AFL
Richmond v St Kilda, Metricon Stadium, 9/10, 7:50pm (2nd semi-final)
The Tigers will be looking to bounce back after a tough loss against Brisbane. They’ll receive a huge boost with spearhead Tom Lynch returning from a hamstring injury.
The Saints survived a furious Bulldogs comeback, but take a big hit heading into this clash, losing Ben Long to suspension, Jake Carlisle for personal reasons, and Paddy Ryder who unfortunately suffered a hamstring injury late in the last quarter.
Richmond is coming in as favourites, but St Kilda can’t be underestimated. They won their home-and-away season match by 26 points, dominating with their speed. Former Tiger Dan Butler and Tim Membrey kicked three goals each.
It should be an entertaining match headlined by Dustin Martin and Jack Steele doing battle in the midfield. The winner moves on to a preliminary final and they’ll head south to take on Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval.
Geelong Cats v Collingwood, Gabba, 10/10, 7:40pm (1st semi-final)
It’s a rematch of last year’s qualifying final and the Cats will look to clean up their goalkicking after being wasteful against the Power. The Pies beat the Eagles in arguably the match of the season by just one point. Brody Mihocek was huge in the fourth quarter with two goals, while Taylor Adams was one of the best on ground.
BRODY MIHOCEK NO WAY 😱 pic.twitter.com/qPJ7ZER3EQ
— 7AFL (@7AFL) October 3, 2020
Collingwood won’t be phased by their underdog status. They beat Geelong in last year’s qualifying final and won their home-and-away season clash by 22 points. Geelong are 4-12 in finals since their 2011 premiership and to avoid a straight-sets exit, they’ll need a big response from Tom Hawkins after a shocking night in front of goal against Port, kicking 0.5.
Expect the likes of Patrick Dangerfield, Joel Selwood, Scott Pendlebury and Taylor Adams to leave it all on the field on Saturday night. The winner will take on Brisbane in the preliminary final.
All finals matches can be seen on Channel Seven (free-to-air), Foxtel, Kayo and AFL Live Pass.
NRL
Sydney Roosters v Canberra Raiders, SCG, 9/10, 7:50pm (1st semi-final)
The Roosters’ comeback against the Panthers fell agonisingly short, losing by a point 29-28. They scored the last three tries but just couldn’t get over the line. Now the stage is set for a rematch of the 2019 Grand Final, as the Raiders overcame a slow start to defeat the Sharks.
Sydney and Canberra faced off twice in the home-and-away season, with each winning a game, so it should be an entertaining thriller. The winner will take on the Melbourne Storm in a preliminary final.
Parramatta Eels v South Sydney Rabbitohs, Bankwest Stadium, 10/10, 7:50pm (2nd semi-final)
The Eels couldn’t build off a fast start against the Storm, losing the qualifying final by 12 points after going up 12-0 early. The Rabbitohs had a slow start themselves going down 14-0 early. But they bounced back quickly, scoring the next eight tries to win comfortably 46-20 against the Knights and avoid elimination.
Parramatta may be the ones with a second chance, but it’s South Sydney heading into this game as favourites. They demolished the Eels in the home-and-away season, winning 38-0, so they won’t be phased at all. The winner will move on to a preliminary final to face the Panthers.
All finals matches can be seen on Channel Nine (free-to-air), Foxtel, Kayo and NRL Live Pass.
Cricket
In the IPL, the Aussies have had some big performances in recent matches. In his last two games, David Warner has scored at least a half-century for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The Super Kings’ Shane Watson turned back the clock, scoring 83 runs (not out) in a win against Kings XI Punjab.
On the other end of the spectrum, Steve Smith had a week to forget for the Royals. In his last two matches, he’s scored a combined 11 runs, so he’ll be looking to bounce back in a big way.
Upcoming games:
Rajasthan Royals v Delhi Capitals, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, 10/10, 1am
Kings XI Punjab v Kolkata Knight Riders, Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, 10/10, 9pm
Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Bangalore, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, 11/10, 1am
Sunrisers Hyderabad v Rajasthan Royals, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, 11/10, 9pm
Mumbai Indians v Delhi Capitals, Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, 12/10, 1am
Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, 13/10, 1am
Sunrisers Hyderabad v Chennai Super Kings, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, 14/10, 1am
Delhi Capitals v Rajasthan Royals, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, 15/10, 1am
Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kings XI Punjab, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, 16/10, 1am
Games can be seen on Foxtel and Kayo.
Super Netball
The Vixens are into the Grand Final, beating the Lightning comfortably 63-47. The Lightning get a second chance and they’ll face the Fever in the preliminary final. They defeated the Swifts in a close match 67-62, ending NSW’s season.
Preliminary final: Sunshine Coast Lightning vs West Coast Fever, USC Stadium, 11/10, 12pm
The Super Netball finals can be seen on Channel Nine (free-to-air) and Netball Live.
Tennis
The French Open is coming to a close and there have been a few surprises. In the men’s side, the two big favourites Novak Djokovic and 12-time French Open winner Rafael Nadal are still in. However, US Open champion Dominic Thiem was eliminated in a five-set thriller by Diego Schwartzman, while next-gen stars Alexander Zverev (fourth round) and Daniil Medvedev (first round) were bundled out early.
There have been plenty of upsets in the women’s side, with just three seeded players making it to at least the quarterfinals. Iga Świątek has surprised everyone, steamrolling through to the final without dropping a set, including a demolition job on World No.1 Simona Halep 6-1 6-2. She becomes the first Polish player to reach a Grand Slam final in the Open Era. She’ll take on Australian Open champ Sofia Kenin.
Upcoming matches:
(12) Diego Schwartzman vs (2) Rafael Nadal, Semi-final, 9/10, 11:50pm
(1) Novak Djokovic vs (5) Stefanos Tsitsipas, Semi-final, 10/10, 2am*
Iga Świątek vs (4) Sofia Kenin, Final, 11/10, 12am
Times vary depending on previous match duration*
Matches can be seen on FOX SPORTS 505, FOX SPORTS 503 and Kayo.
NBA
NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers lead Miami Heat 3-1
The Lakers are one win away from their 17th championship and LeBron James’ fourth ring. The Heat have fought valiantly, with Jimmy Butler producing one of the best performances in a Finals game ever, with 40 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds in Game 3. But his efforts haven’t been enough as James and Anthony Davis have led LA to a 3-1 series lead.
The Lakers are expected to take the series from here, but the Heat can’t be underestimated, as everyone has learnt throughout the regular season and especially these playoffs. Goran Dragic was in tears as he painfully tried to warm up to play Game 4, and he’s listed as doubtful to play Game 5.
Goran Dragic trying his best to warm up. Gotta feel for him 😕
(🎥 @WillManso) pic.twitter.com/wNjRQrGBOd
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 6, 2020
This is tough to watch. Sending prayers Goran Dragic’s way. Hope to see him on the court soon. (via @willmanso) pic.twitter.com/vlTXPokPvz
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 6, 2020
Miami faces an extremely difficult uphill battle, and they’ll need the absolute best from Butler to extend the season.
Game 5: Miami Heat @ LA Lakers, 10/10, 12pm
The NBA Finals can be seen on Foxtel (ESPN) and Kayo.
Article: Stephen Riosa is a third-year Bachelor of Media and Communications student (Sport Journalism) at La Trobe University.
Photo: Metricon Sunset by Michael Coughlan available HERE and used under a Creative Commons Attribution. The image has not been modified.
