World Fitness Blog : Leading Global Bloggers

Cassidy has been working at the stables of Randwick trainers Jim and Greg Lee who are keen for the riding legend to join them in a training partnership.

After retiring from riding in 2015, Cassidy has been in demand as a guest speaker at sporting and corporate functions but conceded he has missed working with thoroughbreds and the rituals of daily stable life.

“In the last few months, I’ve been getting up at 1am and working with the Lee ‘boys’ five, six days a week,’’ Cassidy revealed. “I’m really enjoying it, I wouldn’t do it if I wasn’t.

“It’s great to be around the horses but I’m not sure if I want to commit myself to training full-time.

“I’ll just keep poking along for now, I’m going to wait and see what happens in the next couple of months.

“But I’m certainly learning the tricks of the trade from Jim and Greg, I have a lot of respect for them.’’

Cassidy, who rode 104 Group 1 winners, has always been regarded as a natural horseman and Greg Lee said the former champion jockey would be a great asset to any stable.

“Jimmy knows horses so well, he understands them, and he would make a great trainer,’’ Lee said.

“We want him to joins us in a training partnership. We haven’t quite convinced him yet but we are working on it.’’

SYDNEY GETS MOORE THAN IT BARGAINED FOR

Training maestro John Moore’s decision to relocate his business to Rosehill and form a partnership with his brother, Gary, is a real coup for Sydney racing.

Moore, 70, the most successful trainer in Hong Kong racing history with more than 1700 winners, has brought with him some of Hong Kong’s leading owners to invest in Sydney and Australian racing.

“I feel like a young fellow again, this is a whole new ball game,’’ Moore said.

“I’m training out of Rosehill which is probably the better of the racetrack facilities in Sydney.

“I know what we have to compete against, not only the trainers but so many well-bred horses that can go anywhere on the planet and be competitive.

“To be part of the growth of racing here in Australia at my age it is a challenge.’’

Moore said he has a burning ambition to finally win an Australian Group 1 race.

“Training a Group 1 winner in Australia has evaded me,’’ Moore said.

“It has given me the impetus to come back and do my utmost to try and win that Group 1. It’s a bucket list item.’’

PROFITEER STAYING PUT FOR THE SLIPPER

Trainer Mick Price has given the strongest indication yet that boom colt Profiteer will remain in Sydney to be set for the $3.5 million Golden Slipper next month.

Unbeaten Profiteer, who blitzed his rivals with sheer sustained speed in the Inglis Millennium at Randwick last Saturday, had been scheduled to return to Melbourne for the Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield next week.

But following Profiteer’s outstanding Randwick win Price said the aim was to have the colt at his peak for the Golden Slipper, run at Rosehill on March 20.

“There is six weeks to the Golden Slipper and I have to put our thinking cap on how to get there,’’ Price told Big Sports Breakfast Weekend on Sunday.

“But I tell you one thing, he won’t be going to Melbourne for the Blue Diamond in my opinion.

“Being a two-year-old, it would be unrealistic to expect him to go back down for the Blue Diamond in two weeks then come back for the Golden Slipper.

“I think that would leave an ‘empty tank’ by the time we go to the Slipper.’’

Price said Profiteer is likely to have a short freshen up before he determines which lead-up race is suitable for the colt’s Slipper preparation.

Profiteer firmed from $15 to $5 on TAB Fixed Odds for the Golden Slipper and is pressing Enthaar ($4.50) for favouritism. Remarque is at $11.

“I wouldn’t think they will meet until the Golden Slipper now,’’ Price said.

“Enthaar is definitely X-factor, so if she wins the Blue Diamond and finds her way into the Golden Slipper and Profiteer finds his way into the Golden Slipper, it will be a good contest.’’

HUGHIE KING OF THE KIDS AGAIN

Hugh Bowman won another juvenile feature as he let Profiteer rip around Randwick to race away with the Inglis Millennium.

The champion jockey also won a $2 million two-year-old feature last month on Shaquero in the Magic Millions.

Both Profiteer and Shaquero are being aimed at the Golden Slipper but Bowman says it is too early to choose between the two classy youngsters.

Bowman has dominated feature two-year-olds in the last 12 months and including snaring the coveted Sydney juvenile triple crown last year on Farnan (Golden Slipper), and King’s Legacy (ATC Sires Produce Stakes and Champagne Stakes).

PELTZER REMAINS UNBEATEN AT HEADQUARTERS

Peltzer should finally starting getting the recognition he thoroughly deserves after his impressive return to racing in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes.

Trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, Peltzer scored his sixth win from nine starts and remains unbeaten in five races at Randwick when he ran down stablemate The Face.

Ryan indicated Peltzer will be aimed at the Hobartville Stakes and Randwick Guineas.

David Pfieffer, trainer of Inglis Sprint winner Rocketing By, said his emerging three-year-old is likely to go to Flemington next the for Inglis Dash and then be aimed at the Arrowfield Stud Stakes at Randwick during The Championships.

Another promising three-year-old, Sky Lab, showed stamina potential to beat the older horses and trainer Paul Perry believes the gelding could develop into an ATC Australian Derby contender this autumn.

Jockey Robbie Dolan described Sky Lab as a “machine” after the race.

HAWKES WILL GET THEIR MOMENT

Team Hawkes only had the one winner at Randwick — promising filly Written Beauty — but they would have been satisfied with the comeback runs of talented trio Ole Kirk, North Pacific and Mount Popa.

Ole Kirk (third in the Inglis Sprint) and Mount Popa (second, Davali Thoroughbreds Cup) ran up to win but perhaps their condition gave out while North Pacific (fourth, Eskimo Prince) was doing his best work on the line and is looking for further.

RANDWICK SNAPSHOT

With Ron Dufficy

RUN OF THE DAY

Profiteer captured everyone’s imagination beating up on his opposition with sheer speed in the Inglis Millennium. Connections are giving themselves every opportunity not rolling the dice trying to win everything along the way with their eye on the big prize of the Golden Slipper and could well get a big dividend.

FORGET THEY RAN

I’ve been a cheerleader for Blaze A Trail in his two runs back from a spell without collecting but stay patient. He never got his chance to let down on Saturday and he still has more to offer.

THE BLACK BOOK

The late market said the French Import Mount Popa would improve with a run under his belt and that’s exactly what will happen. He travelled too well in the run and after cruising up just lacked match practice 1st up after only one soft trial.

Stick with him I think he is pretty smart.

RIDE OF THE DAY

Tim Clark made all the right moves with his winning double. He put Tilianam in the box seat getting the job done and then showed aggression to go fast enough out of the barriers to leave a spot to slot in on the likeable Peltzer. It was superb tactics.

NSW RACING – THE WEEK AHEAD

Monday: Bathurst, Muswellbrook

Tuesday: Hawkesbury, Lismore

Wednesday: Warwick Farm

Thursday: Wagga Wagga

Friday: Canterbury, Tamworth, Taree

Saturday: Royal Randwick, Gosford, Balranald, Coffs Harbour, Sapphire Coast, Tumut

Sunday: Dubbo, Nowra

And with a massive event watched by more than 100 million Americans every year comes plenty of style and fashion.

That includes wives and girlfriends of this year’s Super Bowl players from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs.

Watch Super Bowl LV: Chiefs v Buccaneers LIVE with ESPN on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

Ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl in Tampa, here’s The Sun’s guide to some of the players’ partners who could steal the limelight.

GISELE BUNDCHEN

Let’s just start right here.

Tom Brady is one of the leading figures in US sport – and he has a wife to match.

The Brazilian Gisele Bundchen is one of the highest paid models in the world, and married Brady in 2009.

As great as Brady is, he may not even be the breadwinner in his own house.

BRITTANY MATTHEWS

Patrick Mahomes proposed to long-time girlfriend and fitness trainer Brittany Matthews last September.

The couple started dating at Whitehouse High School in Texas, when Mahomes was a sophomore and Matthews was a junior, and are now expecting their first child.

Mahomes played high school football, while Matthews played soccer.

She went on to play football at the University of Texas Tyler and then relocated to Iceland for her soccer career.

The couple eventually moved in together after Matthews finished her season in Iceland and relocated to Kansas City to be with Mahomes.

ASHLI EVANS

The long-term partner of Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans has over 20,000 Instagram followers.

Mike and Ashli met at college at Texas A&M and tied the knot in 2016, two years after they met.

The pair have two kids together while Mike also has a daughter from a previous relationship.

Ashli and family are often seen at Bucs home games in Tampa wearing team jerseys with Mike’s name on.

KAYLA NICOLE

It’s official — Travis Kelce and Kayla Nicole are an item again.

The Chiefs tight end told TMZ before Christmas that he and sports reporter Kayla Nicole were back together after taking a break for a few months.

It’s not known when the pair started dating but Kayla deleted all pics of Kelce from her social media.

Then she was spotted at Arrowhead Stadium in October to spark rumours that they may have rekindled — and it’s true, they have.

Kayla has over half a million followers on Instagram and often wows fans with her snaps.

CAMILLE KOSTEK

Model Camille Kostek found forever love with her Super Bowl-winning boyfriend Rob Gronkowski while cheerleading for the New England Patriots.

She was born in Killingworth, Connecticut and moved into the world of cheerleading.

A former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Calendar cover star, she hung up her pompoms in 2015.

Since, she has posed for a range of companies, including Victoria’s Secret, L’Oreal, New Balance and Nissan.

And she even made Maxim’s Hot 100 list of Sexiest Women in the World in 2019, while becoming a regular for Sports Illustrated.

And now she’s soaking up the Tampa sun after Gronkowski came out of retirement with the Bucs.

KEETA VACCARO

Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill went “Instagram official” with Keeta Vaccaro just before Christmas.

Keeta’s brother Kenny Vaccaro still plays in the league for the Tennessee Titans.

Things are going well for the Cheetah on the field, and he looks happy with Keeta off the gridiron now too.

Keeta has 28,000 Instagram followers and cheered her man on at Arrowhead Stadium during the playoffs while sporting a Hill jersey.

CHELSIE KYRISS

Chelsie Kyriss has been involved with Antonio Brown for many years and is the mother of three of his children.

The former teacher and customer service representative engaged Brown last year, but their current relationship status is not known.

They have had an up-and-down relationship for several years, but got back together one year ago, according to The Sporting News.

Chelsie pleaded with Antonio to get help in an Instagram post in January of 2020.

“Unfortunately, it seems Antonio has made questionable choices and continues to ignore the advice of those who love and support him,” Kyriss wrote.

“At this point the boys and I are working on building a new life free from any impulsive, reckless and unhealthy behaviours.

“My hope is that Anotonio (sic) will get help and seek the mental health treatment that he so desperately needs so that he can be the father all of his children need and deserve.”

SYDNI PAIGE RUSSELL

Tyrann Mathieu met his future partner while playing for the LSU Tigers at college.

Sydni Paige majored in journalism and she followed him to Arizona when he was drafted by the Cardinals in 2013.

The pair welcomed their first child, son Tyrann Jr, the following year and their family grew even further in 2019 with the arrival of daughter Mila.

A former dancer for basketball’s New Orleans Hornets, Sydni Paige was due to marry Mathieu last year before coronavirus intervened.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission

McLeod had the first goal of the game in her grasp as she found room out the back inside 50m and collected the ball with plenty of time and space.

Watch every match of the 2021 NAB AFLW Competition LIVE on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your free trial now & start streaming instantly >

As the commentator called “that’s exactly how you want to draw it up if you’re (Dogs coach) Nathan Burke”, McLeod completely fluffed her shot from the goalsquare and kicked a behind.

The shocking miss hurt the Bulldogs as they failed to kick a goal in the first term and trailed at halftime.

McLeod began to make amends in the third quarter by keeping her side in touch with a neat shot from the boundary before adding a second in the fourth.

Inspirational skipper Ellie Blackburn was the matchwinner, kicking two late goals to secure a 6.6 (42) to 5.6 (36) win.

Blackburn was an outsider to win the AFLW best-and-fairest award heading into Friday night’s game against the Bulldogs.

She won’t be now.

The 25-year-old almost single-handedly willed her side over the line in the last quarter at Whitten Oval.

After facing a 10-point deficit heading into the last quarter, Blackburn was everywhere for the Dogs and kicked two final-term goals within the opening five minutes to have her side put their noses ahead of the Blues.

Carlton coach Daniel Harford wasn’t pulling punches after his side’s loss, labelling the Blues’ performance “awful”.

Harford, whose side now sits at 0-2 on the season, said while the Blues have come back from here before, they were a long way off it.

“We went through being 0-2 a couple of years ago and rebounded really strongly and made the grand final, so we’ve proven we’re capable of rebounding but what we saw tonight, it was awful, we were awful tonight,” he said.

“I don’t want to take too much away from the Doggies because I thought they were really good, but it was nothing like what we are as a team and what we try to accomplish as a team.

“We need to dig deep into the number and the psyche of the players and try and find why what is happening is happening.”

– with James Mottershead, NCA NewsWire

The newly crowned BBL player of the tournament is licking his lips at the thought of making his international debut for Australia after being chosen for the upcoming T20 series in New Zealand.

But his selection has also come at a price because it will delay his return to Sheffield Shield and his chance to remind national selectors he’s no one-trick pony and has just as much to offer in the red-ball game.

The ONLY place to watch every match of the 2020/21 KFC BBL Season Live & Ad-Break Free During Play is on Fox Cricket, available on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your free trial now & start streaming instantly >

“The dream as a kid has always been to get a baggy green,” he said.

“I definitely want to try and establish myself at first-class level.”

Philippe’s immediate future is all T20, starting with Saturday’s BBL grand final at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Man of the match in last year’s decider, he’s looming as the Sixers’ trump card again after clubbing 499 runs so far this season.

Then it’s off to New Zealand for a five-match series ending in the first week of March – marking a year since he last played a first-class match.

“This season there‘s not much I can do about it,” he said.

“I just hope next season there is an opportunity there for me, fingers crossed.”

Philippe is already well versed in making compromises. That’s how the 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman ended up playing for the Sixers because he couldn’t get a run with the Perth Scorchers.

If, as expected, he makes his Australian debut in New Zealand, he’s likely to do it without the gloves because vice-captain Matthew Wade is the first-choice keeper.

“It doesn‘t worry me too much, running around in the field,” Philippe said.

“The dream and goal is to play for Australia, so whatever that role looks like I’ll be ready.”

By the time he gets home to Western Australia, it’ll have been almost six months since he’s slept in his own bed, and even then he won’t have long to put his head on the pillow with the IPL due to start in April, if it’s given the green light.

“With COVID and what happens, we never seem to find anything out until the last minute,” Philippe said.

“Going over last year and seeing how it was run and all the COVID protocols, I was very happy and felt very safe.

“I‘ve got no doubt, wherever it is held, that it will be the same.”

Why Sixers BBL title charge just got that little bit harder

Josh Philippe will have to overcome the curse of being named as the Big Bash player of the year to complete the perfect season.

The first player from the Sydney Sixers to win the tournament’s highest individual honour, the wicketkeeper-batsman will have to break another jinx to win back to back titles in Saturday’s grand final at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Although he was named man of the match in last year’s final, no-one who has taken the player of the tournament award has won the championship in the same year, so Philippe will need to end that hoodoo.

The leading keeper this season with 15 dismissals under his belt and currently second on this season’s runscoring list with 499 at an average of 33.26, Philippe polled 22 votes to win the award, decided by on-field umpires.

He finished two clear of Sydney Thunder’s explosive opener Alex Hales, the English import who still has the Golden Bat as the leading runscorer but is just 44 runs ahead of Philippe.

Perth Scorchers fast bowler Jhye Richardson, the Golden Arm leader for this season with 27 wickets, finished third overall after polling 19 votes.

“We’d like to congratulate Josh Philippe on another outstanding season at the top of the order for the Sydney Sixers and being named the KFC BBL|10 Player of the Tournament,” Cricket Australia’s Head of Big Bash Leagues Alistair Dobson said.

“This is a richly deserved accolade and recognition for a number of matchwinning performances, which have guided the Sixers to a second consecutive home Final at the SCG and selection in the Australian Men’s T20I squad.”

KFC BBL|10 PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT

Josh Philippe (Sydney Sixers) – 22 votes

Alex Hales (Sydney Thunder) – 20 votes

Jhye Richardson (Perth Scorchers) – 19 votes

Glenn Maxwell (Melbourne Stars) – 18 votes

Ben McDermott (Hobart Hurricanes) – 17 votes

Chris Lynn (Brisbane Heat) – 17 votes

Colin Munro (Perth Scorchers) – 17 votes

D’Arcy Short (Hobart Hurricanes) – 16 votes

Shaun Marsh (Melbourne Renegades) – 15 votes

Jake Weatherald (Adelaide Strikers) – 15 votes

THE SIXERS SUPERSTAR THAT SMUDGE SAVED BECOMES THE BEST

Before he was crowned the best player in the Big Bash, Sydney Sixers’ sensation Josh Philippe was just like every other bug-eyed youngster desperate for the chance to show everyone what he can do.

But when the tearaway nicknamed Flip got his first offer to join a franchise, he knocked it back, because it was the wrong team on the other end of the line.

Still in his teens and living with his parents in Western Australia, Philippe had his heart set on playing for the Perth Scorchers even though they didn’t have a spot for him.

So after giving it some thought and talking with his manager and parents, he politely told the Sixers’ general manager Jodie Hawkins he was declining their approach.

Instead of turning the Sixers off him, his rejection only reinforced their belief they were chasing the right guy.

With an eye for talent, the Sixers’ head coach Greg Shipperd had already identified Philippe as a rare gem but his sense of loyalty to his local side told the Sixers everything they wanted to know about his character.

“At the Sixers, we treat everyone like they are family, and we knew straight away that Josh was the sort of person that fitted our culture, so I enlisted a little help from a friend, in the name of Steve Smith,” Hawkins said.

“Steve just had a bit of a chat with Josh about what the Sixers were like and how beneficial it could be to come and play for the Sixers and that was how it started, then we got a call and he said he’s changed his mind and would love to come and play for us.”

By his own admission, it was Smith’s call that persuaded Philippe to head east. Not only is Smith his hero, but they bear an uncanny resemblance. It was, Philippe reasoned, fate.

Initially signed on a one-year deal, Philippe was an instant hit, scoring 304 runs, including a Sixers franchise record of 86 not out, so he was offered an extension.

Again, he paused, wanting to give the Scorchers a chance to come up with a counter offer, before re-signing with the Sixers.

Hawkins flew to Perth to meet up with Philippe and his family to ensure they were comfortable with the longer deal – a three-year contract with a rented apartment in Coogee, where all the other interstate players were housed.

“He’s from a lovely family, he’s got a twin sister who I’ve met and his parents are absolutely lovely people so you can see why he is the kid that he is,” Hawkins said.

“We were very keen to re-sign him but we also wanted to respect what he wanted to do because he’s still a young man who’s going through a steep learning curve, including being selected in Australian squads.

“His welfare is very important to us and we’re just so glad he’s part of our team because he’s a very genuine person who has genuinely bought into our culture so we are already talking to him about another extension.”

Philippe’s form has been better each year he’s played and he’s now one of the biggest draw cards in the entire tournament.

Last season, he scored 487 runs and was named player of the match in the final, which the Sixers won and this season, he’s belted 499 runs, including a career-best 95, and is through to another final.

“Shippy has a very good eye for talent and how to develop young players but talent is one thing and fulfilling it is another,” Hawkins said.

“We’re just delighted with how he’s gone and we’ve never looked back since he joined the Sixers.”

Less than 24 hours earlier, national selectors revealed he would not feature in the sport’s pinnacle event, making way for Jackson Bird to make his Test debut against Sri Lanka.

Starc was not injured, and he was coming off a match-winning five-wicket haul in the previous Test at Bellerive Oval, so his omission understandably puzzled many cricket fans.

Watch every test, T20 & ODI of England’s Tour of India Live & Ad-Break Free During Play with Fox Sports on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your free trial now & start streaming instantly >

With several pacemen in the casualty ward, national selectors had opted to impose a rotation policy throughout the 2012/13 summer, and Starc was not an enthusiastic advocate.

“Absolutely shattered,” he tweeted on Christmas Day.

Fast forward eight years, the controversial rotation policy has been largely scrapped by national selectors, who trust Australia’s bowling attack can power through an entire Test series.

Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Starc played all four matches in the recent Test series against India, but fatigue became a genuine concern when the squad travelled to Brisbane for the series decider.

The quartet twice failed to claim 10 wickets in the fourth innings at the SCG and the Gabba, which ultimately cost Australia the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Starc was particularly inaccurate and ineffective in Brisbane, where he lacked the bullish aggression he’s become renowned for throughout his international career.

And when examining Starc’s numbers in the Test arena, a disturbing trend emerges which suggests the rotation policy is due for a comeback.

The left-armer has historically been less successful with the ball towards the end of a Test series, his best performances seemingly coming at the start.

MITCHELL STARC’S BOWLING AVERAGE IN TEST CRICKET

1st match of a series — 24.04

2nd match of a series — 24.75

3rd match of a series — 31.67

4th match of a series — 36.94

5th match of a series — 52.66

MITCHELL STARC’S STRIKE RATE IN TEST CRICKET

1st match of a series — 44.1

2nd match of a series — 44.3

3rd match of a series — 55.7

4th match of a series — 60.3

5th match of a series — 101.0

Starc could potentially benefit from time to recuperate throughout a lengthy Test series, particularly in the age of COVID-19 when bubble fatigue exacerbates the problem.

The depth of Australia’s bowling stocks certainly isn’t a concern, with talented pacemen James Pattinson and Michael Neser patiently waiting in the wings.

The rotation policy has worked wonders for England’s Test team recently, with the side frequently resting frontline pace bowlers.

With an Ashes series on the horizon, utilising the rotation policy might be an effective strategy for the Australians as well — it certainly paid dividends in 2019.

“We look back at the last Ashes series in England, and one of the things we did do is rotate our bowlers really well,” Australian coach Justin Langer said on the Cricket, Et Cetera podcast this week.

“But it would have taken a courageous person or people to say, ‘We’re not going to play those guys in (the Gabba) Test match’.

“Think about the hysteria if we didn’t play those guys.”

READ MORE: Pressure levels on Langer came as a shock

Speaking to reporters last week, chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns conceded the rotation policy could have been beneficial during the recent India Test series.

“In hindsight, that’s possibly something that could have been done.” Hohns said.

“Prior to finalising any team, we check with medical people and even check with our players sometimes just to find out how they are doing.

“The games were pretty tight and close together, maybe we have to be a little more mindful of that going forward. However, in this instance, all the bowlers had recovered sufficiently for the medicos to give them the thumbs up.

“We considered those three fast bowlers, who had performed very well over a long period of time, were the best ones for the job. Once we’d checked to make sure they’d recovered sufficiently we thought it was the best attack.”

Collingwood conducted an internal club investigation last year, the findings of which were made public on Monday.

The investigation found Collingwood’s responses to instances of alleged racism were “at best ineffective, or at worst exacerbated the impact of the racist incidents”.

The report also said Collingwood responds to racism claims through the prism of protecting the club’s brand and reputation, rather than addressing the issues directly and instigating meaningful change.

Watch every match of the 2021 AAMI Community Series LIVE on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your free trial now & start streaming instantly >

Collingwood President Eddie McGuire faced a tsunami of criticism this week, which intensified after declaring the report’s findings were a “historic and proud day”, but Cornes believes other figures at the Magpies should be held accountable.

“I wonder how Nathan Buckley is feeling on the back of this, how he was feeling watching that press conference,” Cornes said on SEN SA Breakfast on Tuesday morning.

“Of course, ‘Bucks’ has been at the Collingwood Football Club since 1994. He’s been a strong leader and behind Eddie McGuire the most famous name at the Collingwood Football Club.

“He would be embarrassed right now. He would be ashamed not stamping this out earlier under his leadership and under his watch as captain, as assistant coach and as coach.

“I’d also wonder how Scott Pendlebury is feeling. He’s been captain since 2014, he’s the most decorated player to ever play for the Collingwood Football Club, he played with Heritier Lumumba as well.

“It’s not all on Eddie. I think Eddie misread the room badly (at the press conference). His opening remarks were off, but a lot of what he did say was good and positive and that they’re desperate to make change.

“They weren’t denying any of the allegations. You could tell they want to be better and be a pillar for society and the AFL and be a club that sets the benchmark.

“But Scott Pendlebury and Nathan Buckley would have some culpability in this as well. I’m looking forward to hearing them speak.”

Collingwood addressed the media in a press conference on Monday, during which McGuire claimed it was a “historic and proud day” for the club.

McGuire apologised for the remarks at the Collingwood Football Club’s Annual General Meeting on Tuesday evening.

“The opening remarks from Eddie, were … well he didn’t read the room at all,” Cornes said.

“So to say that, this was his biggest mistake.

“To say that it is a ‘proud and historic day’ for the football club was the wrong thing to say.

“What he should have said and what he failed to do was apologise for it on behalf of the football club and the clear failings that have gone on at Collingwood as a result of this report.

“The word ‘sorry’ wasn’t used. That was his biggest mistake yesterday, not saying sorry, and the use of the word ‘proud’ and it being a historic day for the club.”

The Queensland Origin legend revealed the split in a statement released by Channel 9, where he works as a sports presenter.

“Wally and Jacqui Lewis separated last year after 36 years of marriage. It has been a difficult time for everyone in the family and they are still working through the details of the separation,” the statement read.

Lewis, 61, who shares three children — Mitchell, Lincoln and Jamie-Lee — with Jacqui, admitted the separation had taken a heavy toll on his family. He is now in a new relationship.

“This is a deeply personal matter that we do not want to discuss publicly, but I want to acknowledge the pain and upset my family has gone through since Jacqui and I separated last year. I hope over time we can rebuild our ties and move on with life,” Lewis said.

“I will confirm I am now in another relationship and only ask for the media to respect our privacy.”

Wally and Jacqui were married on November 10, 1984, at St John’s Cathedral in Brisbane.

He revealed in his autobiography My Life last year how Jacqui had helped him through his epilepsy diagnosis — a condition he kept secret from 1987 to 2006 when he had a seizure on air on Nine News.

Lewis finally underwent a four-hour operation in 2007 but wrote he and Jacqui hadn’t anticipated the depression that would follow.

“I had suicidal thoughts and found myself crying uncontrollably, for no reason,” he wrote.

Lewis admitted to coming close to committing suicide at his Brisbane home when his wife had ducked out to the shops.

“Another time I walked down to the pontoon on the canal at the back of the house and considered jumping in,” he says. “The thought was actually there that day … (Jacqui) never left me alone after that.”

Mitch Lewis, who works as a Nova radio presenter, recently revealed he is set to add a daughter to his clan of boys.

He and wife Sarah have three sons and were in tears when their doctor called to say they were having a baby girl.

Khawaja opted to take his pants off and expose a pair of bright orange jocks after snapping the strap that holds his protective box in place.

Watch every match of the 2020/21 KFC BBL Finals Live & Ad-Break Free During Play on Fox Cricket, available on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your free trial now & start streaming instantly >

Heat skipper Chris Lynn attempted to goad the opening batsman into continuing by bowling a spinner but Khawaja was determined to keep his “McNuggets” out of harm’s way.

“I had a blowout. And then Lynny was getting to me, he is like, ‘Spinner’s bowling’,” Khawaja said on Seven.

“I was like I have to protect my McNuggets, I don’t care who is bowling, no way I’m batting without my box. What a stinker.

“You’re not supposed to see the dacks, mate, that’s the point. Not one of my finer moments, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do, unfortunately.”

The commentators couldn’t believe what they were seeing as Michael Slater criticised Khawaja’s lack of colour co-ordination and James Brayshaw added, “I’ve never seen a cricketer completely derobe on the ground”.

Heat player Marnus Labuschagne said: “He gave us a full show.”

After switching out the strap, Khawaja appeared to lose focus while playing Labuschagne’s lethal leg spin.

The Aussie Test number three dropped a difficult caught and bowled before having Khawaja stumped two balls later as he played over the top of a wrong’un.

“Usman did not seem like he switched on after that break in play,” Adam Gilchrist said.

Ricky Ponting said on Seven: “Didn’t look like he was quite with it after that break, Khawaja. Even before that dismissal he turned around and was talking to the wicketkeeper. Lost a bit of concentration”

From there it was all downhill for the Thunder as they were dumped out of the competition.

News Corp revealed that, while the final timetable for the vaccine rollout has yet to be released publicly, Australian athletes would likely get their first shots in May and second round in July, well before the start of the rescheduled games.

Kayo is your ticket to the best sport streaming Live & On-Demand. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

Some Paralympic athletes will be eligible for to be vaccinated in earlier phases but federal sports minister Richard Colbeck told News Corp that the athletes wouldn’t need to jump the queue to get the vaccination.

“The clear priority for us is residents and staff in aged care facilities, they have to be first as they are the most vulnerable. That is the government’s priority and the advice we have received,” Colbeck told News Corp.

“Most athletes will get access in Phase 2B, which will be in late May, and June, which will give them time to be vaccinated prior to them heading off to the Olympics.

“Of course, everything will be dependent on supplies and obviously they will have to get some advice about how that will sit with their preparations and training and things of that nature.”

The news was reportedly passed on to sports officials earlier this week.

It comes at a time where there has been plenty of speculation about the event.

It reportedly has been unpopular in Japan to continue with Olympic plans while the pandemic continues with The Times reporting that Japan was looking to cancel the 2021 Games. The reported was flatly denied by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

Suga swatted away the report in an address to parliament in which he declared the Games will go ahead as scheduled.

“I am determined to organise a safe Games while working closely with the metropolitan government of Tokyo, the organising committee and the IOC,” Suga said.

Australian Olympic officials also denied the reports.

But it didn’t stop Florida’s chief financial officer Jimmy Patronis from volunteering the US state to host the 2021 games.

The Games will no doubt be controversial regardless of what happens but the International Olympic Committee has also had to weigh in.

IOC president Thomas Bach had to defending forging on with the Olympics as not being irresponsible.

Japan are in a third wave of infections with many locals against the idea of the Olympics.

Bach did say that athletes shouldn’t skip the queue for COVID vaccines and promised the event would be safe.

“Our task is to organise Olympic Games and not to cancel Olympic Games. This is why we are working day and night to organise safe Olympic Games,” he said.

“We are not speculating whether the Games will take place. We are working on how the Games will take place,” he added, explaining that the IOC will issue guidelines for athletes and teams next month.

But some Canadian athletes have hit out against the thought of getting moved to the front of the queue

“We really need the vaccine to get into the arms of the people who are most at risk, those in long-term care homes, those in the front lines,” Canadian 75kg Olympic Champion wrestler Erica Wiebe told Reuters.

Similarly, racewalker Evan Dunfee said it “would sour public opinion and just turn the community against us”.

“Our value as athletes is only as strong as our community,” he said. “We’re nothing without our communities.”

He told Reuters he’d be unlikely to be vaccinated before the games.

The Australian news will help organisers as the nation joins the likes of South Korea, Denmark, Belgium and Hungary to reveal plans to vaccinate athletes while Israel has already started.

“The AOC is confident the vaccine rollout will see our Olympic athletes vaccinated ahead of the Tokyo Games without queue jumping health workers and vulnerable Australians,” AOC chief executive Matt Carroll said.

“We appreciate there are still details to be finalised, but our planning has always assumed the vaccine may not be available.

“The potential timetable we have been given is very welcome news and gives us even greater confidence we can achieve our mission. ”

While some players have already been let out of hotels, the release is being staggered between now Thursday and Sunday afternoon as the 17 charter flights are released.

The plan was to allow them five hours a day to practise outside, and many have enjoyed the privilege.

But eight positive COVID-19 cases from the more than 1000 players, coaches and officials who arrived in largely virus-free Australia threw preparations for others into disarray.

Seventy-two players have been confined to their Melbourne rooms 24 hours a day, forced to strike balls against mattresses and exercise as best they can, sparking complaints about the tough conditions.

There were plenty of complaints from stars in quarantine, with US player Tennys Sandgren taking aim at Tennis Australia once again.

Watch the ATP 250 World Tour exclusive on Fox Sports with Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly.

While far from the only player to complain about the measures, Sandgren is particularly unhappy as he will be forced into an additional day of quarantine.

Having tested positive before boarding the charter plane, Sandgren, who had COVID over Thanksgiving in the United States in November, was still shedding the virus months later and was allowed to get on the plane.

At the time he called Australian Open director Craig Tiley “a wizard”.

But his tune changed, with Sandgren slamming Tiley after the players who flew into Adelaide were given preferential treatment.

Now right at the end of quarantine, Sandgren’s frustrations have boiled over once again.

“I just found out we’re not going to be able to leave the room until midnight tomorrow,” Sandgren said.

“That will put us at close to 15 days in this room. It’s also another day we can’t practice. We play Saturday, Sunday, Monday, play a match on Tuesday. A competitive tennis match.

“[Including travel] 16 days off, three days hitting. Tennis match.

“My name’s Tennis Australia and I’m sooooo cool.”

Later he said the reason for the delay came as players in hard quarantine started from day zero rather than day one.

“So I’ve been able to figure out what actually happened and where the confusion lies for the players that have been in hard quarantine because of close contact rules,” he said in another video.

“So for everybody else, the day they got here started their first day (in quarantine), so they leave 14 days later at the same time they arrived.

“For the players in hard quarantine, the first day we got here was day zero. Day zero! So they started the count from zero,” he said, with evident frustration.

Georgia’s Oksana Kalashnikova was also annoyed by the delay.

The Age reported that releasing all players, staff and officials will take several days.

COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria (CQV) confirmed the process for releasing everyone from quarantine would begin at 6pm on Thursday but a statement added “Departure dates and numbers may be subject to change.”

CQV also wants to ensure each person is released individually to ensure protocols are adhered to.

French veteran Richard Gasquet was one of the first players let out of quarantine and told The Age he had no problems with the fortnight of quarantining.

The 34-year-old said he was largely unaffected by the two weeks of quarantine, with the daily five-hour window for training comfortably meeting his needs.

“It’s an incredible city, so of course we are happy,” Gasquet told The Age. “But you know we could practise five hours a day, so it was no problem.

“Two hours of tennis was enough, (plus) I could go to gym, I could see the physio. Everything was perfect.”

A bumper six ATP and WTA tournaments await them beginning on Sunday, all at Melbourne Park and squeezed into a week to make up for lost time in the lead-up the season-opening Grand Slam on February 8.

Spanish great Rafael Nadal, who is gunning to win a 21st Slam title, moving him past the injured Roger Federer, said he felt “privileged” to play at all given the devastation wrought by the pandemic globally.

“It’s a different situation than usual, it’s much more sad for everyone,” he told CNN this week.

“But at least we’re here, we’re going to have a chance to play here. The world is suffering in general, so we can’t complain.

“I feel that we are privileged people today, having the chance to keep doing our jobs,” he added.

Serena Williams, who is still searching for one more Slam title to equal Margaret Court’s record 24, echoed those sentiments on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, calling the biosecurity rules “super, super strict”, but adding: “They’re doing it right”.

— with AFP