Cameron Ciraldo has landed his first NRL head coaching gig as he reportedly inked a five-year deal to take over the Canterbury Bulldogs from 2023.
Ciraldo, considered one of the brightest coaching minds in the game, has spent several years as Ivan Cleary’s understudy at the Penrith Panthers.
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He has also turned down a number of approaches from other teams for a head coaching position previously, including one from the Wests Tigers in June.
Ciraldo had been heavily linked with the vacancy at Belmore after Trent Barrett left the role earlier this season.
The 38-year-old, who will also become the youngest head coach in the NRL next season, is no stranger to Bulldogs GM of football Phil Gould as the duo worked together at the Panthers.
According to The Daily Telegraphan emotional Ciraldo broke the news to the Panthers playing group at training on Sunday.
speaking on Fox League’s broadcast, Michael Ennis and Greg Alexander, two figures who have connections to the Bulldogs and Panthers respectively, spoke glowingly of Ciraldo’s credentials.
“It’s exciting times for them (Bulldogs),” Ennis said.
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“Cameron’s very much where Craig Fitzgibbon was 12 months ago where he’s done a wonderful apprenticeship in a really good system.
“He’s had some previous experience when Anthony Griffin was moved on, did a great job at the back end of the season with the Panthers.
“So many of those young superstars that are now dominating at the top level, not just in club football but at Origin level, have such a wonderful wrap on him.”
While Alexander was upset to see Ciraldo move on from the Panthers, he believes it’s a sign that the club will continue to catapult assistant coaches into first grade gigs in the future.
“I’m excited for Cameron. It’s disappointing, but assistant coaches, everyone knows they’re about to move on. There’s been three moving on in the last two years.
“Trent Barrett left Penrith and went to the Dogs, Andrew Webster’s going to the Warriors and Cameron Ciraldo is going to the Dogs.
“Penrith’s assistant coaches, in terms of getting first grade jobs, have been pretty good.”
The hire of Ciraldo is also likely to keep five-eighth star Matt Burton at the club in a major boost to the club’s playing squad.
Ciraldo will take over a resurgent Bulldogs outfit thanks to interim coach Mick Potter’s efforts.
His departure is no doubt a massive blow to the Panthers, as Cleary must now search for two new assistans for next season following the looming exits of Ciraldo and Andrew Webster, who will take over the New Zealand Warriors in 2023.
Not so long ago the brightest star in baseball, Fernando Tatis Jr. has turned out to be a fool who thinks everyone else is just as big a fool.
Tatis was busted by MLB on Friday for taking an anabolic steroid, and reacted by issuing a statement that it would only fly if the country had 100 per cent illiteracy or everyone’s internet were permanently down, the New York Post reported.
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Tatis said he “inadvertently” took the performance enhancing drug Clostebol to treat ringworm, and apparently either he, his agent or his marketing guy thought the world would mistake Clostebol, the synthetic anabolic steroid he was caught with, for Clobetasol, a common drug used to treat skin foods like eczema and psoriasis that also requires a prescription. Clostebol is never prescribed for skin defects or ringworm. Of course, there had actually been a medical mix-up – extremely unlikely since one is a Schedule 4 anabolic steroid and the other a common corticosteroid – he’d have documentary proof since he’d have the prescription from the doctor.
In effect, Tatis was busted again. You do not have to be an internet sleuth to disprove his unbelievable story about him. Tatis needs to employ better liars, but more than that, he needs to clean up his own act. The first half of his season was wiped out in a fit of foolishness. This is much worse.
Tatis’ 80-game PED suspension, announced Friday, stings all of baseball, but it really hurts the exciting Padres, who have energized their sleepy but beautiful burg. Padres general manager AJ Preller texted: “We have a good team. (We) will rally from this.”
Perhaps they will, but as of today they may have somewhat less faith in Tatis’s $341 million ($A477m) 14-year contract.
Tatis did say one believable thing in his statement, proclaiming he was “completely devastated” by his transgression, which we assume is true. Because he is now forever known as just another cheat among the long pantheon of cheats who have populated the game. A select few cheats show some real remorse or a hint of honesty. To this point Tatis is not one of those.
Preller, speaking about Tatis to Padres writers, said: “I think what we need to get to is a point in time where we trust. … Over the course of the last six or seven months I think that’s been something that we haven’t really been able to have.”
The Padres issued a statement saying they are “hopeful Fernando will learn from this experience.” In their statement, ringworm was not mentioned.
On the field Tatis is a prodigy. Off it, I need help.
The biggest question now is: How long has this been going on? More to the point, do we think it’s conceivable he just decided to enhance his performance via drugs while on the injured list and well after he’d already signed his $341 million deal? Or did he win his record deal partly via medicinal means?
Tatis had some amazing achievements leading up to his record contract. And now we all have to wonder about it, and them.
What’s no mystery is the disaster that is his 2022 season, which began with a wrist injury apparently suffered joy-riding on a motorbike. That injury, which he neglected to tell the team about until he showed up at spring training, wiped out 70 per cent of the season. The incredible thing about that was when he was asked whether the cycling accident caused the wrist injury, he answered, “Which one?” The implication was clear. He exercised so little caution he had had multiple motorcycle accidents.
Sadly, as it turns out, carelessness appears to be the least of his weaknesses.
This story first appeared in the New York Post and was republished with permission.
the Uncut Gems star stepped out to run errands in Los Angeles Thursday wearing a barely-there latex outfit that revealed more skin than it concealed.
Fox showed off her abs, legs, hips, butt and cleavage in the glossy two-piece set, held together with metal rings and comprised mostly of cutouts rather than actual material, the New York Post reports.
She carried a Balenciaga purse and accessorized with matching latex heels, sporting her now-signature dramatic black eyeliner.
It’s been a few weeks out of the spotlight for Fox, who most recently set social media ablaze with a pair of dangerously low-rise pants she later revealed she had to “shave around.”
“There’s more to life than chasing an impossible beauty standard projected onto me by insecure celebrities for the ultimate goal of pleasing men,” Fox said in defense of the controversial outfit, adding that people who don’t understand it are “mentally lazy.”
Fans seemed to approve of her latest look, with one tweeting, “julia fox woke up and said ‘y’all bitches could never’” while another wrote, “she’s back! and wrapped in garbage bags and wire hangers!”
Other recent statement-making looks of Fox’s include a leather jacket that was actually set aflame, a butt-baring pair of pants that laced up the back, a DIY top and skirt set made from a slashed Hanes tank and more.
She even stepped out in nothing but Alexander Wang underwear to go grocery shopping in May, proving that not only is the sidewalk her runway, but the store is her bedroom.
This article originally appeared on NY Post and was reproduced with permission
JJ Spaun birdied two of the last three holes to shoot a two-under par 68 for a one-stroke lead after Saturday’s third round of the US PGA Tour’s St. Jude Championship.
Spaun tapped in to birdie the par-5 16th and holed a 17-foot birdie putt at the 17th then stood alone at the top after Austrian Sepp Straka missed a nine-foot par putt at the 18th at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.
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The 31-year-old American stood on 13-under 197 through 54 holes with Straka on 198 after shooting 68.
British Open champion Cameron Smith of Australia fired 67 to share third on 199 with Americans Will Zalatoris and Trey Mullinax. Americans Tyler Duncan and Troy Merritt were another stroke adrift.
However, Smith had to cop some stick from fans as he walked the course.
The tournament opens the FedEx Cup playoffs, three season-ending events with a winner’s prize of $18 million.
Only 125 players qualified on season points and only the top 70 advance to next week’s BMW Championship, where the 30 qualifiers for the Tour Championship in Atlanta are decided.
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Spaun won his first PGA title after 147 tour starts in April at the Texas Open while Straka, who missed six consecutive cuts coming into this week, won his first PGA title in February at the Honda Classic.
Spaun began with nine pars before a bogey at 10, but sank an 11-foot birdie putt at the par-3 11th and overtook Straka with his closing surge.
After a birdie-bogey start, Straka sank a 15-foot birdie putt at the fifth hole and another from just inside 12 feet at the sixth to seize the outright lead, but he fell back with a bogey at seven.
Straka took the lead alone with a 16-foot birdie putt at the 13th and grabbed a two-stroke lead by sinking a six-foot birdie putt at 15, setting the stage for Spaun’s run.
Zalatoris, still chasing his first PGA Tour victory, was a runner-up this year at the PGA Championship and US Open and last year in his Masters debut.
“I played on the biggest stages in three majors and I felt comfortable in those positions,” he said.
“I haven’t gotten a win out of it yet. Eventually we will and hopefully tomorrow is it.”
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World number 14 Zalatoris, who turns 26 on Tuesday, has a PGA-high eight top-10 finishes without a victory this season.
“Today was awesome,” Zalatoris said of his 65.
“Tee to green was great and I rolled in a couple nice putts, so I just need to keep that going.”
Zalatoris split with caddy Ryan Goble last week and new caddy Joel Stock has read his putts the past 36 holes.
“It has been great,” Zalatoris said.
“He has been awesome. Obviously it has paid off. He’s doing a good job.”
Mullinax, who shot 66, won his first PGA title at last month’s Barbasol Championship.
He began the week 70th in points, the last spot to advance, but is in position to leap into the top 30.
“Been playing really well,” he said. “Just going out and sticking to the game plan.”
Duncan birdied four of the first six holes to shoot 67.
It has been 77 starts without a top-10 finish for Duncan since his lone PGA victory at the 2019 RSM Classic.
Rickie Fowler found water twice on the way to a quintuple-bogey nine on the 18th hole. He shot 72 to stand on 208, likely dooming his bid to advance in the playoffs.
Australian leg-spinner Alana King paid tribute to the late Shane Warne in epic fashion, becoming the first female to take a hat-trick in The Hundred as Trent Rockets defeated Manchester Originals by 43 runs.
King finished figures of 4-15 from 20 deliveries, took a spectacular diving catch and was also handy with the bat in hand, scoring 19 from nine balls.
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Alana King of Trent Rockets celebrates dismissing Kate Cross. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
speaking to Sky Cricket post-match, a classy King was just happy to get the win.
“Pretty special but as I said, I’m here to do my job for the team and I’m glad it came off today,” she said.
“It was a fresh wicket today, it was a bit dry and hoping there was some spin and there was. Stoked to get the win and happy I can contribute.”
It was a particularly special performance for King, who made history on the same ground that Warne bowled the ball of the century in the 1993 Ashes series.
“I hope he’s looking down and pretty proud that I’ve spun a few today,” King said.
“Just a special place Old Trafford.”
Alana King did Shane Warne proud. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Earlier, Australian cricketer Beth Mooney came within touching distance of becoming the first centurion in the Hundred women’s competition on Friday, scoring an unbeaten 97 against last year’s runners-up Southern Brave in Southampton.
Fresh off her triumphant Commonwealth Games campaign, the 28-year-old smacked the highest score in the 100-ball tournament’s short history on her London Spirit debut, guiding the side to 4/155 in front of 9000 spectators at the Ageas Bowl.
Mooney needed nothing less than a six off the final delivery to reach triple figures, but the left-hander could only muster a two.
Birmingham Phoenix young gun Will Smeed remains the only cricketer to have scored a century in The Hundred, achieving the feat against the Brave in the men’s competition on Wednesday.
Mooney, who passed 50 in just 32 deliveries, struck 17 boundaries in the 55-ball demolition, combining with New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr for an 87-run second-wicket partnership.
But the Queenslander’s heroics weren’t enough for the Spirit to secure victory, with the Brave chasing the 156-run target with six deliveries to spare, courtesy of a 34-ball 65 from Player of the Match Danni Wyatt.
It was the English opener’s third half-century in The Hundred.
Beth Mooney of the London Spirit. Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
“I’m really happy to have contributed to a win and just to get the win on the board is really pleasing,” Wyatt told Sky Sports after the six-wicket win.
“My job at the top is to go out there and be brave and fearless, and if it’s in my area go for it.
“It’s a great start. Beth Mooney batted exceptionally today and we knew it was going to take one of us to go out there and do what she did.”
Australian leg-spinner Amanda Jade-Wellington, the Brave’s highest-wicket taker last year, was the pick of the bowlers on Friday, claiming 3/30 from her 20 deliveries.
Southern Brave captain Anya Shrubsole continued: “Beth Mooney was outstanding, and she makes you feel as a captain and a bowler you don’t have a clue where to put your fielders out. But Danni showed what a good track it was, and I’m really pleased to get a win.
“We go again against Oval on Sunday. It’sa quick turnaround and it’s quite a warm few days as well, but it’s exciting.”
Highest Individual Score in the Hundred women’s competition
97* – Beth Mooney, LS vs. SB (2022)
92* – Jemimah Rodrigues, NS vs. WF (2021)
78 – Smriti Mandhana, SB vs. WF (2021)
76* – Shafali Verma, BP vs. WF (2021)
76 – Rachael Priest, TR vs. LS (2021)
Mooney was a crucial member of the Australian team that won a Commonwealth Games gold medal in Birmingham last week, scoring 61 (41) against India in the final at Edgbaston.
She was the T20 tournament’s highest run-scorer with 179 runs at 44.75 and a strike rate of 133.58.
Mooney currently sits at No. 1 on the ICC Women’s T20I batting rankings, narrowly ahead of Australian teammate Meg Lanning and New Zealand captain Sophie Devine.
The Spirit will next face the Northern Superchargers at Headingley on Sunday, with the first ball scheduled for 8pm AEST.
There are always defining moments in every Queen’s career, say when Elizabeth I stood before her troops at Tilbury in 1588 and gave one of British history’s most famously rousing speeches or in 1947 when the future Elizabeth II delivered her famous radio address from South Africa promising to dedicate her life to her job.
But for Kate, currently the Duchess of Cambridge and the future Queen Catherine, one of the most defining moments came on April 30 2011, the day after her wedding to Prince William, and her first full days as a bona fide member of the royal family.
Crossing the lawn at Buckingham Palace as the newlyweds made their way to a helicopter to whisk them off to start married, just what did Kate choose to wear? An $85 Zara dress.
The symbolism was clear: Kate might have snagged the prince, gotten herself a title and was now calling a palace home but she was the same woman as she had been 48 hours earlier. With one outfit she was making it clear to the world that she would do things her way of her and that despite her elevation to royal ranks, she remained firmly tethered to normal life.
It was a powerful and very canny move and a style strategy we have seen her wheel out again and again in the year since then.
So, what in the name of her extensive collection of tepid coat dresses has been going on of late?
According to my calculations, in the last 100 days Kate has worn more than $83,851 worth of readily identifiable clothes, shoes and jewellery, not including the number of bespoke designer pieces she has showcased, items that I could not find prices for or the value of. the royal jewelery she has worn. (If we added that all in we would easily be well into the six-figures, I reckon. Keep in mind too that members of the royal family cannot accept freebies either.)
What is clear if you pore over photos and details of the last three and a bit months is that over the course of the last 100 days there has been a very discernible shift in her wardrobe towards the much more costly.
Gone, by and large, are her high-street favourites, affordable pieces from mainstream British chains and in their place is an ever-growing roster of four-figure frocks and diamond earrings.
No look came with a higher price tag in this time period than her very chic, pared back ensemble for the Top Gun premiere with Kate opting for a $5,115 Roland Mouret dress, Prada heels, a $4,418 Alexander McQueen clutch and new $18,133 diamond earrings from Robinson Pelham.
While Kate did re-wear a number of pieces, most notably the white Alexander McQueen suit she first debuted during her and husband Prince William, Duke of Cambridge’s disastrous Caribbean tour and a striking Catherine Walker coat she first donned last year, these are all pieces that cost into the thousands. (There are no prices listed on the Catherine Walker website and you know what they say about having to ask how much something is…)
This is a sartorial tendency that extends to her in her off-duty hours too. Back in 2019 Kate was last photographed at the polo wearing a $740 LK Bennett dress. In July, the 40-year-old was back at watching her husband de ella working up a sweat playing a few chukkas but this time she chose a ladylike Emilia Wickstead number from the designer’s 2019 collection. Currently, a white sleeveless dress that is similar is selling for just under $2000.
Since early May, Kate has worn Alessandra Rich on multiple occasions (whose dresses start at about $2,511 and go up to more than $4,000), plenty of Emilia Wickstead, again costing in the thousands, and a variety of pairs of Emmy heels ($690 to pop) or Gianvitto Rossi pumps which come in at $1022 a pair.
The genius of Kate’s style for so long was her ability to seamlessly pair bargain items, such as the $3.95 earrings she chose for her first official event this year, with high end pieces, a perfect blend of the accessible and the aspirational.
What was so delightful about this was not just the demonstration of her fashion nous but the implication it carried; just because ella she could afford all the designer loot she could cart home from Bond Street did not mean ella she wanted to.
It all felt refreshing and just real and over the years the duchess’ regular choice of budget looks interspersed with the luxe carried with it the message that royal life had not fundamentally changed her as a person.
Which is why this emergence of this recent Kate who seems increasingly wedded to top tier labels only is a bit disquieting. To some degree I feel a certain sense of disappointment that one of the most meaningful ways she has, for more than a decade, set herself apart from the royal status quo seems to have disappeared.
(The only notable exception to this trend came on June 3 during a St Paul’s service during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations when she accessorized her bespoke Emilia Wickstead yellow stunner, which would have set Kate back thousands, and her $2000-plus Philip Treacey hat with … at $34 clutch from homegrown Australian brand Forever New.)
Maybe what I really liked about the Zara-era Kate was that every time she got out of her official car for an engagement clad in a $27 dress it carried with it a certain wonderful sense of defiance and refusal to suddenly change who she was. The takeaway: she She might have a title but she was still Kate.
One way to explain the change in her wardrobe direction might be that it reflects the repositioning we have seen of William and Kate’s image in the last year, from plucky young ‘uns to future king and queen. The runway from where they are now, as working foot soldiers of the royal family, to their coronation inside Westminster Abbey is being very clearly laid out by the Palace, driving home a message of monarchical continuity as the Queen looks shakier and shakier.
Perhaps the argument has been made that it’s fine for a workday duchess to slip into a few pounds worth of polyester but not for a queen-in-waiting. Or perhaps Kate has just grown up a bit and like women the world over is now focusing more on better quality pieces she can wear more often.
But to some degree the ‘why’ does not matter here; what does is what flow-on effect this shift might have.
On a purely functional level, Kate’s deployment of modest clothes over the years went a very long way to making her seem uniquely relatable in a way no royal WAG has before. Now, the more she chooses out-for-reach for everyone but the super-rich labels, the more she risks eroding those gains and making herself into more of a remote figure.
For William and Kate to truly ensure that the royal family remains a thriving concern, they need to seem approachable.
The danger there is obvious – central to the brand the Cambridges’ have assiduously been trying to build is that they are the congenial, normal royals, the hardworking duo happily transforming The Firm from fusty, frosty and all-too grand into a powerhouse of do -goodery.
At a time when the UK is in the grip of a cost-of-living crisis, seeing the woman who has been sold as the refreshingly normal duchess-next-door gadding about the better part of a $100,000 worth of designer duds is a potentially dangerous and certainly ill-conceived move.
Closes might maketh the man but Zara could help maketh a queen.
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.
Melbourne have broken the hearts of Carlton fans by snatching victory from the jaws of defeat in the final 15 seconds.
The Blues had their hands on a finals berth for the first time since 2013, holding onto a one point lead in the dying seconds when Melbourne surged forward.
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A long bomb inside 50 from Jayden Hunt went to ground and Kysaiah Pickett got on the end of a Jake Melksham loose ball get and sent a mongrel punt floating goalward.
As it sailed through you could pinpoint the moment Carlton’s fans hearts break.
The win launches Melbourne back to second spot on the ladder and leaves Carlton in a perilous position entering the final round of the home and away season.
“I’m speechless really I don’t know what to say, it’s good to be back on the winning list. We went down last week and to bounce back this week is unreal,” Pickett said after the win.
Dees skipper Max Gawn didn’t even kick his post-game interview off properly before asking just how long was left on the clock.
“That’s pretty clutch. Kozzie is a good player and he’s been playing some good footy this year and that was his moment, ”Gawn said.
“We were on the wrong end of the moments last weekend and we studied it a lot. The last 10 minutes of the Collingwood game we watched it a lot and you saw some good stuff in those last minutes, we were able to hold our nerve.”
Jake Melksham was a standout in front of goal for Melbourne, ending the night with four goals and kicking the second last goal of the contest to bring the Demons back to within a point.
The Blues held the ball with around 60 seconds left to play and looked assured of victory, but one simple miss kick opened the door and the Demons pounced.
Carlton need to secure a win against Collingwood in round 23 or pray Hawthorn can topple the Western Bulldogs next Sunday.
A loss next weekend and a Bulldogs win and the Blues will once again miss out on September action.
“It leaves already gutted, it leaves already disappointed. But I’m also really proud at the same time and I thought our players were really brave right through our whole night,” Blues coach Michael Voss said.
“It hurts. Important game for us but we didn’t quite get it right at the end but as far as the whole game goes I just thought the boys played really brave and played a great style of footy and it’s something we want to keep replicating.”
Fans watching on Saturday night simply couldn’t believe the ending they had just witnessed.
7 News reporter Emma O’Sullivan wrote: “I don’t even barrack for the Demons or the Blues but my heart is still in my mouth, that was wild.”
The Advocate editor Alex Fair wrote: “That was epic. Simply epic. What a reply.”
Broadcaster Darren Parkin wrote: “Nothing can kick you in the pills quite like footy can it? That’s brutal for the Blues.”
Former Brisbane and Port Adelaide player Tom Rockliff believes the final moments played into Melbourne’s hands.
“I think it was a clear tactic from Melbourne to load the corridor. Lever kicks to a 3 vs 1 in middle of ground. Doesn’t happen by chance, something they have trained – Carlton set up well down the line,” he wrote.
Rugby league legend Billy Slater has slammed Isaiah Papali’i’s potential Tigers backflip following the news the 23-year-old would make a decision at the season’s end.
Reports suggest the backrow enforcer will honor his contract and ply his trade for the merger club in 2023, but doubts still linger over Papali’i’s future.
The 23-year-old penned three-year deal with the Tigers late last year, but after the sacking of Michael Maguire the young gun said he wants to have “no regrets.”
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“Obviously people ask me about it, just even on the street or family and friends are hitting me up but that’s kind of for my manager look after and even if I don’t stay here or I do go next year, I want to make sure that this year has no regrets,” he said to 9 News.
“When I did sign it was talking to Madge — he’s an awesome coach. That rattled the cage a bit and I guess you have to have those conversations and I guess that was a massive factor for me.”
Now, Slater has been left stunned that Papali’i could potentially backflip on his deal and urged him to honor his contract.
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“If you sign with a club, go to the club,” Slater said on Nine’s coverage.
“You’re signing with a club. You’re not signing with a coach, you’re not signing with a player — you’re signing with a club. Go to the club.
“You’re not allowed to walk away from a contract. It’s just pressure, public pressure if you want out.
“If you sign with a club, you want to take that money and you sign the deal, go to the club.”
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Geelong have extended their winning streak to 12-straight on Saturday as they topped the Gold Coast Suns on the road.
The win puts the Cats eight points clear on top of the ladder and secures the minor premiership for the dominant outfit.
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The Cats put the foot down from the opening bounce with forward Tyson Stengle in scorching form, slotting three goals to get the game going.
“It’s one of the great quarters we’ve seen from a small forward this year,” legendary Hawk Jason Dunstall told Fox Footy.
Anthony Hudson added: “He is putting on quite a show.”
It remained one-way traffic in the second quarter as the Cats went into the halftime break holding a 51-point advantage.
“The Suns are getting a masterclass,” Dunstall said.
In what could be their last match outside of Victoria for the year, Geelong cruised to a 17-4 record on the back of an inside 50 entry landslide of 72-43.
It’s the 15th time the Cats have secured the minor premiership, however the feat hasn’t meant much in recent history.
Melbourne last season was the only club to go from minor premiers to premiers, breaking a drought of seven straight minor premiers to fall short.
Collingwood can pull off the biggest heist in AFL history and pinch the minor premiership, to do so they’d need to win their final two games by around 50 combined goals while Geelong would have to lose next weekend by around 25 goals.
Jeremy Cameron finished alongside Stengle with three goals as the Cats flexed their muscles on the road.
They finish the home and away season on Saturday at home against the West Coast Eagles.
As if there wasn’t enough attention on him with speculation swirling around him about
leaving the Suns for Adelaide, Gold Coast livewire Izak Rankine decided to dye his hair a
shade of peroxide blonde.
Rankine is set to accept an offer of $900.00 a year to be the highest paid Crow and Adelaide supporters would have enjoyed his first quarter goal that included a spin in traffic and cheeky right-foot checkside for a goal. He also won a free kick with a crunching tackle and went within a fingernail of a second goal as his performance lived up to his haircut. He left the field in the fourth term favoring his left shoulder in what could be his last appearance of him as a Sun.
Geelong has extended its winning streak to 12 games and sealed the minor premiership with one round remaining, defeating Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium on Saturday night – 18.11 (119) to 9.5 (59).
The Cats put in yet another ominous performance from virtually the opening bounce, strangling the Suns defensively while the likes of Jeremy Cameron and Tyson Stengle starred in attack.
Geelong will now host West Coast to end its home-and-away season, while Gold Coast will face North Melbourne in its final outing of the season.
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QUARTER-BY-QUARTER MATCH REPORT
first quarter
There were no late changes for either side, with Jeremy Sharp (Suns) and Mark O’Connor (Cats) named the medical subs.
The Suns showed promise early, moving the ball swiftly across Metricon Stadium. But they couldn’t get scoreboard reward for effort.
Geelong, however, could make its early opportunities count, with Tyson Stengle snapping his 40th — and probably best — goal of the season before Jeremy Cameron snapped his first of the night to give the Cats an early advantage.
But the Suns responded thanks to some individual brilliance from Izak Rankine, who gathered the ball in a pocket, spun, kicked off balance and conjured a terrific goal.
“He’s impossible to contain … No wonder the Crows have made him a target,” Fox Footy’s Anthony Hudson said.
The Cats hit back at the other end as Cam Guthrie showed off his left boot and nailed a tough goal, before Sam Menegola and Tom Hawkins snapped a couple more for Geelong.
Stengle then plucked a rare contested mark and snapped his second as the Cats kicked out to a 33-point lead.
Gold Coast got one back late in the quarter, with Sam Day converting a set-shot opportunity, but Stengle couldn’t be stopped as he conjured his third major to give Geelong a 31-point lead at the major break.
Stengle, arguably the recruit of the year, booted 3.1 from a game-high nine disposals and three marks in the first quarter.
Tyson Stengle of the Cats. Picture: Albert PerezSource: Getty Images
“It’s one of the great quarters we’ve seen from a small forward this year,” legendary Hawk Jason Dunstall told Fox Footy.
Hudson added: “He is putting on quite a show.”
second quarter
The Cats’ dominant continued after quarter-time as Mark Blicavs and Brandan Parfitt goaled and Geelong’s lead ballooned out to 42 points.
“This is so impressive,” Hudson said.
The Suns got a couple against the grain, with Elijah Hollands nailing a long-range goal before Alex Davies added another.
But Max Holmes showed off his acceleration by foot and nailed a terrific running goal in a steadying major for Geelong.
The Cats led by 51 points at the main break. Their half-time score of 12.5 (77) was their second-highest of the year to date.
“The Suns are getting a masterclass,” Dunstall said.
third quarter
Gold Coast made an impressive start to the second half.
Rankine snapped a classy goal from a free kick before Noah Anderson nailed a running major.
And when Jack Lukosius was moved forward and nailed a set-shot attempt, Geelong’s lead had been cut to 33 points.
As the Suns continued to push the Cats, Geelong ruck Rhys Stanley was subbed out of the game — the second time in three matches that’s happened.
And then Gold Coast had its own injury issues, with Sam Day limping off with a knee injury that saw
Geelong upped its defensive pressure, which led to a Gold Coast turnover and a Gryan Miers goal against the grain, before Zach Tuohy snapped another to give Geelong breathing space.
Cameron then rejoined the party, receiving a handball on the 50m arc and nailing a running goal off one step.
After being challenged by the Suns, the Cats showed their class to steady and take a 55-point lead at the final break.
fourth quarter
Rhys Stanley was subbed out of the game before the quarter commenced, but he appeared to be running freely prior to the move and could be seen smiling after one of the club’s trainers spoke to him on the ground.
Max Holmes opened the term with a major as the Cats continued to boost their already-impressive percentage.
Cameron missed a chance for a third goal, which left the door open for Gold Coast to peg a couple of goals back, which came via Jarrod Witts and Sam Flanders.
A couple of late Geelong goals helped put the Cats further ahead, with one to Brandan Parfitt right before the final siren capping the 60-point win.
THE 3-2-1
3. CATS SHOW NO MERCY IN RUTHLESS ‘MASTERCLASS’ TO SEAL MINOR PREMIERSHIP
This isn’t the season for ‘loss you need to have’ believers.
For this relentless Geelong outfit, as it proved on Saturday night, he has no plans to show any mercy to any rival club during the closing stages of the home and away season.
Despite managing several stars for the game, the Cats were ruthless against the 11th-placed Suns at Metricon Stadium, claiming their 12th straight win and sealing this year’s minor premiership in what legendary Hawk Jason Dunstall dubbed a professional “masterclass”. They produced their second-best first half of the season and finished with their fourth-highest score and equal-third biggest winning margin of the year to date.
While Jeremy Cameron again starred with three goals from 21 disposals, it was a genuine team performance from Geelong where players took the baton of responsibility from each other from quarter to quarter.
Tyson Stengle set the tone in the first quarter with three goals from nine touches, Brandan Parfitt (14 disposals, 1 goal) and Patrick Dangerfield (9 disposals) then took over with dominant second terms, Gryan Miers and Jeremy Cameron worked hard up the ground and hit the scoreboard in the third quarter before the classy Mark Blicavs proved in the final quarter why he’s so valuable to his team.
Dangerfield, in particular, looks like a man on a mission. After withdrawing himself from last week’s game against St Kilda at the last minute, Dangerfield was crucial to Geelong’s dominance over the Suns at the coalface, finishing with game-high contested possessions and clearances.
The only concern was No. 1 ruck Rhys Stanley, who was subbed out of the game in the third quarter with a lower leg injury. However judging by the reaction of the ruckman, the move was very precautionary.
The Cats next week return to GMHBA Stadium for a Round 23 clash against the 17th-placed West Coast, with Isaac Smith and Mitch Duncan due to come back into the side. If the win over the Suns is anything to go by, don’t rule out a pre-finals bloodbath at the Cattery.
2. RECRUIT OF 2022 POUNCES ON ‘ODD MATCH-UP’ TO PRODUCE ‘ONE OF THE GREAT QUARTERS’
If selectors were unconvinced Tyson Stengle was worthy of an All-Australian spot before Saturday night’s clash, they surely would’ve been after his breathtaking first quarter.
Stengle continued to build his case for AFL recruit of the year against the Suns, sparking Geelong to a fast start at Metricon Stadium.
The 23-year-old, who was picked up by the Cats as a delisted free agent late last year, booted three of Geelong’s seven first-quarter goals, including a pearler from the pocket running away from goal.
As well as the three goals, Stengle had a game-high nine disposals and three marks in the first quarter.
“It’s one of the great quarters we’ve seen from a small forward this year,” legendary Hawk Jason Dunstall told Fox Footy.Stengle (171cm) was manned up by young Sun Mac Andrew (201cm) – a move described as an “odd matchup” by Dunstall.
While Stengle’s ability to hit the scoreboard was superb, his awesome workrate was also on display. He ran hard up the ground to help the Cats’ defense before working back inside 50 to provide a forward option where he got both front and square and took contested marks.
“He just goes from strength to strength,” triple premiership Lion Alastair Lynch told Fox Footy
“He’s got an unbelievable ability to make something out of nothing. He’s really setting himself up for All-Australian small forward selection … he’s putting together quite a season.
“As far as general forwards in the league, only Tom Papley is in front of him for score involvements.”
Small Gold Coast defender Sean Lemmens was moved onto Stengle for the second term and was able to stop the bleeding, but the damage had already been done.
1. RANKINE GOES ALL ‘AKER’ AMID MAJOR CROWS PLAY
The Suns are doing everything possible to convince Izak Rankine to remain at the club – and rightly so when he can pull off great goals like he did against Geelong on Saturday night.
Although all footy fans will have their fingers crossed for the slick Suns forward after he came from the ground during the close stages of the match with an injury concern to his already-heavily strapped left shoulder.
Earlier, while the Cats dominated the first term, Rankine – who’s weighing up a big offer from Adelaide – produced a stunning major for Gold Coast, spinning out of a tackle and nailing a right-foot goal off-balance that left Fox Footy commentators stunned .
“He’s impossible to contain … No wonder the Crows have made him a target,” Fox Footy’s Anthony Hudson said.
Alastair Lynch said Rankine, who was sporting a new look, was “certainly making a fair impression” in a performance that reminded the triple premiership Lion of a former teammate.
“I don’t know who he barracked for as a kid, but he’s got a bit of Jason Akermanis about him with this new hairdo, the black beard and mustache – and he’s playing like him,” Lynch told Fox Footy.
The Crows are making a major play for South Australian-based product Rankine, offering him a five-year deal worth as much as $800,000 per season – a contract Gold Coast is highly unlikely to match, although it’s still willing to pay him about $650,000 a year.
Senior Suns players have reportedly warned him of the increased pressure that would come playing for Adelaide.
But Lions legend Jonathan Brown said Rankine might be a player that could cope with the extra scrutiny of playing in a footy-mad town for extra cash.
“He’s a very talented player, but he strikes me as a guy that might be better under the pressure. He may need to have the foot on the throat a little bit down there,” Brown told Fox Footy on Friday night.
“The problem is at the Gold Coast, you can fly under the radar. Sometimes a player like him – how hard is he really working and getting the best out of himself? You look at his consistency of him in games and it’s not quite there yet.
“Maybe he might be better off going there and putting the pressure on himself at Adelaide.”
