Collingwood star Scott Pendlebury has been recognised by his peers as the competition’s best captain, just a day after becoming the club’s leading games record-holder.
Pendlebury played game No.314 against the Power on Monday, with the AFL Players’ Association award capping off a big few days for the 32-year-old.
The Magpies midfielder polled 316 votes, to win the award ahead of Bulldogs and Power leaders Marcus Bontempelli and Tom Jonas.
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“You can’t argue with that. That was a great moment last night,” Mark Robinson said on Fox Footy’s AFL 360.
“We had some great moments over the week. He deserves every accolade that comes with him.
“He has been an exemplary player.”
Sydney Swans co-captain Dane Rampe was named as the AFL’s most courageous player, with the defender bravely playing on despite breaking his hand during a match earlier in the year.
Dane Rampe at training after breaking his hand. Photo: Phil HillyardSource: News Corp Australia
He was the clear winner with Saint Jack Steele and Demon Jack Viney finishing in the top three.
“Many years time when you’re talking about Dane Rampe, you’ll say ‘remember that night’. Worthy winner,” Robinson added.
Rising Star award favourite Caleb Serong was voted by his peers as the competition’s best first-year player, scoring more than double the amount of votes that runner-up Noah Anderson had.
Serong had 340 votes with Anderson receiving 158, with Will Day, Lachlan Ash and Mitch Georgiades finishing in the top five.
“I think he will win the Rising Star. The players believe he’s the guy,” Gerard Whateley said.
BEST CAPTAIN
116 VOTES: Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood)
98 VOTES: Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs)
90 VOTES: Tom Jonas (Port Adelaide)
54 VOTES: Joel Selwood (Geelong Cats)
51 VOTES: Trent Cotchin (Richmond)
ROBERT ROSE MOST COURAGEOUS PLAYER 113 VOTES: Dane Rampe (Sydney)
95 VOTES: Jack Steele (St Kilda)
89 VOTES: Jack Viney (Melbourne)
61 VOTES: Tom Jonas (Port Adelaide)
47 VOTES: Liam Duggan (West Coast Eagles)
BEST FIRST-YEAR PLAYER 340 VOTES: Caleb Serong (Fremantle)
Jackie Stallone, the mother of Hollywood actor Sylvester and one of Celebrity Big Brother’s most memorable stars, has died aged 98.
Tributes have been paid to “a remarkable woman” by one of her other sons, Frank, who confirmed the news in a statement.
Stallone died on Monday “in her sleep as she had wished”, he wrote on social media.
Image: Jackie Stallone was a famous Celebrity Big Brother contestant, despite only having a brief stint in the house in 2005. Pic: Shutterstock
“It was hard not to like her, she was [a] very eccentric and flamboyant person,” Frank wrote.
“Her mind was as sharp as a razor till the day she died.”
He said his brother Sylvester had taken “care of her like a Queen for all of her life”, and added: “I will never be able to call my mom again or have her yell at me why I never got married. But we all loved her and her spirit to survive and prevail. I’ll miss you always mommy.”
Frank said he is “drowning my emotions in tears and too much vino” following his mother’s death.
Stallone was married three times and had three sons and a daughter, Toni D’Alto, who died in 2012.
A famous celebrity astrologer and women’s wrestling promoter, she had a very memorable, albeit brief, stint in the Celebrity Big Brother house in the UK in 2005, alongside contestants including the late John McCririck, model Caprice, Happy Mondays star Bez, and Germaine Greer.
A surprise contestant who went into the famous house a few days after the series had kicked off, Stallone entered much to the shock of co-housemate and former daughter-in-law Brigitte Nielsen, with whom she had a frosty relationship.
“Oh my God! Jackie!” a stunned Nielsen exclaimed when she first saw her.
Stallone’s response – “Yeah… Jackie” – as she wore a fur coat and sunglasses, became a famous line from the show.
Despite being evicted from the house after just four days following clashes with racing pundit McCririck, she became one of the show’s most loved characters.
Fans of the series have been paying tribute to the woman they say made one of the greatest entrances in its history.
Jamie East, who presented spin-off show Big Brother’s Bit On The Side, wrote on Twitter: “Ah man, RIP Jackie Stallone – responsible for one of the greatest ever moments on television.”
She had seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, Frank said.
FOR JK-47, his debut album Made For This is as much about being distinctly him as it is about creating a relatable work of art for his fans.
The Tweed Heads local said he was determined to create an album which would pick people up in tough circumstances.
“‘Where are you taking the listeners?’, like I had to think about that because I didn’t want to take them nowhere or mislead them or misguide them, I wanted to say something that had a positive impact on everyone listening,” he said.
“I just wanted to relate to people that were struggling, like sometimes you really go through a lot when you lose someone so I put RIP on (the album).
“Wings is my favourite track cause I feel like I am talking to my brothers and sisters and people in the community.”
Hailing from Tweed, with its proud Bundjalung culture, JK-47’s reverence for his community and determination to be a positive role model within it is evident.
“Me as an indigenous person from this community, I feel like listening to the elders of the community has done me like well cause they’ve always got smart wisdom and if I listen to that, I can hold onto it for the rest of my life and be okay,” he said.
This year has seen a meteoric rise for the 23-year-old ‒ he’s released his debut album and performed at NIMAs virtually ‒ but it is recent life events which mean the most to him.
“I am just humbled, like I got married and I am a father, so it’s bigger than just music like I think that’s bigger and when you care about the things that really matter all those other things will follow along,” he said.
“When you just care about that (music) and something falls through or you don’t get it, that’s where you let yourself down so I’ve just been focusing on the stuff that really matters like my wellbeing … and my son and raising him right and being a good husband and being a good role model for the community.”
The former India player, who won the man of the match award, scored 71 off just 48 balls, which included six fours and three towering sixes.
After surviving two early blows, the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings beat Mumbai Indians by five wickets with four balls to spare. South African star batsman Faf du Plessis remained unbeaten on 58 as he guided the team to a comfortable victory.
du Plessis played a rather uncharacteristic game, as he let Ambati Rayadu play the aggressor in the CSK innings, while he remained the sheet-anchor. The former India player, who won the man of the match award, scored 71 off just 48 balls, which included six fours and three towering sixes.
Earlier in the innings, things looked very difficult for CSK, as the team lost star Aussie batsman Shane Watson and Murali Vijay in quick succession. However, a 115-run partnership between du Plessis and Rayadu stabilised the CSK innings.
After the dismissal of Rayadu, the team seemed to be losing some momentum. However, Sam Curran (18) and Ravindra Jadeja (10) played quickfire knocks to help Chennai reach the target comfortably.
Ultimately, Dhoni remained unbeaten on nought, as du Plessis hit two consecutive fours off the bowling of Trent Boult to end the game for CSK.
The Mumbai Indians used five bowlers — Boult, James Pattinson, Jusprit Bumrah, Krunal Pandya and Rahul Chahar. All of them took one wicket each. But except Boult and Pattinson, whose economy rate remained under seven runs per over, others went for too many runs.
This is the first win in six matches for CSK against MI since beating them by one wicket in the opening game of IPL 2018.
In the first innings, Mumbai Indians set a target of 163 for the Chennai Super Kings after making 162 runs for the loss of nine wickets.
For Mumbai Indians, Saurabh Tiwari was the top performer, scoring 42 off just 31 balls. Quinton De Kock, the wicketkeeper-batsman, scored 33 and had a 46-run opening partnership with captain Rohit Sharma.
Mumbai Indians were seemingly doing well at 92-3 after 11 overs. However, the team continued to lose wickets at regular intervals, with no one being able to stitch a decent partnership. A lot was expected from power hitter Kieron Pollard but he only scored 18 runs and before being dismissed by Lungi Ngidi.
Ngidi was the pick of the bowlers, taking three wicket while giving away 38 runs. Jadeja and Deepak Chahar were the other top performers, both taking two wickets each.
Aubusson will become the most capped player in the Roosters’ long history on Saturday night when he runs out in the red, white and blue for the 303rd time.
Minichiello, who played 302 games, and 301-game veteran Ricketson, will both be at the Sydney Cricket Ground for the special occasion.
Milestone man … Mitch AubussonCredit:NRL Photos
“He belongs there when you look at the career he’s had – 100 per cent he belongs [in that painting],” Minichiello said.
“A fresh coat of paint is needed to add some new guys in there, especially Aubo,” Ricketson added.
Fittler told the Herald: “The benefit of having someone like an Aubo in there if you commission the painting is he shows how much the game has evolved with having that versatile player … he definitely wouldn’t look out of place now given he’s played more games and [potentially] won more grand finals than anyone else in that picture.”
Roosters’ chairman Nick Politis remembers the original painting, by Archibald Prize finalist Dave Thomas, and how it had cost him $65,000 at an auction. That’s chump change for a billionaire.
Where’s Aubo? The original Roosters Centurions painting.
“It was an original. It didn’t fall off the back of a truck. I donated it to the club,” Politis said. “If we do another one Aubo might make it for setting the record.”
Aubusson looks at the painting nearly every day, appreciates the history, but says there is no way he deserves to be included amongst such esteemed company.
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“That’s a high-class talented football team, that one. They all definitely have me covered,” he says. “I’m really proud I get to put the jersey on like the 1200 guys who have put it on before me. Their names are everywhere around the club. History hits you in the face every time you walk into the office.”
Aubusson, Ricketson and Minichiello remain good mates. They started a group text when Aubusson joined the exclusive 300-club last month.
Only 32, Aubusson maintains that had Ricketson not been suspended from the 2004 Grand Final, the Roosters do not lose to the Bulldogs, while he will never forget the day Minichiello suffered a syndesmosis injury in a game against Canberra but somehow stayed on the field, and even scored a try when moved to the wing.
He hated the fuss for his 300th game. He was oblivious to the ‘Aubo’ chants when he returned from a wrist injury against Newcastle last weekend.
Co-captain Jake Friend has played 261 games for the club, but will need at least another two seasons to give himself some chance of bettering Aubusson’s mark.
Luke Keary, another Rooster who will eventually deserve to have his own painting hung on one of the club’s walls, summed up the respect for Aubusson amongst the players when he said: “He’ll go down as one of the best players to ever play for the Roosters. He’s a really good footballer, can play anywhere and he’s stepped up in every single big game in his career. You know you’ll get an eight or nine out of ten every week. He’s rock solid.”
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Christian covers rugby league for The Sydney Morning Herald.
EXCLUSIVE | The SA Liberal Party is wooing former Adelaide United star and current Reds football director Bruce Djite to run for state parliament – with senior figures keen to see him stand for a key Labor-held marginal seat, InDaily can reveal.
Bruce Djite with Badcoe MP Jayne Stinson. Photo: Facebok
Djite, Adelaide’s all-time leading goal-scorer and a member of their victorious 2016 Grand Final side, told InDaily today: “I wouldn’t rule anything out.”
But he emphasised he was not poised to confirm his candidacy for the 2022 state election, saying it was “nowhere near that level of political discussion with anyone within the party”.
However, senior sources have linked him with the inner southern suburbs seat of Badcoe, held by first-term Labor frontbencher and former journalist Jayne Stinson, whose margin was slashed to just two per cent under the recent draft boundary redistribution.
Djite has a long-held relationship with Treasurer Rob Lucas, whose son is one of his closest friends.
“People have an interest in my future, and what I want to do… I know Rob especially takes a keen interest in my future and what I want to do [and] there’s a number of different talking points that have been suggested to me, but it hasn’t been [as specific as ‘run in Badcoe’,” Djite said.
“Everyone’s looking at the boundary redistribution [the final report is due in November] and seeing where they land… there’s a lot of marginal seats out there and there’s some good incumbents.”
Asked if it was correct to say senior members of the party had approached him about running in 2022 and he was considering his options, he said: “That’s very accurate.”
“I’m interested in policy, I’m interested in helping the community,” Djite said.
“What I value the most in my current role [at United] is how much I get to go out and engage with different communities.”
He said politics was “definitely a keen interest of mine”.
Djite on his unveiling as Adelaide United football director. Photo: Kelly Barnes / AAP
Lucas told InDaily he had “known Bruce for a fair while” and “he’s always been interested in politics”.
“I’ve raise the prospect of whether he’s interested [in running]… whether it’s this time round or next time round,” he said.
“He’s still pretty young.”
Lucas confirmed Djite was “certainly interested in” a political career but added: “He’s got a young family, two young kids… he’s got to make career choices as to whether he’s interested in politics, or wants to stay in football administration, or go into business – all career options are before him.”
“I’m certainly encouraging him to consider a political career – I think he’s an outstanding prospective talent,” he said.
“Whatever career choice he chooses, I’m sure he’ll make a success of it.”
He agreed Badcoe “comes into play because of possible boundary changes” but “ultimately these sorts of decisions are decisions for the individual”.
“I’ve discussed all the options with Bruce, and certainly unlike some people who might only be interested in federal parliament, because of a young family [and] the sorts of issues [he’s involved in] state politics is of a greater interest to him.
“He is more interested in lower house than upper house at this particular stage.”
He said other seats may present themselves in the longer term if Djite opted not to contest the next election.
“I depends on your time frame… whether you look at it this time – and it is one of the options – or next time,” he said.
“He’s still thinking about it, but there are a lot of other factors he has to weight up.”
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Asked whether he could guarantee support form the local Liberal branch, Lucas said there were “certain areas [that] people have locked away likely majority support over a long period of time” but that Badcoe was not one of those.
“All of the options are open [but] he’d be likely to get significant support, I think, from a number of us within the party if he chose to go down that particular path.”
Stinson has previously enthused about Djite in a social media post last year, in which she described him as “one of my fave sporting blokes” and “Dad of the year” for taking his four-year-old son to the W-League after he heard him remark that “girls don’t play football”.
She told InDaily today: “I live in Badcoe and every day I’m working my heart out to improve the lives of people in our local area… I’ll keep doing all I can for the wonderful people I’m fortunate to represent.”
“The rich there make so much money, and then they don’t pay any tax… and then the poor get paid so poorly. And then the middle class get – like the Australian middle class – they get squeezed,” he said at the time.
He also enthused about Clive Palmer, who owned Gold Coast United FC during his time there, saying: “He was really busy but he always had time for us and he was so generous.”
The state Liberals have a chequered history with sports stars-turned candidates, with champion Paralympian Matt Cowdrey snaring Colton from Labor at the last election, and former Crows premiership star Nigel Smart making an unsuccessful bid for Norwood at the 2006 state election.
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Sensational rumours have emerged suggesting boxing icon Floyd Mayweather will come out of retirement and fight YouTube star Logan Paul in an exhibition bout this year.
The American superstar, 43, hasn’t fought professionally since dismantling UFC great Conor McGregor in 2017, The Sun reports.
That victory took his professional career record to an unblemished, unparalleled 50-0.
But now incredible reports claim Mayweather has signed a contract to return to the ring to fight Paul.
The social media star, 25, has only one professional fight under his belt — his famous loss to fellow YouTuber KSI last year.
But now YouTuber Keemstar has taken to Twitter to reveal a “boxing insider” told him Paul would take on Mayweather.
Sharing the news with his 2.8 million followers, Keemstar tweeted: “Mayweather vs Logan Paul this year! No joke …
“That’s (what a) boxing insider just told me..”
And Keemstar’s claim was backed up by The Fighting News’ Mike Feinberg — who claimed he’d seen the contract signed by Mayweather to fight Paul.
Feinberg claimed: “I’ve got some breaking news for you.
“Floyd Mayweather Jr is coming out of retirement and has just officially signed a contract to fight in an exhibition match against Logan Paul.
“I don’t understand the fight. Logan Paul has tried his hand at professional boxing against the other nobody (that) nobody’s ever heard of before.
“(Paul’s) now 0-1 and he’s going to be fighting one of the best in Floyd Mayweather.
“It’s going to be a joke of a fight, but it’s signed. It’s official.
“I heard it from a reputable source today and even saw the signed picture of the signed contract.
“Floyd signed on the dotted line for this exhibition match.”
Mayweather last took to the ring for an exhibition fight with Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in 2018 — which resulted in the most simple of wins for the man they call “Money”.
Mayweather has beaten the likes of Manny Pacquiao and Canelo Alvarez during an illustrious career that has seen him earn billions of dollars.
On the other hand, Paul has fought just twice, both against KSI and only one of those was counted as a professional bout, which ended in defeat.
The American YouTuber had been tipped for an immediate switch to MMA. However, immediately after his loss to KSA, Paul called out Mayweather.
Paul simply tweeted: “Bring it @FloydMayweather.”
Mayweather had sparked talk of a comeback after being pictured working hard in the gym at 2am earlier this month.
This article first appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission
LONDON — Anna Netrebko, the star Russian soprano, is in the hospital with pneumonia caused by the coronavirus, she said in an Instagram post on Thursday.
“I have been in the hospital for 5 days with Covid-19 and will recover soon,” Ms. Netrebko wrote, adding: “Everything will be fine! The devil is not so terrible as it is described.”
She was admitted to a Moscow hospital just days after performing at the city’s Bolshoi Theater with another singer who later tested positive for the virus.
Maxim Berin, Ms. Netrebko’s Russian manager, said in a telephone interview that the soprano had been unwell since Sept. 9, but he said she was now recovering.
“Doctors told me everything is fine, and now Anna has started to sing in hospital, which is why she made the post,” he said of her Instagram announcement.
Ms. Netrebko, who lives in Vienna, had been in Russia since the start of September, Mr. Berin said. She performed with pianist Denis Matsuev, among others, in Moscow on Sept. 2. Then, on Sept. 6 and 8, she appeared at the Bolshoi in two performances of Verdi’s “Don Carlo,” the first opera at the venue since it was shuttered in March because of the pandemic.
The Bolshoi immediately tested those who had been in close contact with Mr. Abdrazakov, Katya Novikova, a spokeswoman for theater, said in a telephone interview. That included all of the other soloists in “Don Carlo,” as well as employees working in makeup and wardrobe. Three tested positive and were ordered to isolate for two weeks, Ms. Novikova said, but Ms. Netrebko was not among them.
Mr. Berin said that Ms. Netrebko had been tested “several times” after the Bolshoi outbreak and had been negative each time. The virus was confirmed only when she was at the hospital, he added.
Ms. Netrebko used the Instagram post largely to defend her decision to go to back to work. “I had two choices,” she wrote: to “stay at home and be afraid of getting infected” or “start working, traveling around, performing at the risk of getting sick.”
“I unconditionally chose 2 and do not regret anything,” she said.
Those infections occurred despite the ballet’s adopting a wide range of measures to keep staff members safe, such as regular testing, temperature checks and mandatory mask wearing. Similar safety measures were in place at the Bolshoi, Ms. Novikova said, though regular testing is not.
Other countries in Europe have also seen outbreaks since performances resumed. In Austria, the health authorities reported a cluster of 46 infections after an operetta performance by students at the Vienna Music and Arts University early this month.
Among those infected was a member of the Vienna State Opera who was at the event, Bernhard Mayer-Rohonczy, a spokesman for the university, said in a telephone interview. Two other State Opera employees became infected in a rehearsal with that person, the opera company said in a statement, and all three have been in quarantine since.
On Wednesday, the Budapest Operetta and Musical Theater in Hungary also canceled all performances after an artist tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a statement on its website.
But regardless of the outbreaks, it seems activity is unlikely to slow down. Ms. Novikova of the Bolshoi said that the theater was doing all it could to keep people safe, but that singers and musicians “really want to work.”
“We can’t wait, sitting at home,” she said.
In her Instagram post, Ms. Netrebko seemed to agree. Her next performance is scheduled for Oct. 1. “Do not worry!” she wrote. “You won’t take me so easily.”
Kevin Sheehan has explained why Collingwood’s Isaac Quaynor received the Round 17 Rising Star nomination over Adelaide’s Lachie Sholl.
Several Crows players were left stunned by Sholl’s snub after he amassed 24 disposals, eight score involvements, 627 metres gained and two goals in the win over Carlton.
Many expected the seven-game Crow to be nominated following his breakout performance, but Sheehan says it was Quaynor’s “body of work” that swayed the Rising Star panel.
The emerging Magpie had 17 disposals at 88.2 per cent efficiency along with seven marks and seven intercepts in the finals-clinching victory against Gold Coast.
“We’ve got a panel: Brad Scott, Brad Johnson, Chris Johnson and ultimately, I’m looking at every single game, Steve Hocking is a selector and we’ll go to him with a recommendation,” Sheehan told SEN’s Dwayne’s World.
“But late in the year – and that’s the point – in fact the last four or five rounds, the year to date, the body of work is weighted far greater than the performance just in the round.
“Because our ultimate aim this year is to get the most worthy 18 Rising Star nominations through to the panel of All-Australian selectors that then vote 5-4-3-2-1, and he (Quaynor) was second in our voting on a weekly basis to Noah Anderson back on Round 7.
“He then had some injuries and again on another occasion he was second or third, so he was right up there with his year to date, his body of work.
“And Lachie Sholl, it was a breakout game and a fantastic game, it was his seventh game at this point.
“He could have got it, it was close, but it wasn’t unanimous.
“In the finish, the body of work of Isaac Quaynor won the day. I appreciate all the passion people show for their own players.
“A tight vote, but that’s the way it went this week.”
Melbourne Rebels and Wallabies playmaker Matt Toomua has replaced former Waratahs hooker Damien Fitzpatrick as the president of the Rugby Union Players’ Association.
Toomua, 30, said it was a “great privilege” to be his teammates’ primary representative for the players’ union.
Matt Toomua playing for the Melbourne Rebels. Credit:Getty
“As someone who has heavily benefited from the work done in the past by former players and RUPA delegates, I am very honoured to have this opportunity to assist our players and the game,” Toomua said.
“We are fortunate to have some great experience in current and past players, along with industry experts guiding our journey. We will need all this experience as we navigate our way through these challenging times.”
