after Rotterdam residents threatened to pelt the luxury vessel with eggs if the city went through with plans to dismantle a landmark bridge to make way for the $500 million ship .
The 417-foot long, three-masted yacht, which goes by the name Y721, was relocated from the Oceanco shipyard in Alblasserdam to the Greenport yard just 24 miles away in Rotterdam, according to the German-language daily Der Spiegel.
Video of the towing was posted to YouTube by Dutch yacht enthusiast Hanco Bol.
“We never saw a transport going that fast,” Bol writes of what he witnessed. It took less than three hours for the ship to travel southwest along the Noord canal even though it normally requires nearly twice as much time to traverse the route, according to Bol.
He speculates that Oceanco, the company that was commissioned to build the yacht, chose the timing of the move in order to keep it under wraps given the considerable publicity it has generated.
Rotterdammers who were furious about plans to dismantle “De Hef” bridge, also known as Koningshaven, had threatened to pelt the yacht with eggs if it made the journey.
Bol writes that the yacht’s route was designed to avoid traveling through the Rotterdam city center and underneath “De Hef” — even though it would have saved more time.
Oceanco last month announced that it had dropped its request for the Rotterdam city council to approve the temporary dismantling of the bridge.
The company had indicated that Bezos, the Amazon founder and second-richest person in the world, was willing to foot the bill for the removal of the middle section of the span so that the yacht would be able to sail through the Nieuwe Mass River.
Bol speculates that Oceanco intentionally avoided towing the unfinished yacht underneath “De Hef.”
“I think that was intentional,” he told Der Spiegel.
“When I was standing on one of the bridges, they shined a searchlight on me, so it wasn’t easy for me to take pictures.”
According to Dutch media reports, it will take several more months for the ship to be completed.
The Post has reached out to Amazon and Oceanco seeking comment.
This article was originally published by the New York Post and reproduced with permission
Bulldogs halfback Kyle Flanagan has enjoyed a remarkable rise under interim boss Mick Potter in Canterbury, with the now free-scoring team surging up the ladder.
Now the 23-year-old number seven has shut down talk of a mooted move to the English Super League, declaring he ‘definitely’ wants to extend his time at the club.
Having been benched in the opening months of the season and subsequently for struggling form, Flanagan had been linked to a move to English side Hull FC in recent months.
But he shut that talk down at Tuesday’s press conference, laughing off a question around whether he had held talks with Hull.
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“No,” Flanagan laughed. “The first time I got out there on social media and shut that stuff down, that was the first I’d heard of it.
“I’m on contract here next year at the Bulldogs and keep winning footy games, I won’t have to listen to that sort of stuff.”
With his contract expiring at the end of 2023, Flanagan declared his allegiance to the Dogs long-term, stating his desire for a long-term deal.
“Yeah, I think so,” Flanagan replied to a question about remaining at the club.
“Obviously I live in Cronulla and I love the Bulldogs. They gave me an opportunity and I like to think I have turned things around and things are going forward for the club.
“As I said, if we keep winning and combinations keep building, this footy team is only going to get better.
“I’m loving my time here and I definitely want to extend here.”
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Flanagan was full of praise for interim boss Potter, declaring he has simplified the club’s on-field strategy and removed the shackles from the side.
“I can’t give any more credit to what Pottsy has done for me individually or this footy team.
“He is such a calm head and simplifies things so much for us. He just backs up and gives us confidence to go out there and play footy, and we do exactly that.
“We are repaying the faith he puts in us.”
“We are out there putting the wins on the board, the shackles are off and we are just playing what we see.,” he added.”
“It’s really exciting to be playing in this footy team and for myself, I’m just really enjoying my own footy and starting to love playing every weekend.”
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Mabior Chol continues to make the most of the chance given to him by a Gold Coast Suns side whose slim AFL finals hopes could rest on the boot of the former Richmond forward.
With three rounds of the regular season remaining, the Suns remain a mathematical chance of playing finals football for the first time in the club’s history.
It’s a tall order and the Suns will need other results to go their way, but with Chol in stellar form, it’s not yet impossible.
Having joined the Suns this year from the Tigers, where the regular top-flight football was craved wasn’t forthcoming, Chol has rewarded Gold Coast coach Stuart Dew for believing in him.
The 25-year-old, 200cm giant has kicked 43 goals this season, including a career-best single-game haul of five in the Suns’ three-point weekend win over the West Coast Eagles.
“I’ve been seeking an opportunity for a very long time to show what I can do at the highest level,” Chol said ahead of the Suns’ trip to Tasmania for Saturday’s clash against Hawthorn in Launceston.
“I knew coming up here I wasn’t just going to walk straight in. I knew I was going to have to work hard and earn my position.
“There’s been a lot of hard work since the start of the pre-season and it’s just been an exciting season … I knew what I was capable of doing.”
As did Dew, who said Chol was a “real leader” who gave the Suns “great energy”.
“He’s a real thinker of the game,” the Gold Coast mentor said.
“He sees the game really well, he can understand what’s happening, patterns of play, so when he comes to the bench, he’s really aware of how the game’s going.
“The more he gets confidence to voice that to the greater group he’s going to improve his leadership. “We’re excited by not only what he’s done, but what’s to eat.”
Chol said the Suns weren’t looking ahead to the finals but instead on the immediate task of beating the Hawks for a second time this season after disposing of them by 67 points in Darwin in May.
“We’re just focusing on each game, each week – we’re not trying to look too far ahead. It’s been exciting,” he said.
The Suns are hopeful another former Tiger, Brandon Ellis, overcomes a shoulder problem to play this weekend after he was a late withdrawal from the team that beat the Eagles.
Dew said of Ellis: “We anticipate he’ll be on the plane to Tassie.”
